More than 85 years after “Over the Rainbow” appeared in The Wizard of Oz, lyricist E.Y. “Yip” Harburg’s work continues to generate support for charitable causes. The Yip Harburg Foundation, established in 1981, uses royalties from his songs to fund nonprofit programmes pursuing economic and social justice. It offers grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 to eligible programmes operated by registered 501(c)(3) organisations with less than $10 million in assets. Its grants have supported work involving social and economic justice, immigration rights, climate change, criminal justice and underserved communities. Harburg wrote lyrics that addressed racism and social injustice, and he used humour to raise awareness of serious issues. The foundation’s grant programme gives a continuing charitable role to revenue from his songwriting, directing funds towards organisations working on social concerns.
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