Close-up of an audio mixing console with numerous sliders and knobs.

MICROGRANTS

Filling in the gaps for creator development.

MicroGrant Review Period is Now Closed!

**Award notifications for the last review cycle will be sent Monday, April 20,2026.** 

Apply Now

The next review cycle closes June 28 2026, 11:59 PM.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed three times per year.

To be considered in the next review cycle, please submit your application by June 28.

Applications received after this deadline will be held for the next review cycle, scheduled for Fall 2026.

  • A woman with curly hair wearing headphones and a denim shirt working at a sound mixing console in a room with curtains.
  • Portrait of Lizzie, a woman with curly hair and a nose ring, sitting in a recording studio with audio equipment, promoting support for high-quality studio monitors.
  • Portrait of a young woman with dark hair and light skin, sitting in a recording studio with audio equipment in the background, wearing a navy sweater and a gold necklace.
  • A person in a recording studio reaching for a control on a large audio mixing console. The studio contains various audio equipment, including microphones, audio interfaces, and studio accessories.
  • A woman with long brown hair and glasses sitting at a sound mixing console in a recording studio, with red curtains and sound equipment in the background.
  • A woman singing into a microphone with her eyes closed, wearing jewelry and holding a flower, in a recording studio or performance venue.
  • A woman with long, wavy, reddish-brown hair and piercing blue eyes looks directly at the camera. She is indoors, with a tapestry on the wall and framed pictures in the background, and is wearing a black sleeveless top.
  • A woman with blonde, curly hair sitting in a recording studio behind audio mixing equipment, wearing a black shirt with white flower patterns and a colorful tie, smiling at the camera.
  • A woman wearing headphones and speaking into a microphone in a recording studio with a plain wall behind her.
  • A woman with blue curly hair is sitting in a recording studio, looking at a mixing console with a speaker in the background.
  • A young woman with long blonde hair, smiling, standing outdoors near a body of water with greenery and trees in the background, during rainy weather.
  • Young man wearing a backwards baseball cap working at a DJ mixing console in a dimly lit nightclub.
  • A woman with long dark hair, wearing a beige top, sitting in front of a grand piano inside a room with a window and curtains, smiling at the camera.
  • A woman with glasses and curly hair wearing a white sleeveless top and a necklace, smiling at the camera, with a keyboard in front of her. There is a text overlay with her name, Jaida, and her support roles for audio gear maintenance, production expenses, and mentorship.
  • A woman with long dark curly hair resting her face on her hand, lying on a bed with a colorful stained glass window in the background.
  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair and bangs, smiling in front of a blurred background with electronic equipment. She has a nose ring and is wearing a black top. There is a dark blue overlay in the lower part of the image with text that reads 'Theresa' and 'Support for audio gear and workspace enhancements.'
  • Close-up portrait of a young woman with shoulder-length light brown hair, wearing black glasses, earrings, and a green top, standing outdoors in front of a tree trunk.
  • Portrait of a young woman with red hair and a nose piercing, standing outdoors among pink flowers and green foliage.
  • A woman with blonde hair smiling and looking up, standing outdoors in a green natural setting with trees and leaves around her, wearing a colorful patterned long sleeve shirt.
  • Close-up portrait of a woman with reddish-brown hair and brown skin, wearing makeup and a nose ring, with a blurred green background.
  • A woman with short black hair, wearing hoop earrings and red lipstick, standing outside in a sunny area with trees, string lights, and a yellow umbrella in the background. Behind her are electronic equipment and a white structure.
  • A woman with long reddish hair smiling outdoors with trees and a wooden fence in the background.
  • A woman with curly hair smiling, wearing a black top and a silver necklace, in a music studio with guitars in the background.
  • A woman with long dark hair sitting at a music studio, smiling and resting her chin on her hand in front of a keyboard. She is wearing a beige jacket with brown patterns and gold jewelry. The image includes a text overlay that says 'Maria, Support for building a home production and mixing setup.'
  • Portrait of a smiling woman with dark hair, earrings, and a bouquet of white flowers, outdoors with green foliage in the background.
  • A smiling woman with curly black hair wearing a black top, with blue and white text overlay stating support for music production equipment.
  • A woman with curly black hair smiling and holding her hands near her face, in front of a patterned background with black and beige illustrations of women's faces. There is text overlay that reads, "Maya Support for audio gear and software subscriptions for production work.".
  • A woman with long red hair and red lipstick, wearing a colorful jacket, posing against a pink background with support text for audio gear.
  • Portrait of a young woman with curly brown hair, wearing a lavender turtleneck and a necklace with a gold pendant, sitting in a home studio with music production equipment in the background.
  • A woman with dark skin and dreadlocks smiling at the camera while working on a computer with a colorful digital audio workstation on the screen.
  • A young woman with long, wavy brown hair and glasses smiling at the camera, wearing an olive green top and a gold necklace in a recording studio or music room.
  • A woman working at a recording studio with sound mixing equipment, a dark room, and a window showing outdoor light, with a support statement about an unpaid internship at Electric Wilburland Recording Studio in June.
  • A person with dark curly hair and glasses smiling while sitting at a table in a recording studio, with audio equipment visible.

What are MicroGrants?

We Are Moving The Needle’s MicroGrants series is specifically designed to be a flexible fund for rising seniors and recent college graduates that supports smooth transitions into the workforce. Grants will range from $500 to $1,000 to provide immediate assistance that can turn the impossible into the possible.

Thank you to our MicroGrants partners!

Skeleton holding a scythe in the moonlight.
Sweetwater logo with the brand name in blue text and a red underline.
Logo of Zankel Music Fund with a stylized purple lightning bolt and purple text.

Questions about applying for a We Are Moving The Needle MicroGrant? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions below!

    • Scholarships will be awarded in alignment with We Are Moving The Needle’s mission to empower women, trans, and non-binary creators in the music industry with a demonstrated commitment to production and engineering.

    • All applicants must be a rising senior, recent graduate (≤1 year) of a college or university, or early-career professional of equivalent experience.

    • Must be enrolled in an audio engineering, sound technology, audio production or similar program OR have clearly demonstrated commitment to a career in audio production or engineering. 

    • Applicants must be over the age of 18 to receive a MicroGrant.

    • To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen or have permanent U.S. residency status.

  • Ranging from $500 to $1,000, these MicroGrants are here to “close the gap” on career development needs. Possible uses include (but are not limited to):

    • Purchase of studio gear or software for completion of a project or build-out of new home studio;

    • Gap support of travel expenses or cost-of-living for an unpaid internship;

    • Studio rental time;

    • Attendance fees or travel expenses for a professional development workshop or educational opportunity (must be outside of We Are Moving The Needle’s existing scholarship offerings).

    • Other tangible projects related to audio production and engineering career development.

    Applicants will be asked to provide a clear explanation of the need for grant funds and how this will advance your career in audio. Successful applicants will have a clearly defined set of goals which this funding can tangibly “close the gap” to help make possible. 

    In general, the following items are not considered eligible for MicroGrants funding:

    • General rent or living expenses;

    • Supplementary income for a paid internship or job; 

    • Marketing and promotion related to EP completion or artist projects. 

    • Catering, sponsorship, or costs associated with hosting of an event;

    • Tuition, fees, or associated expenses for completing undergraduate or graduate degrees or other educational programs supported by We Are Moving The Needle’s Scholarship Program.

    • Student loan payments or other loan repayment.

  • Yes. Due to the nature of these MicroGrants, awardees granted over $600.00 will receive a 1099 income form by the end of the tax year.

  • MicroGrant applications are reviewed by We Are Moving The Needle’s scholarship committee, which is composed of leaders across the industry (from both the creative and business side) and mentors. Applications are evaluated using a qualitative and quantitative rubric that assess candidates’ preparation for success in their particular program, their articulation of career goals and commitment to production and engineering, and how this scholarship will meaningfully impact their stated goals. 

  • Successful applications vary program to program depending on the scholarship or grant call in question, however the following considerations might be considered to strengthen your overall application package: 

    • Thorough and thoughtful written responses. Successful candidates make the fullest use of the suggested word counts, provide clear and compelling answers, and demonstrate an overall thoughtfulness to the written components of the application as well as the portfolio and supplemental materials. 

    • Clear articulation of goals that include growing skills and leadership behind the board. We Are Moving The Needle drives equity for producers, engineers, and those working in technical roles in the recording industry. Many successful alumni are multi-faceted creators and also work as songwriters and artists, but they maintain a commitment to learning, growing, and leading behind the board as well as in front.   

    • Clear understanding of the scholarship or grant program and why you believe it will help you further your goals. Successful candidates have clearly read and researched the MicroGrant details in full and are able to share a clear understanding of why this particular opportunity is important to this phase of their creative journey. Strong candidates demonstrate a clear need for funding and how this will meaningfully shape their journey within the context of their given program or goals. 

    • A comprehensive portfolio that clearly highlights skills behind the board. Applicants are always evaluated in accordance with the skills required for the relevant program: for an engineering masterclass, successful candidates have clear strengths and skills required as an engineer at the appropriate level for that course, for a songwriting camp they must have acumen as a songwriter, etc. Entry-level programs are tiered towards entry-level applicants. A strong portfolio tells the candidate’s story as a creator: highlighting strengths, goals, and even areas of growth as they align with the program in question.

Further questions about applying for a We Are Moving The Needle Professional Scholarship?

Email Us

  • "I am so grateful that We Are Moving The Needle is supporting my transition as a college graduate to a professional in immersive audio engineering."

    Maya Giles, 2024 MicroGrant Awardee

  • "These Focal Shape 65 monitors are a huge improvement to my monitoring set up for mixing and production. I couldn't have done it without the help of the MicroGrant"

    Lana Migliore, 2025 MicroGrant Awardee

  • "This MicroGrant helped me drastically improve the workflow in my studio with just a few practical items."

    - Steph Gemmell, 2025 MicroGrant Awardee

  • “I’m so thrilled to be welcomed into such an empowering and inspiring community and I deeply value We Are Moving the Needle for the work they do.”

    — Makenna Gauthier, 2024 MicroGrant Recipient