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Faq – Donations

Where can I mail my donation?

Please make checks out to: Save The Music Foundation

Checks can be mailed to:

Save The Music Foundation

Attn: Julia Hare

P.O. Box 2096

New York, NY 10108-2096

Can I donate used instruments to Save The Music?

We do not accept donated instruments as we have found it to be more cost-effective and beneficial to purchase new instruments for students. We recommend that you contact your local music retailer, community center, or school district. You may also see more ideas on how to donate your instrument here.

How is my money being spent? What does my donation do?
76% of our spending goes directly toward building music programs, 18% of our budget goes to fundraising costs, primarily development staff compensation and events. 6% goes to cover administrative costs such as legal and accounting. Source: Form 990 Part IX – See our financials.

Your donation helps us restore and build sustainable music programs for schools and kids in need. Help us achieve our mission of giving EVERY child access to music in school. Donate now.

How is my money being spent? What does my donation do?
74% of our spending goes directly toward building music programs, 20% of our budget goes to fundraising costs, primarily development staff compensation and events. 6% goes to cover administrative costs such as legal and accounting. Source: Form 990 Part IX – See our financials.

Your donation helps us restore and build sustainable music programs for schools and kids in need. Help us achieve our mission of giving EVERY child access to music in school. Donate now.

How can I restrict my donation to a specific school or city?
Donations at $15K or more: We can absolutely restrict your donation to a specific city or district and eventually a specific school the following September as long as the school falls within our projected grantee schools. See current market list here. If your preferred city to donate is not within our projected markets and you know of need in that area, contact us.

Donations under $15K: We could potentially restrict your donation if you have an idea of how much you think you could raise. In the past we reserved restricted contributions for donations at $15K or more because it covers an entire program, while smaller donations are reserved to fill in the gaps for less popular cities that don’t get as much attention. However, we understand that it feels more impactful if you know exactly where the donations are going and therefore we want to try and make it work for you. If you are committed to raising a good amount of funds with a group of people and your city of choice is within our project grantee schools, we are happy to restrict donations to a particular area and follow up on which school benefitted that following fall. See current market list here. Alternatively, if we end up not restricting your donation, we can guarantee your money will go to good use rebuilding music education in public schools that really need it.

Can I make a wire transfer donation?
Yes. If you want to make a donation via wire transfer, you will need a letter from our bank with appropriate banking info. You can request this information and upon review we will send over secured documentation and how to unlock it. There is no minimum amount requirement for wires. REQUEST BANK INFO FOR WIRES
Can I make a donation in memory or in honor of someone?
Yes. Making a donation in memory or honor of someone is a great way to celebrate a life in a meaningful way.

If you are making a memorial donation, Save The Music can send an automatic email notification or mail a letter on your behalf to a recipient of your choice. You can do this by checking the box for “Dedicate my donation in honor or in memory of someone” on the donation page – Donate now in memory of someone. 

How do I make a donation through my will or living trust?
You can name Save The Music Foundation as a beneficiary of your last will and testament or your living trust. Many donors have found that a bequest is a relatively easy way to make a significant investment in the future of our mission. There are several ways that you can make a bequest or gift through your will or living trust to Save The Music Foundation. The provision you choose will depend upon your circumstances, what type of property you wish to bequeath, and your other obligations. Here are some of the kinds of bequests that you can make:

  • Specific Bequest: This is where you bequeath a specific sum of cash or other property that you name. Here is suggested wording for making a specific bequest: “I hereby give and bequeath the sum of $____________ to Save The Music Foundation, located at 1515 Broadway, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10036 or its successors-in-interest to be used for its general purposes.”
  • Residuary Bequest: In this case, you bequeath a specified percentage or all of the assets remaining in your estate after other expenses and bequests have been paid. “I hereby give and bequeath ____ percent (_____%) of the rest and residue of my estate to Save The Music Foundation, located at 1515 Broadway, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10036 or its successors-in-interest, to be used for general purposes.”
  • Contingent Bequest: In this case, you direct that a specific amount or a percentage of your estate be paid to Save The Music Foundation, only if your other beneficiary(ies) does not survive you.

Please consult with your attorney or financial advisor on which strategy would work best for you and your needs as well as the tax benefits of your bequest to your estate tax return.

Can I select Save The Music Foundation as a beneficiary of my retirement plan, IRA, life insurance policy, appreciated stock, bank account or other financial vehicles?
Naming Save The Music Foundation as beneficiary of your retirement plan, IRA, life insurance policy, appreciated stock, bank account or other financial vehicles is a generous way to make a legacy gift “outside” a will. Like a bequest, these gifts help ensure the future of instrumental music education for children attending public schools in America.

  • These gifts are easy to implement, and giving retirement funds is a tax-wise strategy for many donors. Contact your plan or policy administrator for a change of beneficiary form for retirement and life insurance accounts. For bank or brokerage accounts, you will need to complete the appropriate form. You will need the following information:
  • Legal Name*: Save The Music Foundation
  • Address: 1515 Broadway, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10036-8901
  • Telephone: 212-846-4391
  • Tax ID: 13-6089816

*DBA VH1 Save The Music Foundation, DBA MTV Save The Music Foundation

Some of the above-mentioned planned giving strategies may have a greater tax benefit to you than others, so please consult with your attorney or financial advisor on which strategy would work best for you and your loved ones.

How do I find out if my company matches my gifts to Save The Music Foundation?
Use the tool below to see if your company matches charitable donations. More specifically, you can reach out to your HR department to see if our organization is registered as an approved charity for your company. If not, you can register us into your system. We’d greatly appreciate it! We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and can prove documention upon request. Here’s the info you need:

Tax ID: 13-6089816

Matching Gift and Volunteer Grant information provided by:
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Can I donate through PayPal, Amazon Pay, or Google Pay?
DONATE with PayPal

DONATE with Google

Amazon Pay – coming soon!  See all the ways to donate here. 

Tax & Refunds
Donations from within the U.S. are tax-deductible, as Save The Music Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Our audited financials and 990 information can be found here.

Tax ID Number: 13-6089816

If you would like to request a refund or tax receipt for your donation, please email us with the name, amount, and date of your donation at [email protected]

Can Save The Music donate an instrument to my child?
Unfortunately, we do not make grants of individual instruments. We only grant instruments to schools with the goal of ensuring each child has access to music education.