Dave Matthews Band - Philanthropic Efforts

Philanthropic Efforts

According to the band's website, as of May, 2010, the band's own charity, the BAMA Works Fund, has contributed over $8.5 million dollars to a wide variety of need organizations. Initially it was founded in 1999 to address the needs of disadvantaged youth, disabled persons, the environment, and arts and humanities in the city of Charlottesville, Virginia area, and surrounding area of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange Counties. In addition, BAMA Works Fund has been active in other projects, and often the Dave Matthews Band, both together and separately have planned charity events and donated their own time and resources outside of Charlottesville. Some examples include building a "Village Recovery Fund" after the tsunami that ravaged Sri Lanka, promoting a challenge grant for the Habitat for Humanity Musician’s Village in New Orleans, multiple appearances to benefit both Farm Aid, and the annual Neil Young-sponsored Bridge School Benefits, fundraisers for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and followed this with donations after the 2010 disaster that leveled many villages in Haiti. The band played benefit concerts to help fund the school system in New York City, and countless other concerns. As a result, the band was awarded the NAACP Chairman's Award. In Matthews' acceptance speech, he spoke for the band as a whole, commenting that of all the achievements they had enjoyed, that the award by the NAACP and Julian Bond in particular was by far the highest honor they had bestowed upon them. "The band established the Bama Works Fund in 1999 to help disadvantaged youth and the disabled, as well as support protection of the environment, the arts and humanities.

The band donated the $1 million (GBP526,315) raised during a charity concert to homeless and children’s charities in San Francisco, California. The band has played other charity concerts benefiting Bay Area parks, music education and AIDS research.

In 2008 they will perform at a benefit concert for Stand Up For A Cure"

Read more: http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/dave-matthews-band#ixzz2BFwBNK5k "Matthews is returning to Dave Matthews Band birthplace, Charlottesville, Virginia on August 20 with frequent Dave Matthews Band collaborator Tim Reynolds and the Warren Haynes Band to play two acoustic sets for charity…or charities, more accurately.

All ticket buyers will be able to direct the cost of their tickets to a charity of their choosing by entering their ticket information into justgive.org. JustGive.org is a website that allows users to make an online donation to any of the 1.8 million charities in its database.

Matthews and Reynolds first introduced this charitable concept in December 2010 in Seattle and raised over one million dollars over two shows through JustGive.

Former Allman Brother member and blues guitarist Warren Haynes will play a set with the Warren Haynes Band and James Wilson of Sons of Bill at the Jefferson Theater after Matthews and Reynolds joint performance. Jefferson Theater is just down the street from Matthews and Reynolds' nTelos Wireless Pavilion venue, allowing ticket buyers to see both shows.

Members of the official Dave Matthews fan association, The Warehouse, will be able to request tickets starting at 10 a.m. on July 29. Access for the general public begins on 10 a.m. on August 5. Dave Matthews Band fan site, Antsmarching, puts the lower bowl ticket prices at $135, which was the same price for Matthews' first collaboration with Just Give.

The show will be Matthews' first since his massive undertaking, Dave Matthews Band Caravan, in early July. Read more at http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/touring/dave-matthews-to-play-acoustic-set-for-charity-1005296692.story#FTkJLhrDMe72Ghay.99 "