Thank you so much for considering making a gift of your piano to University of Washington School of Music. These donations play a vital role in providing support for teaching and learning at the School of Music, and we are particularly in need of donated instruments of superior quality. We regret that the School of Music cannot accept all piano donations.
The UW School of Music gratefully considers donations of:
- Steinway & Sons’ grand and baby grand models S, M, L, O, B, and D pianos in excellent condition
- Comparable models from other manufacturers, such as the Yamaha U-1, in excellent condition
- Steinway uprights in excellent condition
- Excellent condition means genuine Steinway parts with new strings (1 -10 years old) and new hammers (1- 10 years old)
We are unable to accept piano donations that do not meet the criteria outlined above.
- If we are able to accept your donation, we will respond to your inquiry with next steps within 48 hours.
- If we do not reach back out, then we are unable to accept your piano – we receive a high number of inquiries regarding piano donations and do not have the staffing to respond to all of them.
- Additionally, due to the increase in piano donation scams, we are unable to respond to direct emails regarding piano donations that do not provide the information outlined below.
If you are interested in donating a piano to the UW School of Music, please send an email to casadser@uw.edu and provide the following information:
- Photos of the instrument, including:
- Model and serial number
- Photos of the strings and hammers
- Photos of any imperfections we should be aware of
- Details about the instrument’s history, including:
- Where it has been kept
- How often it has been played or tuned
- Any repair or refinishing work that has been performed on it
Things to be aware of with a piano donation:
- A site visit may be requested to further inspect the piano
- Any costs associated with the delivery of the instrument are the responsibility of the donor
- When the value of the donated instrument exceeds $5,000, and you would like to receive a tax deductible receipt, IRS regulations require the donor to obtain a qualified appraisal to be shared with the University
- The UW cannot arrange for the appraisal to be done. The donor may be able to deduct the cost of an appraisal for a donated item from their taxes.
- Once the School of Music has received your donated instrument, the UW Gift Services Office will acknowledge your gift with a receipt for tax purposes.
Other In-Kind Donations
We would also be happy to consider contributions of certain types of books, scores, manuscripts, and recorded material, particularly rare items and special collections. Unfortunately, space limitations prevent the school from accepting all gifts that are offered. To discuss making this type of in-kind donation, please contact the Director of our Music Library, Kathryn Miller, at kmill81@uw.edu.