A key component of Law Rocks’ mission is to promote music education for underserved youth. In 2023, due to our increased sponsorship and fundraising, Law Rocks was able to offer a new grant at each Law Rocks show: The Music Matters grant. This grant, continuing in 2025, is given to a local nonprofit that supports youth music education in each of our U.S. tour cities. Omi Crawford, director of Law Rocks, says of the grant initiative:
“Since our 2009 founding, Law Rocks has supported hundreds of incredible nonprofits, with an emphasis on youth music education organizations. The Music Matters grant is a natural evolution of our mission and a chance to formalize our support of amazing music education nonprofits across the country.”
Today’s spotlight is on our 2025 Law Rocks Chicago Matters grant recipient, Girls Rock! Chicago. The mission of the organization is to build socially just community with girls, transgender youth, and gender expansive youth by developing leadership, fostering self-esteem, and encouraging creative expression through music. Keep reading to learn more in our spotlight interview with Madeline Leahy, Operations Manager of Girls Rock! Chicago.
Our 2025 Law Rocks Chicago Music Matters Grant Recipient: Girls Rock! Chicago | Photo by Glitter Guts
1) Can you tell us a little about the history of your nonprofit, as well as its mission and focus?
Girls Rock! Chicago was founded nearly 20 years ago in the fall of 2005 with a handful of dedicated individuals forming a nine-member board, organizing fundraisers, and collecting gear donations. In August 2006, we held our first annual summer camp featuring a small group of dedicated volunteers and sixteen enthusiastic campers between the ages of 8 and 16 who learned to play an instrument, wrote a song, and performed and recorded their original song--all in just seven days. Through our programs, GR!C builds socially just community with girls, transgender youth, and gender-expansive youth by developing leadership, fostering self-esteem, and encouraging creative expression through music.
2) What is the best example of the way you’ve seen your organization’s work make a difference?
The most exciting part of each camp week is witnessing the growth in confidence in our youth. We see a huge transformation in kids who may be shy or hesitant once they find the safety of a supportive environment and freedom to express themselves that the program provides.
As part of our mission, we seek to develop leadership in our youth through mentorship and empowerment. Our older campers serve as inspirations and role models to younger kids. As youth age out of the program, they’re invited to serve as Junior Counselors and work closely with campers and adult volunteers. We are honored when these youth continue their involvement with the organization and go on to be volunteers, and even staff members. Currently, nearly half of the Girls Rock! Chicago staff are former campers. These alums are now shaping and leading the program that impacted them as youth in roles like Gear Coordinator, Program Coordinator, Camp Director and more.
Girls Rock! Chicago July 2024 End of Camp Extravaganza at Thalia Hall | photo by Glitter Guts | provided by GR!C
3) What are some upcoming initiatives that you are planning for?
We are currently gearing up for our 2025 camp season, getting the word out to recruit both campers and volunteers. We’re also focused on fundraising to support our camper financial aid. We are deeply committed to accessibility to our programs and nearly 30% of all GR!C campers in 2024 received some amount of financial aid to attend camp. Long term planning includes growing our program offerings in the coming years to include more camp weeks and expanded age ranges.
4) What is the greatest challenge your organization faces?
As a grassroots, primarily volunteer-run arts non-profit, our greatest challenge is financial sustainability, but this has been especially true since COVID. To sustain our programs and operations, we rely on donations from our community for volunteers and monetary support, grant funding, as well as program tuition. Once regular programming resumed after COVID, our participant numbers were down nearly 50% compared to 2019. To rebuild enrollment numbers, GR!C consistently works to improve its outreach, not only to campers who are able to pay full tuition, ensuring our ability to grant financial aid to those in need, but outreach to families who can access our programs through aid. GR!C has always been deeply committed to ensuring accessibility to our programs for youth who may not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in arts programming.
Girls Rock! Chicago July 2024 End of Camp Extravaganza at Thalia Hall | photo by Glitter Guts | provided by GR!C
5) What does the power of music mean to you?
At Girls Rock! Chicago, music is a vessel and a tool for our youth to make their voices heard and be empowered. The power of music allows our youth to connect with themselves, one another, and the world around them. Especially for individuals of marginalized identities, creating music and getting loud is a revolutionary act.
6) How will the Music Matters grant be used?
The Music Matters grant will directly help Girls Rock! Chicago to grant financial aid for the 2025 camp season. $2,000 will fund nearly four full scholarships for campers to attend our program. With added support to our financial aid funds, we’re excited to be able to expand our budget in other areas such as volunteer financial aid and stipends to performers for end of day performances.
Learn more about Girls Rock! Chicago.
Get tickets to The Fourth Annual Law Rocks Chicago.