We rescue donated guitars, restore them to playable condition, and put them in the hands of students who need them most — along with the lessons to bring them to life.
A simple process with a profound impact on kids who might otherwise never have the chance to play.
New or used guitars are donated by individuals, music stores, and estates. Every guitar has a story — and a future.
Our volunteers clean, restring, adjust action, and bring every instrument back to excellent playable condition.
Underserved schools receive instruments and we fund professional music lessons — giving students a complete program.
Students learn discipline, creativity, and confidence — all through the power of music and the joy of playing guitar.
Every donation — cash or guitar — directly funds a student's musical journey.
"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." — Plato · The spirit of Play It Again Foundation
Whether you give $25 or a guitar from your basement, you're putting music in a child's hands.
We believe every child deserves the chance to make music. Our story, our mission, and the people behind it.
The Play It Again Foundation was founded on a simple observation: thousands of guitars sit unused in closets while thousands of students in underserved schools have no access to music education or instruments.
We bridge that gap. By collecting donated guitars — new or used — restoring them to excellent playable condition, and delivering them directly into school music programs, we give both instruments and students a second chance.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations — cash and in-kind — are fully tax-deductible.
We accept donated guitars of all types and conditions. Our skilled volunteers assess, clean, repair, and restring each instrument until it is in excellent playable condition — worthy of a student's hands.
Restored guitars are donated to underserved school music programs. We prioritize schools that lack the budget to acquire instruments themselves, ensuring access regardless of zip code or funding level.
A guitar alone isn't enough. We fund professional music lessons so students receive structured instruction — developing not just musical skill, but discipline, creativity, and confidence.
Select restored guitars are offered for sale to the public. Proceeds fund our operations, lesson subsidies, and future guitar restorations. You can buy a great instrument and support a great cause.
All donations to the Play It Again Foundation are fully tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Donation receipts are provided automatically for every financial gift.
Questions, partnerships, school inquiries, volunteer opportunities — we'd love to hear from you.
Whether you're a school interested in starting a guitar program, a donor with questions, or a volunteer who wants to get involved — reach out. We respond within one business day.
Your generosity puts guitars in students' hands and pays for the lessons to bring those guitars to life.
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Your generosity will help put a guitar in a student's hands and fund the lessons to bring it to life. Thank you.
That guitar in your closet could be the instrument that starts a child's musical journey. We accept acoustic and electric guitars in a wide range of conditions. Here's everything you need to know.
We accept most acoustic and electric guitars. We assess each guitar individually. Even instruments needing significant repair may be accepted — some become great project instruments for our restoration volunteers.
We generally do not accept: severely water-damaged instruments, guitars with broken necks at the headstock (structural repair not cost-effective), or instruments missing major components (e.g., no tuning machines, no bridge).
When in doubt — send us a photo first! Email: guitars@playitagainfoundation.org
We ask donors to cover the cost of shipping. Here are estimated costs by common carrier. We strongly recommend insuring your guitar for its approximate market value.
| Carrier | Typical Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UPS Ground | $25 – $45 | Recommended — good guitar handling |
| FedEx Ground | $25 – $45 | Good option, good tracking |
| USPS Priority Mail | $20 – $35 | Budget-friendly; adequate for smaller guitars |
Packaging Guidelines:
Tax deduction note: In-kind guitar donations are tax-deductible at fair market value. We will provide a written acknowledgment letter. For donations valued over $500, IRS Form 8283 may be required — we recommend consulting a tax advisor.
Fill out the form below and we'll send you our mailing address and a donation acknowledgment letter.