On September 11th 2001, five friends, Phil Gruber, Danny Rosin, Tom Lyon, Skip Mangum and Shellie Sierra met to discuss what instrumental role they could play in responding to the terrors of 9/11. None were firemen. Because they lived in Raleigh, NC, far from where the horrific tragedies occurred, onsite assistance would be an impossibility. There were no existing, trusted charitable outlets. Despite these obstacles, they had a deep sense that they could do, and had to do, something. They knew they were not alone.

Over the next several weeks, they brought together a group of more than 40 young business leaders from across the Triangle to raise awareness and money for the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks. They created an organization called Band Together for Our Heroes. They produced a 4-band event that brought over 1,000 people together, raising over $60,000 for NYC and DC Family Relief efforts.

In 2010, we formed our first Advisory Board. It was composed of a group of energetic community leaders and music lovers committed to the success of Band Together. Renamed "Community Board," this group still brings the energy and love for music! This is an inclusive group of people who share a love for relationships and doing good in the Triangle. Band Together relies on Community Board members to serve as brand ambassadors, cultivators of partnerships, and help us achieve our goals. They act as the voice of our community, continuously informing our strategic plans and actions. This group also acts a pipeline for serving on our Board of Directors.

SEE OUR CURRENT MEMBERS →

In 2012, we hired our first Executive Director, Matt Strickland. He helped shepherd Band Together into a new era of larger fundraising outcomes, staff expansions, and yet still maintained our longstanding focus on volunteerism. Band Together is led by almost 100% volunteer efforts. With only two full time staff, our large-scale events don't happen without the incredible effort of some of the Triangle's most talented volunteers. We call them our "Roadies" and we consider them family.

LEARN MORE ABOUT VOLUNTEERING →

By 2015, 14 years after our founding, we were fully living our Partnership Philanthropy model. That year, we raised $2 Million dollars in partnership with StepUp Ministry, the largest amount ever raised for a single concert. This helped us surpass $5.5 Million in total dollars raised for the community.

PARTNERSHIP PHILANTHROPY →

In 2020, we partnered with United Way of the Greater Triangle to respond to racial injustice through an online live music telethon. This became the foundation of a 5-year strategic partnership between our two organizations, during which we impacted tens of thousands of lives and raised over $5.4 Million to support COVID recovery for local nonprofits, housing accessibility, and mental healthcare.

A three-year run of sold-out shows at Red Hat Amphitheater from 2021 through 2023 brought nearly 6,000 fans together each year for music and impact. The streak marked a period of major growth, proving the power of our model and significantly increasing funds raised for the community.

25 years is an incredible accomplishment! Look at all we have to celebrate:

• Our flagship event, The Mighty Giveback, is the Southeast’s largest annual benefit concert and the nation’s longest-running charity concert after Farm Aid.

• Looking back at all of our years, we have raised over $15.4 Million for our community, impacted 161+ nonprofit partners, and put on incredible, memorable shows to over 75,000 concert-goers. THAT'S the power of live music.

• Approximately 30% of nonprofits fail to exist after 10 years, highlighting our survival to 25 years as a rarity amongst the challenges nonprofits face in maintaining operations.