Play It Forward
Play It Forward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 in St. Louis, Missouri that collects and awards donated musical instruments to children who cannot afford them, operating through community partnerships, crowdfunding, and regional chapter expansion into Southwest Missouri.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersSpringfield, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Play It Forward does
Play It Forward is a 501(c)(3) / 509(a)(2) nonprofit organization legally registered as Play It Forward Musical Foundation, founded in 2006 and headquartered in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area. Its core mission is to provide musical instruments to children who cannot otherwise afford them, operating a donation-driven model in which instruments are collected from donors, refurbished or allocated as appropriate, and awarded to young recipients. The organization has expanded beyond its flagship instrument-award program into a portfolio of complementary initiatives, including The Players Club, the Thursday Music Club, the Little Drummer Girl initiative, and the recurring Liam's Christmas Guitars holiday program (now in its eighth annual cycle as of 2025). It also operates a Southwest Missouri chapter (Play It Forward SWMO) based in Springfield, indicating a hub-and-spoke geographic model.
The organization's business and operating model is centered on charitable giving and community partnerships rather than commercial revenue. Funding sources include individual donations, GoFundMe crowdfunding campaigns, and percentage-of-sales partnerships with local restaurants such as Pioneer Cafe and El Monstero/Pi Pizzeria. Its stakeholder ecosystem spans instrument manufacturers and advocacy organizations (Nektar, Six String Heroes), local instrument rental outlets, venue partners (Wildey Theater), and professional services support (The Sivad Group). The organization received the Daily Points of Light Award on September 16, 2015, recognizing its volunteer-driven community impact. No paid leadership, headcount, audited financials, or management team is disclosed in available data.
Play It Forward firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Play It Forward
- Legal name
- Play It Forward Musical Foundation
- Website
- https://playitforwardstl.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Play It Forward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 in St. Louis, Missouri that collects and awards donated musical instruments to children who cannot afford them, operating through community partnerships, crowdfunding, and regional chapter expansion into Southwest Missouri.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Play It Forward industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Education Charity / Nonprofit Instrument Donation
- akta.pro primary industry
- Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early Childhood Music Education (Ages 0–7) (EDAMANAD), Instrument Rentals & Leasing (Band/Orchestra Programs) (CRALAEAG)
Keywords
Where Play It Forward is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Springfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Play It Forward business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: The organization raises funds through donations, GoFundMe campaigns, and percentage-of-sales partnerships with local businesses. Instrument donations come from community members who contribute previously played guitars, drums, keyboards, cellos, trumpets and other instruments.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Play It Forward product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Play It Forward Musical Foundation is a St. Louis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that donates musical instruments (guitars, drums, keyboards, cellos, trumpets) to children whose schools and parents cannot afford them, and contributes instruments to schools with underfunded music departments. The organization coordinates community shows, fundraising events (including Thursday Music Club weekly performances, annual concerts, and Mardi Gras fundraisers), and sponsors scholarship rentals for band and orchestra students through The Players Club program.
Product overview
Play It Forward is a St. Louis-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2006 that operates as a music education charity. The organization runs multiple interconnected programs: the core Play It Forward Program that donates musical instruments (guitars, drums, keyboards, cellos, trumpets) to underserved children and schools; The Players Club which provides scholarship rentals for band/orchestra students; Liam's Christmas Guitars which provides new acoustic guitars to teenagers in foster care; and the Thursday Music Club which hosts weekly musical performances. The organization coordinates shows, events, and fundraisers to support its mission of ensuring every child in St. Louis has the opportunity to discover their musical talents.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Liam's Christmas Guitars: Annual program that purchases brand new acoustic guitars for teenagers in foster and adoptive care, now in its 8th year.
- The Players Club
- Thursday Music Club
- Little Drummer Girl
Products and services
- Play It Forward Instrument Donation Program The core program of Play It Forward that donates musical instruments (guitars, drums, keyboards, cellos, trumpets) to children whose schools and parents cannot afford the equipment, and contributes instruments to schools whose music department funding does not cover instrument costs for students who wish to join music programs.
- The Players Club An exclusive sponsorship club allowing individuals or businesses to sponsor a band or orchestra student by paying their monthly rental fees, functioning as a scholarship rental program for students during their fiscal school year, delivered in partnership with local instrument rental outlets.
- Liam's Christmas Guitars Annual program (in its 8th year as of 2025) that purchases brand new acoustic guitars for teenagers in foster and adoptive care, in memory of Liam Terrio.
- Thursday Music Club A weekly music event series featuring local and regional musicians performing at Play It Forward venues, serving as both entertainment and community engagement, while doubling as a recurring fundraising opportunity.
- Little Drummer Girl A program supporting music education for young students.
Companies that use Play It Forward
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Play It Forward technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Play It Forward partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Pioneer CafeminorPioneer Cafe's 'Feed The Cause' event on December 22 & 23, 2025 will donate 25% of all sales to Play It Forward.
- El MonsterominorEl Monstero and Pi Pizzeria selected Play It Forward as recipient of percentage of sales from the 'El Monstero' pizza during December.
- GoFundMecorePrimary online fundraising platform for Play It Forward's campaigns including the Musical Foundation fund.
- The Sivad GroupminorProvides hosting and design services for the Play It Forward website.
- Local Instrument Rental OutletscorePartnership with local instrument rental outlets for The Players Club scholarship rental program, serving as a scholarship rental for students for their fiscal school year.
- Six String HeroesminorSix String Heroes donated 22 guitars to Play It Forward in 2023.
- NektarminorNektar Benefit Concert held at the Wildey Theater in 2022 to support Play It Forward.
- Wildey TheaterminorVenue for Nektar Benefit Concert in support of Play It Forward in 2022.
- Play It Forward SWMOminorPlay It Forward SWMO (Southwest Missouri) chapter based in Springfield, MO founded by Ruell Chappell.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Play It Forward competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- VH1 Save The Music Foundation: National nonprofit that donates musical instruments and supports music education programs in underserved schools. Closely mirrors Play It Forward's instrument-donation-to-schools model but at significantly larger national scale.
- Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation: Nonprofit that donates new and gently used musical instruments to schools and students in need nationwide. Directly comparable mission of addressing instrument access gaps in school music programs.
- Little Kids Rock: Nonprofit providing free musical instruments and modern band music instruction to children in under-resourced public schools. Comparable audience (underserved children) and complementary instrument-donation-plus-education model.
- Hungry for Music: Nonprofit that collects and distributes donated musical instruments to children whose families cannot afford them. Closely mirrors Play It Forward's core instrument-donation-to-children mission.
- Guitars 4 Vets: Nonprofit that provides guitars and music instruction to veterans, sharing the Play It Forward model of instrument donation plus structured engagement programs, particularly relevant given the parallel Liam's Christmas Guitars guitar program.
Broad incumbents
- Music & Arts: Largest U.S. musical instrument retailer with education-focused programs, instrument rental services, and school partnerships. Overlaps with Play It Forward on instrument access and rental-scholarship dimensions but as a commercial incumbent.
Others
- MusiCares: MusiCares Foundation provides financial assistance and support to music people in need. Adjacent music-industry nonprofit rather than a direct competitor; useful as a sector reference for nonprofit music ecosystem positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Play It Forward social profiles
Digital presencePlay It Forward compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Play It Forward financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Play It Forward leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Play It Forward funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Play It Forward M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Play It Forward
What does Play It Forward do?
Play It Forward Musical Foundation is a St. Louis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that donates musical instruments (guitars, drums, keyboards, cellos, trumpets) to children whose schools and parents cannot afford them, and contributes instruments to schools with underfunded music departments. The organization coordinates community shows, fundraising events (including Thursday Music Club weekly performances, annual concerts, and Mardi Gras fundraisers), and sponsors scholarship rentals for band and orchestra students through The Players Club program.
Is Play It Forward a public or private company?
Play It Forward is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Play It Forward founded?
Play It Forward was founded in 2006.
Where is Play It Forward based?
Play It Forward is headquartered in Springfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does Play It Forward make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Fundraising.
Who are Play It Forward's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are VH1 Save The Music Foundation, Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, Little Kids Rock, Hungry for Music and Guitars 4 Vets. Music & Arts is listed as a broad incumbent. MusiCares is listed as an others.
Does Play It Forward have an API?
No public API is recorded for Play It Forward.
What industry is Play It Forward in?
Play It Forward's product category is Music Education Charity / Nonprofit Instrument Donation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMANAC, Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir), with a secondary code of EDAMANAD, Early Childhood Music Education (Ages 0–7).