Founder Jeff Campbell organized homeless benefit concerts called “Hungry for Music” while attending The George Washington University in 1992 and 1993. Campbell registered Hungry for Music as a non-profit organization on March 4, 1994, with the mission of supporting music education.
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You can donate an instrument by filling out a short form. Depending on your location, we will provide you with a drop-off location or a volunteer will arrange to pick up. In some cases, we will ask you to ship the instrument to us. You can either choose to donate the shipping costs (which is tax-deductible) or we will be happy to reimburse you for shipping costs. We are primarily in the Northeast, but can provide drop-offs and pick-ups throughout the country.
Yes, we assess all instruments and repair what is worthy. Instruments that need an overhaul are sent to repair schools. Instruments that are not worth repairing are given to artists. Materials for the Arts is one place where we donate a lot of retired instruments.
We support Title One music teachers, after-school program directors, social workers and school counselors who identify children who lack the financial resources to participate in a music class.
Yes! If you are in a music program at school, in another music program or have a music mentor/private instructor that will be responsible for requesting the instrument.
By filling out a short application. For individual children, the school or music program teacher must make the request. If you have any questions, please e-mail us at contact@hungryformusic.org or submit the contact form on the Contact Us page.
Hungry for Music has delivered more than 22,000 instruments in the last 30 years and impacted many thousands more. We have donated music instrument in 50 states and 35 countries in our history. Our vision is to facilitate the donation of music instruments to all those who wish to play. The gift of music has the potential to change lives.
Hungry for Music partners with church, school, or business organizations, who facilitate picking up and shipping music instruments to a music program in another country. We have been able to support programs in 35 countries so far in our history, including Mexico, Haiti, Uganda, Ethiopia, Canada, Ukraine, Guatemala, India, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, and Thailand.
Music instruments are donated to us from multiple sources.
Not all instruments are distributed to music programs. Once received, instruments are assessed for condition and value before being distributed. Valuable instruments are sometimes sold, auctioned, or raffled to help us with operating costs for repair, shipping, delivery, and purchase of new instruments.
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