Giving FAQ

Yes, Manhattan School of Music accepts donations of stock or wire transfer. To make a stock or wire transfer donation, please e-mail MSM at advancement@xgcr.net or 917-493-4490, for bank routing numbers and transfer details.

Donations to the Annual Fund provide the broadest impact and support general operating activities, student scholarships, and faculty support. We highly encourage donors to support the program they feel most passionate about. MSM provides opportunities to give by department, program, directly to scholarships, or a number of capital campaign initiatives for facilty upgrades.

To learn more please contact:
Susan Madden
Vice President for Philanthropy
917-493-4115
smadden@xgcr.net

Manhattan School of Music provides both need and merit scholarships through a carefully orchestrated process that includes committees of faculty and staff. Donors may restrict giving to scholarships for students of a particular instrument, discipline, or geography (I.E. a Musical Theatre Student, Trombone player, Graduating Senior, or International Student), but may not restrict funds based on religion, race, or sexual orientation.

No scholarship donor may have a say in who is chosen as scholarship recipients as it is unlawful to do so.

Yes. In our online giving form you may select the department(s) in the ‘area of support’ field you wish to support. If you do not see what you are looking for you select ‘other’ and write in your designated support area. To find out more please email advancement@xgcr.net for more info.

Thank you so much for considering making a gift of your piano or other instrument to Manhattan School of Music (MSM). The availability of donated instruments of superior quality for practice, auditions, and special performances helps our students achieve their highest potential as musicians.

Pianos
We gratefully consider donations of Steinway & Sons grand and baby grand piano models S, M, L, O, B, and D that are in excellent condition, or comparable models, such as the Yamaha U-1, from other manufacturers of instruments of the highest quality. Steinway uprights in near-new condition may also be eligible for donation.

Other Instruments
Donations of instruments other than pianos are considered on a case-by-case basis. Whenever feasible, arrangements should be made to bring the instrument to the School so that it can be assessed by faculty members.

IRS Regulations
When the value of the donated instrument exceeds $5,000, IRS regulations require the donor to obtain a qualified appraisal in order for a charitable deduction to be claimed. Additionally, the donor will need to complete IRS Form 8283 (Noncash Charitable Contribution) and provide it to MSM for completion of the “Donee Acknowledgment” section. We strongly encourage you to consult with your tax advisor when considering donating an instrument for a charitable deduction.

Once MSM has received your donated instrument, the Philanthropy Office will send an acknowledgement letter recognizing its receipt and thanking you for your gift.

Contact Information
If you are interested in donating a musical instrument to MSM, please contact the Philanthropy Office at (917) 493-4434. Please have information about the instrument’s history ready, such as where it has been kept, how often it has been played or tuned, and any repair or refinishing work that has been performed on it.

We are currently not accepting donations of sheet music or recordings at this time. View MSM’s Gift Acceptance Policy.

If you think you may have items of interest such as old photographs, yearbooks, programs, etc., please contact John Blanchard, Institutional Historian and Director of Archives, by e-mail jblanchard@xgcr.net.

For more detailed information visit MSM’s Planned Giving page, or contact Susan Madden, Vice President for Philanthropy, at 917-493-4115, or smadden@xgcr.net

An annual gift goes toward supporting costs incurred in the current fiscal year.

Endowment gifts provide permanent support for Manhattan School of Music. Gifts to the endowment are invested and only a percentage of the income generated from the principal is spent. The percentage of the principal is determined according to a spending rate established by the School’s Board of Trustees (which is currently a 36 month rolling average of 5 percent). Any difference between the amount spent and the amount earned is reinvested in order to help the endowment keep pace with inflation.

For example, a gift of $5,000 for a current scholarship would provide one-time support to a student towards the current academic year’s tuition costs. From a gift of $50,000 or more to a permanently endowed scholarship fund, Manhattan School of Music will award approximately 5 percent from the fund for a scholarship every year permanently.

Manhattan School of Music
Office of Philanthropy
130 Claremont Avenue
New York, NY 10027-4631