Support Merit School of Music

Thank you for your interest in supporting Merit School of Music. Our efforts to provide high quality music instruction to thousands of Chicago-area children each year would not be possible without the generosity of the hundreds of individuals and organizations that share our commitment to transforming children's lives through music.

There are many ways you can support Merit School of Music:

• Cash gifts


• Support a fundraising event


• Estate and planned giving


• Other ways to give

Cash Gifts

Cash gifts may be made via cash, check or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express):

• Online: the fastest and easiest way to give


• By phone: Please contact Jennifer Ridder, Individual Gifts Manager, at 312.267.4462 or .


• By mail: Please send your check made payable to Merit School of Music to:

Merit School of Music Joy Faith Knapp Music Center 38 South Peoria Street Chicago, IL 60607

All donors will be listed in our Annual Report (for gifts received July 1 - June 30) and annual Performathon program (for gifts received July 1 - December 31).

Leadership Gifts

Merit School of Music specially recognizes donors distinguished by their loyal support or their ability to make leadership gifts.

Merit Bravo Society
Donors who make an unrestricted annual gift of $5,000 or more will be invited to join Merit School of Music's Bravo Society. Members of the Bravo Society are listed on a donor recognition board at the Joy Faith Knapp Music Center in addition to receiving special recognition in the Annual Report (for gifts received July 1 - June 30) and Performathon program (for gifts received July 1 - December 31).

Fermata Society
Donors who make a gift during three or more consecutive years will automatically become members of the Fermata Society. Members of the Fermata Society will be recognized in the Annual Report (for gifts received July 1 - June 30) and Performathon program (for gifts received July 1 - December 31).

Tribute Gifts

Commemorative gifts to Merit School of Music are a thoughtful and unique way to celebrate the memory of a loved one, honor a friend or mark an important life event. By making a tribute gift to Merit School of Music, you are not only celebrating the individual in whose honor or memory the gift is made; you are also helping to ensure that thousands of Chicago-area children have access to high-quality music education.

When you make a tribute gift (online, by phone or by mail), a personalized letter acknowledging the gift (but not the amount) will be sent to your honoree or their family along with a CD featuring music played by our students. The notification letter and CD will be mailed from Chicago within a week of the gift's receipt. The honoree will also be listed in the Tribute section of Merit School of Music's Annual Report for the year in which the gift was given. Give a Tribute Gift now.

Matching Gifts

Maximize the impact of your gift. Many companies have a matching gift program that will match charitable contributions made by employees, spouses of employees and even retirees. If your company has a matching gift program, request a matching gift form, and send the form (completed and signed) to us with your gift. We will handle the rest.

For more information about how you, or your organization, can support Merit School of Music, please contact our Development Department at 312.267.4462.