Is Horns For Kids
a non-profit organization?
A. Yes. Horns For Kids, Inc. is a CT non-profit corporation,
and is a Federal 501c3
non-profit organization (Federal EIN: 45-2159084).
How many CT schools
have received instruments from H4K?
A. Since 2003, H4K has awarded instruments
to well over 500 Connecticut schools.
Where do the instruments come from?
A. Most instruments are donated. Although, we do buy some
if there is a shortage of
certain kinds.
How are the instruments
awarded to schools?
A. A group of available instruments is posted
on our website, 2-4 times a year.
Teachers and administrators are notified
through e-mail, and download the
application from the website; fill-it-out and
return it by a certain date. After about
a 2.5-week application period,
H4K reads all the applications and awards the
instruments to CT public and
private schools, based on need.
Do some schools get
priority?
A. Schools that have never received an instrument,
get priority. Also, schools
that have not received an instrument
for 3 years get priority.
Does H4K keep records on where the instruments
went?
A. Yes, we have a database of where every
instrument was awarded since 2005.
Where does H4K get
its funding?
A. We get funding from people like you
who believe that every student should have
the opportunity to make music in school and as a lifelong activity. We also receive
funding from a few family-run charitable funds, student-run school fund drives,
and from generous private
donors using the Donate button on our website:
Are
donations to Horns For Kids tax-deductible?
A. Yes. Cash donations and instrument donations are tax-deductible
(as long as no
goods or services were provided in exchange).
How are the
funds used?
A. Most of the funds are used to repair
instruments. H4K has about six technicians
that make sure every
donated instrument is clean, playable, and in excellent
condition. We do buy some instruments that are popular with teachers,
if there is
a shortage. Our annual accounting (CPA) and filing fees (CT) for
Horns For Kids,
Inc. total around $1,200.
Does H4K pay salaries
to directors?
A. No. The two directors (Fred
and Lee) receive no pay whatsoever. In fact, they
both donate to H4K in several ways: regular cash donations, office space and
machines, telephones, postage, internet and webhosting costs, gas and vehicle
to pick-up instruments, and time spent for clerical database entries — and
taking instruments to and from repair technicians.
What kinds of instruments
does Horns For Kids accept?
A. We accept gently used —
standard bowed strings (violin, viola, cello, double bass),
woodwind, brass,
and percussion instruments that are played in school bands,
orchestras, and
other ensembles. We also accept guitars, ukuleles, guitar
amplifiers, and
accessories.
Does H4K accept pianos?
A. Yes. But we are picky when it comes
to acoustic pianos. They are
expensive to move, tune, and store. We don’t
take all of these instruments.
We will ask for brand, model, condition, and photos. Schools prefer electronic
keyboards nowdays, since they do
not need to be tuned or maintained.
Will H4K come to pick-up donated instruments?
A. Yes, but it would be very helpful if
you could drop it off at our office in
Hamden. There are only two
of us here (no fleet of trucks). Some
people ship the instrument
to us. We also have a couple of drop-off
locations. If
necessary, we can schedule a time to come to you.
How is the value
of a donated instrument determined?
A. As a courtesy, H4K
will research the web and consult with music stores
for comparable instruments
and suggest a value to the donor in a written
letter. However,
for tax purposes, the donor is welcome to assign any value
to an instrument
that he/she believes is fair.
What is the capital of Nebraska?
A. Lincoln
