Established in 1989 by the Recording Academy, MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community. Every day, MusiCares helps people we all know, whether it's a young guitar player who is about to undergo surgery without health insurance; a veteran pianist whose hand injury will prevent him from performing for an extended period; the family of a beloved blues artist who cannot afford to pay for his funeral; or a songwriter who has found that substance abuse is consuming his life. MusiCares can and does help.

Since our inception, MusiCares has developed into a premier support system for music people by providing innovative programs and services designed to meet the specific needs of our constituents. For the past two years, MusiCares has experienced landmark growth, successively serving the largest number of clients to date � more than 2,200 in 2010 and more than 2,500 in 2011 � with $2.5 million and more than $2.8 million in aid respectively. The "heart and soul" of MusiCares is the Emergency Financial Assistance Program. With a commitment to providing help to those in need as quickly as possible, this program provides assistance for basic living expenses including rent, utilities and car payments; medical expenses including doctor, dentist and hospital bills; psychotherapy; and treatment for HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, hepatitis C, and other critical illnesses. MusiCares also operates an addiction recovery program called the MusiCares MAP Fund that provides access to addiction recovery treatment and sober living resources for members of the music community. The MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief Fund was established in immediate response to the devastating effects of the floods that hit Nashville and its surrounding areas in May 2010.  To date, the MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief Fund has provided close to $900,000 in financial assistance to clients in need. In addition, MusiCares has developed a range of nationwide educational workshops and programs and a variety of health clinics to address the unique needs of music professionals. MusiCares was able to serve increased clients with additional revenues due in part to the phenomenal success of our two annual fundraisers. The MusiCares Person Of The Year and MusiCares MAP Fund concert.  MusiCares announced the launch of its 20th Anniversary Campaign in 2010 with a $5 million matching gift from the ELMA Music Foundation and a significant gift from Olivia Harrison and the Material World Charitable Foundation in memory of George Harrison. Additional major gifts have been given by the Herb Alpert Foundation, the John Branca family, the Gibson Foundation, Julien�s Auctions, Jerry Moss, the Ostin Family Foundation, and Rod Temperton. Approximately $11.5 million has been raised to date and the overall fundraising goal of the campaign is $15 million.