The Mockingbird Foundation

We're never
on hiatus!

"It's nice to see how a real charity works." - MusicDish

The Mockingbird Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Phish fans in 1996 (incorporated March 1997) to generate charitable proceeds from the Phish community - $557,914.40 so far, with more to come for years to come even if a reunion never does.

The Foundation's projects include the definitive encyclopedia of Phish information, a wildly successful two-disc tribute album, unique donation premiums, periodic special events, and branded merchandise available from CafePress and HomeGrown.

Funds raised support music education for children. And since we're entirely volunteer, with no office, salaries, or paid staff, administrative costs are less than 1% of revenues!

The Phish Companion, 2nd Edition

The Phish Companion is the category-leading, best-selling book about the band Phish, the most comprehensive, authoritative, and accurate reference available to Phish fans, produced on an entirely volunteer basis, with all of net proceeds supporting music education for children - 175 grants so far!
At over 900 pages (and 4.20 pounds), TPC2 explores Phish's entire history - 1426 shows and 650 songs, over 21 years - researched with the support of official Phish sources including band archivist Kevin Shapiro, lyricist Tom Marshall, bassist Mike Gordon, and others.
Best of all, it comes from the fans: Over 1500 named volunteers contributed to the First Edition, and hundreds more helped improve the second edition.
Order the Second Edition - the definitive book on the band - from Amazon.com (30% off) or Phish Dry Goods, while supplies last!

Tribute Album: Sharin' in the Groove!

"You really should get that Phish tribute album." - Trey Anastasio
The Foundation's two-disc Phish tribute album features nearly two hours of music from 23 acts including...
The Wailers -- Dave Matthews -- Jimmy Buffett -- John Scofield -- DJ Logic -- the Boredoms -- Son Seals -- Merl Saunders -- Arlo Guthrie -- Stanford Marching Band -- Phish lyricist Tom Marshall -- members of the Trey Anastasio Band, Jefferson Airplane, Talking Heads, Pavement, and Los Lobos -- many more!
Order the entire album from Amazon or CDBaby. Or get any individual tracks from more than fifty (50!) digital download services, including...
iTunes, MSN, Napster, Rhapsody, Liquid, MusicNet, MusicNow, MIH, GIM, Bitmunk, PassAlong, PayPlay, Tradebit, and Muze.
Every purchase helps support fabulous programs providing music education for children, and it couldnt be easier - just click the album cover at left! You can make a difference - and we can't help anyone without your support!

LivePhish.com Proceeds to Mockingbird!
Phish donates a portion of their profits (100% in 2004!) LivePhish.Com, which offers high-quality, unedited soundboard recordings of select Phish concerts in MP3 and CD-quality FLAC files via a state-of-the-art delivery system. These proceeds have dramatically increased the number of organizations that the Foundation is able to fund.
Guitarist Trey Anastasio said of the announcement: "Playing live music has always been a source of indescribable joy for me, and every day I count my blessings that I'm able to make my living doing something that I so deeply love. It's exciting then to think that a person can come to a Phish concert, and know that ... profits from the subsequent downloads of our music will go directly into children's music programs. The fact that the Mockingbird Foundation was created by Phish fans makes it all the more inspirational to us." (Read coverage in Billboard Magazine.)

Music Funding: Over $500K in Grants - Donate Today!

The Mockingbird Foundation distributes more than 99% of its revenue from volunteer projects to worthy charitable groups in music education for children. We've raised over $700,000, and have already distributed over $550,000, in more than 170 grants, to recipients in 36 states.
Donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible, and your contribution will go directly toward our next round of grants to charities and schools working hard to further music education for children. Donate today - every small amount helps, and various donation premium packages are available.

Guide to the web site:

About the Foundation: the organization, our mission statement, our Board of Directors, contact information, as well as a variety of promotional graphics and banners.
Book Project: order information for The Phish Companion, the book and its various sections, staff members (including contact information), and submissions instructions.
Tribute Album: all about Sharin' in the Groove, our two-disc Phish tribute album.
Charitable Funding: learn about the disbursement of Foundation funds towards music education for children, including application guidelines, past beneficiaries.
Donations: learn how you can make a tax-deductible donation to the Mockingbird Foundation, see names of past contributors, and get information on special memorial donation programs and donation premiums.
Press Room: press releases, and archives of media coverage of the Foundation. also, old tour flyers!
Setlists: the most complete and accurate compilation of Phish setlists anywhere, straight from the first edition of The Phish Companion, is online for all fans to browse!
Other Features: a miscellany of Mockingbird diversions for Phish fans. fun!

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Recent News
(Old News - Press Releases)

7/18/08 - Madden Runs for Mbird!
David Madden will help fund music education for children by running the ING New York City Marathon this November.

7/15/08 - Reunion Rerun!
Foundation Board Member Charlie Dirksen will be running to support Mockingbird again, raising additional contributions to the Phish Reunion Fund.

5/6/08 - Bid for Mbird!
Need a light system or ball valve for your pool, or a solar controller or transfer switch for your trailer? Bid on these items, and 10% is donated to the Foundation!

1/31/08 - Run Run Run
Board member and marathon maven Charlie Dirksen will sprint twice more in coming weeks to help raise funds for the Foundation. Anyone else run run running??

1/28/08 - Phix at Cypress!
Phix will reunite at Big Cypress for the Langerado Festival, starting (just as Phish did) at 11:55 p.m.

1/17/08 - Birthday & Transparency
As the Foundation's 10th birthday approaches, its By Laws and Articles of Incorporation are now available online.

12/31/07 - $26K More in Grants!
We've announced seven new grants, just in time to celebrate NYE, and look forward to announcing more in '08!

9/27/07 - Phish Reunion Fund!
Charlie Dirksen continues to make strides, with another Marathoning for Mockingbird event. This jaunt also launches the foundation's new Phish Reunion Fund.

9/5/07 - Emergency Grant Announced!
The Foundation will announce an emergency grant of $500 for Norwalk, CT, marching band, which experienced a devastating fire that caused $500K in damage. Your help is needed - more soon!

9/2/07 - SITG Availability Expands!
All 20 tracks of Sharin' in the Groove are now available from at least 52 (and, soon, 60!) online distributors. Your online purchases generate funds directly to the Mockingbird Foundation, and are currently the primary source of funding we receive!

8/16/07 - Marathon for Mockingbird!
Charlie (whose last run helped raise over $1250!) will be running in a second marathon in September, and several other board members are runners as well. They welcome you in similarly using the opportunity to help fund music education, and get an adreneline rush of support for others to get you across the finish line!

7/23/07 - Dirksen Runs Marathon!
Beloved Phish.net veteran and Mockingbird Foundation Board member will run the San Francisco Marathon next Sunday, and offers some tasty enticements (including a generous matching commitment) for those who donate to the Foundation between now and then.

6/24/07 - RIP Leigh Ann Lamphere
A beloved Vermont music educator passed away unexpectedly last Friday. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made for an Arts & Music Fund in Leigh's name in care of George Cormier, P.O. Box 340, Morrisville, VT 05661.

06/21/07 - Mbird @ Giveline
Every purchase at this online store generates a substantial donation to the Mockingbird Foundation, from an average of 16% up to 33%!

6/19/07 - Music Makes Grades?
A recent study has established that students in high-quality school music education programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, independent of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district. Regardless of the school, improve the music program, and grades should improve!

06/18/07 - RIP Sicky
We join family and friends (and esp. those at PT) in mourning the loss of Walter "Sickyshred" Blackler, and acknowledge the dozens of memorial contributions made in his name.

2/19/07 - Phix's Farewell!
Phix are preparing to end their five-year run as phans' favorite Phish cover band. Regular supporters of (and contributors to!) the Mockingbird Foundation, these guys have done great things both on and off stage. They're in the Southeast through 3/4, then Midwest and Northeast April 12-22, with a Colorado tour this summer winding up to a farewell festival - don't miss it!!

12/15/06 - Shop online here!
When you shop online via one of these affiliate links (to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and others), a piece of your purchase price comes to us, and then directly to music education for children. It raises more than you may realize, and is easy to do - just bookmark this page, and start there next time you shop online at any of our affiliates. Thank you!!

12/1/06 - Phix Benefit!
Phix's third annual holiday benefit for the Mockingbird Foundation will be Saturday 12/16 @ The Gothic Theater in Denver, a venue Phish played 15 years ago! All proceeds are donated to Mbird, and the opening set is Young And In The Gutter (featuring members of Shanti Groove).

10/3/06 - MissionFish Auctions
Six posters, programs, and related items are being sold on Ebay with 10-15% of the proceeds going to Mockingbird!

8/7/06 - White Paper #1
Mbird has released the first in a series of white papers, summarizing Foundation data to reflect on questions pertitent to contemporary Phish history. The first, of potential use to fans and journalists alike, looks at how much the members have played together since the breakup, compared to the hiatus.

6/25/06 - Pendants In!
Beautiful, hand-etched and fused, diachroic glass pendants featuring the Mockingbird logo are now available, as the newest addition to our available donation premiums.

6/14/06 - DeLucia Awards!
The Mockingbird Foundation has announced the four inaugural winners of the DeLucia Award for Innovation in Music Education, as well as the winner of the first DeLucia Prize: Dr. Will Schmid.

6/17/06 - Thank you!
The Foundation has benefited greatly from the generosity of many Phish fans, and we've added new ways of thanking you while making the exchange even more meaningful. Now, there's a new way to earn those awards, gradually over the course of the year!

6/7/06 - Donate via Ebay
Mbird has teamed with Mission Fish, Ebay's giving arm, to allow you to support music education through your Ebay purchases and sales. The next time you sell something on Ebay, designate a portion of the proceeds for Mockingbird. That will also give a new outlet for exposure, as Phish fans can see a page listings all items that will benefit Mbird.

See also: Archived Mbird News