What we do, how our grants work, and FAQ.

What

Be Interactive, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is inspiring the empathic to make an impact through radical kindness, respectful creativity, volunteering, and charity.

Music has been our catalyst for two decades, during which the Bassnectar Team has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity, and invested uncountable hours in creative campaigns which catalyze giving, good deeds, and volunteer DIY charity activism.

Be Interactive connects the dots between the established nonprofit world, and everyday human beings who want to get involved, get engaged, and make a personal impact in the world around them. We are non-political, and motivated just by ideas, human values of kindness, and the causes and issues that make a difference in the lives of real people.

We do many things, some of which you won’t be able to predict. But four times a year you can count on us announcing a new theme to rally around, and ways you can collaborate with us. We also give money we raise from shows back to the community by funding some projects directly in a grant application.
Anyone can apply to collaborate with us.

Grant Details

Please note, that due to our major therapy initiative, our grant program is on hiatus for Fall 2019.

Each project is a collaboration, and meant to be a human-to-human learning experience for all involved. Our intention is to create something incredible every time we do this, and to give our all to the process. This is an opportunity for those who already work on a high level to bring their idea to a team, or an opportunity for those who want to do something bigger than themselves to learn skills they can take into the future.

The grants are: collaborative, multi-faceted, adaptive, impactful, positive, evolutionary, mentor-based, demanding, precise.

The grants are not: ego-driven, isolated, narrowly defined, negative, rigid, inaccessible, low quality.

Four times a year, we announce a new theme, such as education, homelessness, or mental health. During that, we will take applications to do a project in that grant theme. The application process will include submitting references and a budget for the grant funds. If your application is accepted, you will work with the Be Interactive team, pulling on a bunch of great resources to take your idea to the next level, including:

• Event production experts
• Social media gurus
• Advanced video editors and producers
• Skilled copywriters
• Musicians

FAQ

Does my project have to be tied to a Bassnectar event? Do I have to be a fan?
Your project could have nothing to do with a Bassnectar event at all. Projects that are more impactful to your community or the whole world, than just to the Bassnectar fan base, are preferred. You also don’t have to be a big fan of Bassnectar to apply, but you should appreciate groups of people who come together through real life events, media, and technology to effect human-powered change.

Can you give me some examples of what a grant project could be?
We’re looking for high impact projects that make a serious difference. Things that have a strong potential to be successful and reach a lot of people, or make a big inspiring change for a few people. We are interested in hearing about anything that is positive and kind, as far as your imagination can reach. Examples include but definitely aren’t limited to…

• A video (animated or live)
• A podcast
• A live event
• A volunteer day for a cause in great need
• Investigative/Educational reporting
• Funding a project another nonprofit wants to do

Our project should be something that can be experienced that’s in line with our current theme. Part of it should be something we can show everyone online, and celebrate.

I have a great idea but it’s not your current grant theme. Should I apply anyway?
Save that energy. New grant themes come four times a year, and chances are we’ll get to a theme for you. You are always welcome to drop us a line in the meantime.

I calculated that you raised $XXX from this show, why is the current grant only $XXX?
Like any organization, nonprofits have to have operating budgets to maintain things like this website, and a team to run our projects. We often do projects beyond our grant themes, or decide to spend more money than we intended to increase a project’s impact. If it isn’t going directly into running the nonprofit’s projects, your donation is in a bank account that will only be used for highly effective, kind work in the future.

Where does your money come from?
We receive $1 for every ticket sold to a Bassnectar-produced event. We also are lucky enough to benefit from fantastic fundraiser events like 2018’s Be Interactive Fundraiser in San Francisco. Additionally, individual folks can donate directly to us at the Love Here booth at Bassnectar Events, or online through this website.

What does “partisan” mean? Why can’t I do a partisan project?
Partisan means you’re endorsing a specific political party, candidate, or measure. We don’t do that. We just focus on the issues, values, and ideas that matter to everyone. So we can do something around why we need a better health care system, but we can’t then say “so vote for Mernie Flanders!” We can fight to make Climate Change the #1 issue, and even expose corruption at the EPA. We can be critical, but that criticism has to be based in facts and information. And the more you talk about specific politics, the meaner people get on the internet. We’d rather focus on issues you can’t really argue with, because those bring us together. We need to come together more.

Who’s behind the curtain?
Behind the curtain, we have Executive Director Lia Holland (Founder: Dollar per Basshead, Bassnectar’s Ambassador Program, Electric Forest’s Plug In Program), President & CEO Lorin Ashton (Artist: Bassnectar), and board members Justin Boreta (Artist: The Glitch Mob), Jesse Jackson (Manager: LVL Management), RJ Morrow (Manager: Reach Collective + Bass Network), Jonathan Human (Founding Member: Unify.org), Marc Allen (Manager: Red Light Management), and Patrick Templeman (Business Manager: PS Business Management).

Are you hiring?
At this time we are not, but thank you very much for your interest!