1. Preference will be given to students regularly attending school in the 5th through 11th grades who are musically gifted and who are unable to realize their gift of music because they lack access to or use of suitable musical instruments and/or instruction.

2. Applicants will most likely have demonstrated their unique musical talents through their activities and interests at school or at their place of worship. Thus it is expected that initial applications for consideration for a grant from the Gift of Music Fund will come from a music teacher, from someone with credibility as a musician or a musical performer, or perhaps from a religious minister. The applications will be endorsed by the principle of the middle school, junior high school, of high school at which the applicant is in attendance and be submitted to the Fund at the address above.

3. Applicants will be judged primarily on their recognized gift of music, their inability to obtain and use regularly a musical instrument suitable to their talents because of financial need, and their scholastic adequacy, community awareness and such other factors as the selection committee shall from time to time consider appropriate. Their qualification as responsible citizens will be illustrated by being a regularly enrolled student and having achieved a passing grade level in the grading system employed by their school. It will further be illustrated by examples of providing service to the school or community, involvement with a religious organization of the family’s choosing, and congeniality with fellow students, staff and faculty. Services to the school or religious organization may be illustrated by involvement in such activities as clubs, service activities, chorus, choir, bands or orchestras, etc. Services to community may be illustrated by volunteer activities with nonprofit organizations, community involvement projects, etc.

4. Selection will be made without regard for race, color, national origin, age, or sex of the candidate.

5. The committee will meet as often as it is deemed necessary, but at least once a year.

6. The amount of any grant will be at the sole discretion of the Committee and the Trustee at the time the grant is given.

7. Grants or scholarships will be awarded periodically based upon the recommendations of the Gift of Music Committee and the approval of the Trustee.

8. The Committee will not be under any obligation to distribute funds if no suitable candidates are found in a given time period.

9. The recipient of a Gift of Music grant can be expected to develop his or her musical talents and thus over time the recipient may be in need of a more complete instrument or a more professional model. Under such circumstances, the recipient may ask to demonstrate the growth in his or her musical capabilities for the Gift of Music Committee and the Committee may judge the recipient to be worthy of receiving a second grant from the Fund to provide a more advanced instrument. The current financial circumstances of the recipient may also be reviewed at this time by the Committee. The Committee may then provide a second grant for the advanced recipient or it may determine that the resources of the Fund are better used to support other initial recipients of its grants.

10. No members of the families of the Gift of Music Committee or the Trustee, nor employees of the California Community Foundation shall be eligible for receipt of a grant from the Gift of Music Fund.