Instruments of Change

What Instruments of Change does

Instruments of Change is a 501(c)(3)-style nonprofit charity founded in 2009 and headquartered in the Tampa/Brandon, Florida metropolitan area. The organization is dedicated to impacting the lives of disadvantaged children through musical instrument donations, structured music instruction, and performance opportunities. Its core program is an after-school elementary and middle school band initiative that meets twice weekly from September through May, supplemented by a High School Band Experience that pipelines students into rigorous secondary programs (e.g., Blake High School) and ultimately university music programs (e.g., Florida State University). The organization accepts both in-kind instrument donations and monetary contributions, and operates on a volunteer-driven delivery model in which trained musicians teach twice weekly under a customized curriculum.

The business and revenue model is purely philanthropic: services are provided free of charge to children, while the organization is sustained by donations of new or gently used instruments (brass, woodwind, string, percussion), cash contributions for instrument acquisition, repair, and event programming, and grant funding from community foundations (most recently a $32,588 grant from Community Foundation Tampa Bay in June 2025). The customer/supporter base spans four primary segments: at-risk children (beneficiaries), partner elementary and middle schools (program hosts), volunteer instructors (labor supply), and instrument donors (supply contributors). Leadership is bifurcated between Founder Glen Schubert and Chief Executive Officer Cheryl Stewart, suggesting recent governance maturation. The organization has no proprietary technology; its website (built by EssToo Creative, LLC) and basic digital channels (email, Facebook, phone) constitute the full technology stack, and there are no AI, app, or API capabilities.

In terms of scale and footprint, Instruments of Change operates exclusively within a single geography — the Tampa Bay area of Southeast Florida — with no disclosed expansion beyond that market. The organization has 11–50 employees (likely a mix of paid staff and active volunteers), has operated continuously for 15+ years since founding, and cites third-party research indicating that schools with music programs achieve a 90.2% graduation rate and 93.9% attendance rate versus 72.9% and 84.9% respectively for schools without, framing its work as addressing a documented educational attainment gap for low-socioeconomic children.

Name

Instruments of Change

Website

https://instrumentsofchange.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Instruments of Change is a Tampa, Florida-based nonprofit founded in 2009 that provides musical instruments, after-school band instruction, and performance opportunities to disadvantaged children through school partnerships and a volunteer instructor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Music Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

Keywords

• Youth music education
• Instrument donation programs
• After-school band programs
• Nonprofit music charity
• Community music instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Brandon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Instrument Donations: Instruments of Change accepts donations of new or gently used musical instruments from individuals and organizations. These instruments are then provided to children participating in the band programs, either free of charge or earned through program participation.
2. Monetary Donations: The organization accepts financial contributions to support music education initiatives, acquire new instruments, repair existing instruments, and organize concerts and community events. Donations are utilized to give back to the community through music education programs.
3. Volunteer Instructor Services: Volunteers with musical experience provide instruction to children receiving instruments. The organization recruits band instructors through its website and volunteer application process, focusing on professionals with dedication and organizational skills.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Instruments of Change is a nonprofit that provides musical instruments, after-school band instruction, and performance opportunities to disadvantaged children in the Tampa Bay area. It runs school-based band programs twice weekly from September to May at partner elementary and middle schools, supplemented by an instrument donation program, a financial donation program, and a volunteer instructor program. Services are delivered free of charge to participating children, funded by community donations of money and instruments.

Product overview

Instruments of Change is a non-profit organization operating as a single unified program focused on transforming children's lives through music education. The core offerings consist of five interconnected services: Instrument Donation (accepting new or gently used musical instruments), Financial Donation (monetary contributions supporting music education), Elementary School Band Programs (after-school instruction twice weekly September-May), High School Band Experience (high school visit and participation program), and Instructor Volunteer Program (recruiting musicians to teach). These programs work together to provide disadvantaged children with instruments, instruction, and performance opportunities, creating a complete pipeline from donation to musical education to performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elementary School Band Programs School-based band programs meeting twice weekly after school from September to May at partner elementary schools, offering students instruction in musical instruments through a customized curriculum and providing performance opportunities through assemblies, concerts, and festivals. Targeted at disadvantaged children who lack access to instruments and music education.
• High School Band Experience Program allowing students to visit their local high school and participate in the band, being paired with high school band students, marching on the football field, and observing performances, providing a pathway from elementary band to high school band participation.
• Instrument Donation Program Program accepting donations of new or gently used musical instruments, including brass, woodwind, string, and percussion instruments, to provide to children participating in the band programs. Donors can choose donor-delivered or organization-collected pickup options.
• Financial Donation Program Program accepting monetary donations to support music education initiatives, acquire new instruments, repair existing instruments, and organize concerts and community events for young musicians.
• Instructor Volunteer Program Program recruiting volunteers with musical training and experience to provide instruction to children receiving instruments, using a customized curriculum designed to empower, educate, and encourage students. Instructors commit to twice-weekly practices and performances.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90.2% graduation rate for schools with music programs vs 72.9% without
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• EssToo Creative, LLCminorOthersEssToo Creative, LLC appears as the copyright holder for the website content. This appears to be the web development/design agency that created the organization's website rather than a strategic partnership. The relationship appears to be a vendor/services relationship for website development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Give a Note Foundation: Give a Note Foundation supports music education in schools through grants, advocacy, and partnerships. It targets similar beneficiary populations (students lacking music access) and works through school-based delivery, paralleling Instruments of Change's approach.
• Berklee City Music: Berklee City Music is a nonprofit music education program from Berklee College of Music serving underserved youth. It provides instrument instruction and performance opportunities for at-risk children, with a comparable mission and beneficiary profile to Instruments of Change.
• VH1 Save The Music Foundation: VH1 Save The Music Foundation donates musical instruments and technology to schools and communities to ensure music access. It shares Instruments of Change's instrument-donation-plus-in-school-program model and similarly targets underserved student populations.
• Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation: Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation donates musical instruments to schools and music programs nationwide. It operates a closely comparable model to Instruments of Change: collecting donated instruments and placing them in schools serving low-income students.
• Guitars Not Guns: Guitars Not Guns is a nonprofit that provides free guitars and music lessons to at-risk and underprivileged youth. It shares Instruments of Change's focus on using music to reach disadvantaged children and is volunteer-instructor-driven.
• Music Will: Music Will (formerly Little Kids Rock) is a national nonprofit that provides free musical instruments and instruction to underserved students in public schools. It is the closest direct peer to Instruments of Change, with an overlapping mission, similar donation-based funding, and school-based delivery model.
• Hungry for Music: Hungry for Music is a nonprofit that collects donated instruments and distributes them to children in underserved communities. It mirrors Instruments of Change's instrument-donation pipeline and youth-focused music access mission.

Broad incumbents

• Music for All Foundation: Music for All (formerly Bands of America) is a larger, established nonprofit supporting music education nationwide through events, scholarships, and advocacy. It addresses the same broad goal as Instruments of Change but operates at significantly greater scale and through a wider portfolio of programs.

Emerging players

• Notes for Education: Notes for Education is a nonprofit that connects music teachers and donors with under-resourced schools. It shares Instruments of Change's mission of expanding music access for disadvantaged students and works through school partnerships.
• Songbirds Foundation: Songbirds Foundation collects used guitars and redistributes them to music education programs and students in need. It overlaps with Instruments of Change's instrument-donation model but with a narrower guitar-only focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/instofchange
• Facebookfacebook.com/InstrumentsOfChange
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instruments-of-change-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Instruments of Change