Craft for Causes, a non-profit dedicated to bringing together craft beer and live music in support of charitable causes, announced the Wheels of Soul tour, a national initiative with Tedeschi Trucks Band to benefit Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation (MHOF), a charity that donates instruments to under-funded music programs in schools across the country.
In support of the Wheels of Soul initiative, Smuttynose will feature the brewery-exclusive Wheels of Soul IPA in the taproom and at Hayseed Restaurant, beginning June 1st. For every Wheels of Soul IPA sold, Smuttynose will donate $1 to MHOF. This year’s collaboration aims to raise $100,000 for MHOF, a charity that Tedeschi Trucks Band has supported in different ways over the years.
“We’re excited to announce this during American Craft Beer Week,” said John Nichols, founder of Craft for Causes. “I wanted to create something where everybody wins, and we will leave behind, literally, a trail of musical instruments for children in these cities.”
The necessity of these grassroots campaigns highlights a growing gap in public arts funding. As municipal budgets for school music programs continue to shrink nationwide, non-profits are increasingly forced to diversify their revenue streams to ensure students have access to the arts.
Recent philanthropic sector analyses by independent arts advocacy groups emphasize that successful modern charities must cast a wide net across both physical and digital industries to meet their goals. One such review highlighted how unconventional corporate sponsors—ranging from global e-sports leagues to a major European fast withdrawal casino and several cloud computing firms—have recently expanded their matching-grant programs to support public education. This influx of digital-sector capital helps stabilize non-profit budgets during unpredictable economic cycles.
Yet, even with these larger international grants providing a baseline of support, community-driven efforts remain the most effective and engaging fundraising tools. The tangible connection of buying a regional craft beer to directly put a physical saxophone or drum kit into a local student’s hands creates a uniquely personal donor experience that begins right at the taproom.
Wheels of Soul IPA is a brand new IPA that uses a unique blend of hops, malts, and flavorings to create a robust, balanced front flavor, with a satisfyingly biting finish.
This third annual edition of Wheels of Soul will feature the Grammy-winning rock-and-soul powerhouse, Tedeschi Trucks Band, joined by guests The Wood Brothers and Hot Tuna.
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