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Early Music Organizational Grants provide funding to support programming aimed at the study, teaching, and performance of music before c. 1600 by members of the Coalition of Music Organizations. These grants support programs that build, strengthen, and sustain the research skills needed to knowledgeably study, teach, perform, and illuminate music and musical cultures in the period before c. 1600. This includes, but is not limited to, programming focused on paleography, codicology, organology, the archival sciences, the study of musical notation and lexicology, languages and liturgy, and the scribal and material cultures that informed and conditioned the creation, evolution, and dissemination of early music. It also includes illustrative and historically-informed performances so long as they are coupled or paired with educational content and programming.
The goal of these grants is to support programs that sustain and transmit professional expertise in early music, including historical modes of performance and transmission. The program was established in summer 2025 with the launching of the Coalition of Music Organizations. The Coalition of Music Organizations is a voluntary association of small to medium-sized music organizations, publishers, programs, and cultural institutions designed to provide access to small-grant funding ($1,000–$10,000), outreach support, and opportunities for cooperation and conversation. The Coalition of Music Organizations takes advantage of economies of scale and its members’ diverse organizational strengths to return benefits well in excess of the modest annual membership fee (which start at $475).
Eligibility & Deadlines
Eligibility is restricted to current institutional members of the Coalition of Music Organizations. Eligible applications up to $5000 will be considered. Organizations may apply for an Early Music Organizational Grant even if they have received one in the previous year, but preference will be given to applicants who have not recedntly received a grant.
Required Materials:
- Title of the project or initiative towards which the grant would be used.
- A proposal summary (maximum 150 words).
- A full proposal (maximum 500 words) describing the overall project or initiative that the organization would use this grant to fund, including how it advances the study, teaching, or performance of music before c. 1600.
- A list of personnel and key individuals (e.g., speakers, faculty, administrators, etc.) that will be involved in the project or initiative.
- A description of expenses summarizing how the grant would be used to fund the project or initiative (maximum 500 words).
- An itemized budget for the parts of the project towards which the grant would be applied.
Applications are due 15 January 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but the performance must be educational or instructive in some way. Performances that do not have any kind of educational aspect will not be considered. If you have questions about your proposal’s eligibility, please contact the AMS Office at ams@amsmusicology.org.
Award decisions for all AMS programs are typically sent within two months of the application deadline, unless otherwise indicated.
Yes, if your organization received an Early Music Organizational Grant last year, you are eligible to apply again this year. However, preference will be given to applicants who have not recently received a grant.
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