How To Donate Musical Instruments

One of the hardest things when giving away possessions is deciding what to do with them after you donate them. This goes beyond just music equipment; anything that someone owned or spent money on can be donated, including cars!
While it may seem weird at first to give away all your favorite toys, these donations help others in need achieve their dreams. By donating these items, you’re helping them learn how to play the instrument, improving their performance skills, and creating opportunities for them to show off their new toy.
Donating an item also opens up space for more affordable purchases, as there are free spaces where people can store their belongings while they look for their next home.
This article will talk about some easy ways to donate musical instruments.
Contact your local music shops
Many professional musicians are in need of both new and used instruments. They’re willing to pay good money for them, so why don’t you sell yours?
Some music stores will buy all sorts of instruments – pianos, guitars, violins, etc. Some even have sales events every month!
All too often though, people who want to donate an instrument can’t find it anywhere. This is very frustrating as they may have spent hours learning how to play it, or paid lots of money for it.
The chances are high that these things get trashed or wasted soon after being parted from. If this is the case, donating it becomes more expensive.
Don’t waste precious resources by leaving your instrument behind when you stop playing it. Here are some ways to help other musicians enjoy the same rewards you did.
Make a wish list of instruments you would like to donate
Many music schools, orchestras, and charities cannot accept donations unless they have a written record of the item being donated. This is so that they can verify it in their database and assign it an appropriate use. If you are donating an instrument that no longer works, make sure to include this information in the donation note!
Many people also feel more comfortable giving online gifts or donations. By using a website designed to help others with fundraising, your gift will go even further towards helping those in need!
There’s many ways to give back by donating an instrument, track down the right organization or individual to receive your gift.
Make a wish list of instruments you have
Many music lovers don’t know this, but most orchestras need more equipment than they have! When an orchestra that you admire is having an auction or fundraising event, chances are good that they’re looking for donations.
Music educators are very creative in how they use their instruments, so if you’ve got something sitting around at home that could be considered musical, consider donating it.
After all, teaching yourself can cost a lot of money! So why not make some lessons free by giving away your gear? By donating your unused items, you will help others learn about music too!
You may also want to check out our article: Best Ways To Help Others With A New Skill. This article contains other ways to donate beyond just musical equipment.
Create a donation page on the internet
Even if you don’t have a musical instrument, you can still help out other musicians in need! All it takes is creating an online donation form and gathering enough donors to make your artist worthy of their generosity.
You can create your donation form at any time, but during this pandemic we recommend using Google Take Out or Amazon Pay. Both offer free basic accounts that anyone can use to start donating.
From there, you can easily add PayPal as a payment option. Once everything is set up, you just have to gather donations and wait for your money to come through!
And don’t forget to follow all social distancing guidelines while waiting for your gift to be processed. These days, most people do not go outside so staying indoors is normal behavior.
Encourage friends to do the same
This is one of the hardest things you can do as an artist. You will lose pieces, that’s just how it goes! But, by donating your instrument, you are helping others find new opportunities to express themselves through music.
Music plays a large part in our daily lives. It helps set moods, it aids in relaxation, and it can even be motivational or inspiring. If someone has lost their voice, they can still play the guitar!
By giving away your musical equipment, you also give them hope. Hoping to learn how to play the violin, they may get lucky and win a free piece!
If you are thinking about donating your instrument, try to do so during off-hours. That way, no one will notice if you take your time leaving it somewhere safe. Make sure to remove all symbols and personalizations before putting your equipment up for donation.
Contact your local music school
Many professional musicians are in need of donations of instruments. If you have an instrument that is no longer needed, consider donating it to a music school or organization so that another student can enjoy it.
Music schools will accept almost any type of instrument, even if you never learned how to play it. A donation may be given credit for work done studying the instrument, and students can often find new owners through online listings and word-of-mouth.
Schools also appreciate getting free equipment, so see if there’s anything left from past years before deciding what to do with yours. Some teachers might even let you give away leftover materials if you are short on cash.
By giving your instrument to a music school, you will help someone learn how to play pass along a valuable skill.
Offer to pay shipping
While it is wonderful to get new toys for your child, donating an old toy can be just as helpful for others in their life or community. Many kids are exposed to music through school, churches, and other groups, so offering to send them off on vacation while donating your child’s favorite instrument can help ensure that someone else gets to enjoy that tool of self-expression!
Most major charities accept donations via donation bins or drop boxes where people can add items and receive tax benefits and confirmation emails to show proof of their kindness.
Some examples of charitable organizations include: Literacy Programs, Educational Orphans, Medical Missions, Disaster Relief, Environmental Causes, and more!
By adding an item to your cart at checkout, you will have the opportunity to save money by donating your vehicle transport fee as well! If you would like to continue supporting these causes after your purchase has been made, you can register with AmazonSmile to gain additional rewards.
Charge a high price for the instrument
Many musicians are not as fortunate as you to have their dream career in music take off, so they must learn how to market themselves. This includes marketing their musical instruments!
Most professional musicians purchase their first few instruments at very expensive prices. It is common to spend over 1,000 dollars on your guitar, bass or piano.
This does not make sense if you are trying to build up your collection or are just watching profits roll by. The best way to get rid of this income is to sell your instrument at cost!
You can advertise your instrument online free of charge, but none of these sites will actually pay you for it. That is where we come into play.
We will help you find the highest priced like-for-like instrument that same size as yours, and we will offer you a VERY competitive price. We will also cover all fees including shipping!
These websites include eBay, Amazon, Paypal and others, so it will be easy to transfer your payment.