Donate a Piano to a Church
If you have a piano at home that no one is playing, you can take advantage of a tax deduction by donating it to a church. Before you donate it, you must evaluate whether it's worth the cost of moving the instrument. Pianos are not the easiest items to move, and care needs to be taken during the process.
Instructions
Donating a Piano to a Church
1. Decide if your piano will have any value to a church. A piano that just needs tuning would be fine to donate, but if your instrument needs considerable work, the church may not be able to afford to repair or rebuild it. See if all the keys are working and if it looks and sounds good. If the piano needs too much work, you might be better off donating it to a thrift store where someone can buy it as is.
2. Call churches in your area and ask if they would be interested in a donated piano. Tell them about the instrument's size, its maker and its age, as well as when it was last tuned and the extent of work that it needs.
3. Invite church representatives to come over to see your piano or send them digital pictures. If you have a digital camcorder, you can make a recording of the piano being played, post it on a site like YouTube and send them the link. You can also email your digital file.
4. Work with the church to find movers to pick up the piano. Moving a piano requires some training, so if you hire movers, make sure they have the experience to undertake this job.
5. Get the tax deductible receipt from the church and keep it in a safe place. It's a good idea to have a photograph of the piano in case the IRS questions the value you claim. If you have an appraisal, keep a copy of it with your receipt.
