How do I Get Musical Instrument Donations for a Youth Church?

Musical instruments can be a great tool for church youth groups. There are numerous ways to find instruments through donations that can help save an organization thousands of dollars and enable important music programs to function and thrive. With effort and patience, a group can secure musical instruments without having to buy them.

Contact the local press. Your local newspaper can help spread the word about a musical instrument donation drive in numerous ways. You can purchase an ad, submit a community brief or pitch a story idea about the drive to a local editor or reporter in a press release. Make sure you include photos, contact information and other relevant information when submitting a press release.

Go on the Internet and spread the word. You can use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to solicit donations. You can start a group, hold an event or post requests for donations as a status update. Craigslist also has "Free" and "Wanted" sections, which may lead you to people who have instruments that they want to donate.

Raise money, buy instruments. If you can't find donors with instruments, you might find some with cash. You can raise money instead -- via bake sales, Internet fund-raising, cold-calling and so on -- and use that money to buy instruments.

Hang up signs. Print out fliers and hang them around town -- at music stores, churches, city hall, schools -- and ask for donations. Make sure to include contact information and specific instructions on how to help.

Ask other groups. Perhaps local community groups have old instruments that they are not using. You can ask other churches, schools and organizations for donations by calling them or paying a visit. This will also help spread the word. You can also make appeals to groups that specialize in donating musical instruments, such as Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation and Charity Music.