Picnic with the Pops 2026 Community Music Fund
OVERVIEW
In our ongoing mission to enrich the musical environment in Lexington, Picnic with the Pops has launched an annual call for funding to support additional Lexington-based music organizations, performances and musical education projects.
The Picnic with the Pops Commission will review and approve financial support that meets the following criteria using the scoring guidelines outlined below, based on the attached application.
CRITERIA
Applicants must be a registered non-profit operating in Fayette County, Kentucky.
We will consider requests for amounts between $5,000-50,000.
Music-based organizations, performances and musical education projects taking place within within Fayette County between Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2027 will be considered.
Application deadline: October 15, 2026. Notification of request status will occur by December 15, 2026.
If approved and awarded, applicant must submit a full report on both the activity and the impact of the funding provided by the PWP Commission.
The commission reserves the right to pause or pass a year if requests do not meet the criteria for funding.
PWP funding may not be used for operational, capital purposed or expenses, but rather must be used for a specific project.
SCORING GUIDELINES:
COMMUNITY IMPACT – 30%
Does the applicant’s request make a significant impact in the community?
DEMONSTRATED ABILITY – 25%
What assurances does the PWP Commission have that the funding recipient will achieve their goals? What is the history or experience that validates their ability to succeed?
BUDGET/FINANCIAL REQUEST – 25%
Is the overall budget detailed, accurate and appropriate?
QUALITY OF APPLICATION – 20%
Has the requested been clearly thought out and well communicated?