Our Story
Generations of voices choosing one another. A movement, not an institution.
The Moment We Are In
The Barbershop Harmony Society was founded in 1938 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Owen Cash and Rupert Hall. It has outlasted wars, recessions, and every technological disruption to live performance. That durability is not accidental - it is the product of people who believed the music was worth passing forward.
“We are not asking people to save a failing institution - we are inviting them to fund a thriving movement.”
Our Philosophy
Philanthropy at BHS is not remediation. We do not fundraise from a position of weakness. We raise funds to do more of what already works - to reach more youth, serve more communities, preserve more history, and welcome more voices. Every gift is an investment in something that has already proven its worth.
Yes, AND…
We honor generations of tradition - AND we build for the ones still to come. We celebrate the chapters that have thrived for decades - AND we open the doors to the voices that haven't arrived yet. We preserve the art form's recorded history - AND we fund the performances that haven't been given yet. This is the animating logic of everything the Philanthropy Team does.
How Our Programs Work Together
Five named impact areas - Sing It Forward, Harmony Heals, Open the Doors, Chapter Strong, and The Living Legacy - are not silos. They are reinforcing pillars. A youth program graduate (Sing It Forward) becomes a chapter leader (Chapter Strong) who sustains a community singing program (Harmony Heals) for the next generation. Donors who understand this interconnection become our most committed long-term supporters.
Five pillars. One mission.
Each impact area funds a different dimension of the same movement.
Sing It Forward
Youth education, school chapter grants, and next-generation programs.
Harmony Heals
Barbershop as a tool for wellness - hospitals, memory care, veterans programs.
Open the Doors
Inclusion, access, and equity - ensuring every voice belongs.
Chapter Strong
Tools, training, and resources for BHS's more than 600 chapters across North America.
The Living Legacy
Archival work, historical preservation, and cultural heritage programming.
The Barbershop Harmony Society is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Your gift helps put singing within reach of more people, funding youth music education, keeping this art form vibrant, and carrying the joy of harmony into communities everywhere.
Add your voice.
Every gift - at any level - is a vote for the voices who come after.