For the past thirteen years, the San Diego Music Awards has consistently shown where its priorities lie: Raising much needed funding for elementary school music education programs.

It has long been the role of SDMA to provide funds that are used to purchase instruments for school music programs. Over the years, this has allowed school districts to buy the less expensive instruments like flutes, clarinets, and violins. In 1999, the focus changed and the San Diego Music Awards Foundation teamed with San Diego CityBEAT and El Cajon's Taylor Guitars to create a unique, new fundraising program simply called "Taylor Guitars for Schools."

To date, there are 29 active schools in the guitar program, with a financial commitment to add another 6 schools during the spring 2005 school year.

The schools that become a part of the program are given "Baby" Taylor guitars, providing guitar instruction in public Elementary Schools, something that is not offered anywhere else in the country. Since the Taylor Guitars for Schools program began, 662 Baby Taylor guitars have been donated to schools throughout San Diego County.