With a launch party that included Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion and Mariah Carey, the VH1 Save the Music Foundation never had any problem getting attention in the late '90s. But a lot has changed since the music education nonprofit's early years, with the glitzy, star-studded cable TV specials slowly giving way to a decidedly more grassroots focus on establishing and sustaining music programs in elementary and secondary schools nationwide. To expand its work, the foundation needs to broaden its donor base, especially as MTV and VH1 — and their parent company Viacom, and now, Paramount — continue their pivot away from music.
On Wednesday, the foundation, now known only as Save the Music Foundation, announced its intention to “go indie” — rocker-speak for becoming an independent organization. The nonprofit will cut ties with Paramount and seek donations from various sources, including individual donors.
“It was pretty clear, from a Save the Music perspective, that it would be helpful for us to be viewed as a music industry initiative as opposed to a corporate social responsibility initiative for just one player in the industry," said Henry Donahue, the foundation's executive director. "The way MusiCares is for health care in the industry, we wanted to be that same kind of national, first-call organization for music education. So any artist, label, streaming service, talent agency, festival, concert promoter who thought about engaging the community around music education — we wanted to be the go-to for that.”.
