The Bustamonte Fund

Charlie Patten was a force—brilliant, creative, and perpetually curious. He built his own path as an educator, marketer, audio engineer, and counselor, always leading with empathy and care. Music was his heartbeat. He played bass guitar, produced music, DJ’d, and loved nothing more than a good jam or discovering new sounds.

After losing Charlie in October of 2020, his family and friends created The Bustamonte Fund (named after Charlie’s band), to support the mission of Backline, a nonprofit that connects music industry professionals and their families with mental health and wellness resources.

Established in 2021, The Bustamonte Fund initially focused specifically on supporting the growth of Backline’s Case Management Program, which provides one-on-one support for thousands of music professionals and their families. Five years later, Case Management has provided 3,300+ personalized mental health care plans, providing critical and specialized care nationwide.

The programs and tools Backline offers to the music community have become diversified as the organization has grown. Earlier this year, Backline launched B-LINE, a 24/7 crisis support line for the music industry. They have also forged a new partnership with Spotify, creating the Global Resource Hub, a comprehensive support platform for music industry professionals around the world.

Through The Bustamonte Fund, Charlie’s community has greatly contributed to Backline’s impact, including:

• Navigating 3,331 music industry professionals through Case Management, giving each person one-on-one care to find the resources they need;
• Expanding Backline's nationwide clinic to 1,800+ vetted mental health providers across all 50 states, ensuring access to culturally competent, industry-informed care;
• Training 81 mental health providers at the 4th Annual Harmony in Practice clinical workshop, offering continuing education credits and deepening understanding of the music industry's unique challenges; and
• Distributing $700,000+ in therapy grants since 2022 through the Music's Mental Health Fund.

Going forward, The Bustamonte Fund’s support will not be limited to only supporting Case Management; rather, we will continue to honor Charlie by positioning his Fund to support the broader long-term operational sustainability of Backline, including all of its programs and offerings.

Our progress is only possible because of the ongoing generosity and grassroots support of Charlie’s community—his family, his friends, and all who have either struggled themselves, or supported loved ones, through mental health challenges. We invite you to continue to support Charlie Patten’s legacy and celebrate his memory by giving to The Bustamonte Fund.

Every donation, no matter the size, brings us closer to providing the critical resources and care to everyone who needs it in our music community.

You can make a donation online through the button below. If you prefer to donate non-cash assets, including stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, or donations from existing charitable or donor advised funds, please reach out to us at hello@backline.care. To donate via check, please make it out to Backline Care Inc, referencing The Bustamonte Fund and mailed to PO Box 6002, Denver, CO 80206.