Rebuilding/Non-Profit/Funding

[Ron Nossaman]

>Does anyone have any experience/ideas for creating/organizing a funding
>drive to raise $50,000-plus to pay for complete rebuilding of two pianos and
>a few related expenses?

As a parent of two kids, the second of whom is finally at the end of her
involvement with the public education system, yes. To raise money for such
scandalous self indulgences as ceiling fans for un air conditioned
classrooms, science and art supplies, T shirts and travel expenses for the
Academic League (won National one year), and OM (twice State, only one of
which went to the world competition for truly stupid reasons), KG&E Electro
Rally (won), all of which the schools sponsored, but none of which they
were "able" to pay for - even partially, though they proudly display the
resulting banners and trophies.  

We did mostly treasure hunts, carnivals, and raffles - the treasure hunts
being the biggest producers. This is a considerably different venue though,
so these probably aren't all that appropriate for your situation.

I've also had some dealings with the kind of facility you are talking about
here, so I'd like to offer some unsolicited advice. If you get involved in
the fund raising, do it strictly as a donation with no expectation of
actually getting to do the rebuild work, or even acknowledgement for your
efforts. Likely the administration of the facility (Iris and Maude), will
arrive at the conclusion that if they can shop around and get a bid that's
both less than the money at hand, and lower than yours, you won't get the
work anyway. Yes, it happens - yes, I know that for a fact.

Good luck,

Ron N