The Power of Your Gift

Philanthropic support empowers our students to harness their creative abilities to make a difference in the world around them. Through a broad range of funding opportunities, including scholarships, career support, and other special programs, you can help Berklee provide experiences that tuition alone can’t cover. We are grateful for your partnership and consideration.

This fall, we invite you to join us in our commitment to antiracism and social justice by making a gift to one of the meaningful initiatives below.

Danroy 'DJ' Henry Social Change Scholarship

Please join us in our call for racial justice by contributing to the Danroy “DJ” Henry Social Change Scholarship at Berklee. The scholarship was created in honor of Henry, whose life was cut short in 2010 at the age of 20 years old. Read more about him and how you can support this worthy cause.

Black Lives Matter Capsule 

Visit Berklee’s Black Lives Matter Capsule, curated by the Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The Black Lives Matter Capsule is an online platform with resources, prompts, questions, and discussion guides for self-reflection, meant to encourage conversation with other community members. We invite you to engage with these materials, deepen your understanding of Black history, and consider your personal commitment to defending Black lives, confronting racism, and creating sustainable positive change. 

Berklee Institute for Jazz and Gender Justice

The jazz industry remains predominantly male due to a biased system, imposing a significant toll on those who aspire to work in it. In understanding the importance of balance and equity, the goal of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice is to do corrective work and modify the way jazz is perceived and presented so the future of jazz looks different from its past, without rendering invisible many of the art form's creative contributors. Led by founder and artistic director Terri Lyne Carrington and managing director Aja Burrell Wood, the institute focuses on equity in the jazz field and the role that jazz plays in the larger struggle for gender justice. Learn more and discover how you can support this important work.

Berklee Summer Initiative

The Berklee Summer Initiative (BSI), which began in fall 2017, is a program for entering Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee students. The overall goal of the BSI is to foster a strong sense of Black and African American community, support, belonging, and cultural understanding on campus. It was designed to focus and reflect on African traditions and history within music, dance, and theater.

Songs for Social Change Contest and Concert

Originally established by a gift from the Luongo family, with subsequent funding from Kevin Block-Schwenk, associate professor in the Liberal Arts Department, the Songs for Social Change Contest encourages Berklee students to write songs expressing their convictions about the social issues of concern to them. Times and issues change, but our need for thoughtful, artful, and passionate expression is more critical than ever. Listen to some of the top songs in the Songs for Social Change 2020 playlist, and read about the inspiration behind their incredible songs.

Bill Pierce MLK Scholarship

The Bill Pierce MLK Scholarship was created in 2008 by members of the Association of Faculty and Staff of African Descent (AFSAD). The fund is the result of the combined efforts and contributions of faculty, staff, alumni, board members, and friends of Berklee. The scholarship is awarded to currently enrolled Berklee students working to benefit communities of African descent on and off campus. 

Berklee City Music® Program 

Berklee City Music is a nonprofit education outreach program that leverages the power of contemporary music to empower youth from underserved communities to develop musically, academically, socially, and emotionally. Participating students receive valuable guidance and support from positive mentors—including dedicated instructors—and are exposed to experiences that can be a positive influence in their lives, all at little cost to their families.

Feeling inspired? Contact Jessica Halton at jhalton@berklee.edu to learn more about the opportunities above and the variety of ways that you can support these important efforts.