The Mac Miller Fund recently announced the upcoming distribution of 75 grants of $1,000 each to be awarded to Black, Indigenous, and POC (BIPOC) artists. 

To qualify, applicants must be an arts community member in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and be screened by a selection committee.

These grants are not meant to fund specific projects, but will be “practice-based.” Grant recipients will be allowed to utilize the money in whatever area they choose. 

In 2018, after the passing of the Pittsburgh-born rapper and producer who shares the program's namesake, The Mac Miller Fund was established by his family.

In 2019, the fund awarded its first two recipients — one student from the Hope Academy of Music And The Arts, and another from MusiCares — with $50,000 grants each. 

The fund’s mission is to support young musicians by providing them with the resources needed to realize their potential through expression and the community. The Mac Miller Fund is meant to continue Miller’s legacy of assisting his community and fellow musicians.

The Mac Miller Fund operates in collaboration with The Pittsburgh Foundation. 

The Pittsburgh Foundation is a community foundation established in 1945 that focuses on grantmaking. Its resources mostly involve endowment funds established by individuals,  organizations, and businesses with interest in charitable giving.

The Mac Miller Fund supports programming, and providing resources and opportunities to youth in communities across Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The fund hopes to support organizations that address the concerning prevalence of substance abuse in the music industry, and organizations that assist 27-and-under youth in differing stages of addiction, treatment, recovery and post-treatment. 

“This program is yet another wonderful example of how the fund is channeling Mac Miller’s spirit in the Pittsburgh region and the rest of the country,” said Lisa Schroeder, CEO of the Pittsburgh Foundation.

Schroeder hopes these grants will contribute to creating a more equitable arts scene in Southwestern Pennsylvania. 

Miller’s career was successful and long-running — expanding far past Pittsburgh — but the late artist’s commitment to his hometown roots define his legacy. 

To be considered by The Mac Miller Fund for one of the 75 grants, applicants must live within one of the following Pennsylvania counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Mercer, Lawrence, Somerset, Venango, Washington, or Westmoreland.

Applications will be open until July 23. To apply, click here. Application decisions will be made on Sept. 1.