irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $34KThe findmyinstrument.org registry, launched in November 2022. Registered 250 instruments as of June 2024. CCi-managed instruments with fmi registration numbers received a 75 discount on insurance premiums.
named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Affinity Program
Connects musical instrument owners with businesses offering discounted services such as insurance, travel, and instrument repairs through partnerships with companies like Tectus Insurance Brokers.
Distanced But Connected (DBC)
Enables artists to collaboratively create recorded group performances during times when in-person performances are not possible, editing individual recordings into a unified performance.
FindMyInstrument™ Registry
Public registry launched in 2022 that allows owners of stringed instruments and pianos to register their instruments with documentation, photos, and videos, providing a unique ID number to verify authenticity and potentially reduce insurance premiums.
Instrument Lending Program
Loans fine instruments such as Stradivarius violins and Tourte bows to gifted musicians, performance venues, and museums to support artistic expression and public access to cultural heritage.
Musical Phone Pal (MPP)
Provides live, interactive classical music performances via phone or teleconferencing to elderly individuals in nursing homes and senior residences, particularly during periods of isolation such as the pandemic.
Sau-Wing Lam Memorial Violin Scholarship Fund
Supports the acquisition of performance-quality stringed instruments for deserving artists in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, originally established to provide lessons and performance opportunities for young violinists.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Music Education Support 4 activities
- Acquiring instruments through the Sau-Wing Lam Memorial Violin Scholarship FundUses the Sau-Wing Lam Memorial Violin Scholarship Fund, established in 1988, to acquire performance-quality stringed instruments for distribution to deserving artists in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
- Lending fine musical instruments to artists and institutionsLoans fine stringed instruments and rare bows to gifted musicians, performance venues, and museums to support artistic expression and public appreciation; loaned 15 instruments and bows in 2022 to accomplished musicians and institutions including the Museo del Violino in Cremona, Italy.
- Maintaining a collection of historically significant musical instrumentsMaintains a collection of historically significant stringed instruments, including a 1734 Stradivarius violin, a 1757 Guadagnini violin, rare violin bows, and a Steinway concert grand piano, for conservation and lending purposes.
- Operating a public digital registry for musical instrumentsOperates the FindMyInstrument™ registry (findmyinstrument.org), a free, blockchain-ready, cybersecure public registry where owners and institutions can register detailed information about stringed instruments and pianos, including provenance, construction details, and media; by June 2024, registered over 250 instruments from private and institutional collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Violin Museum in Cremona.
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Member Business Referral & Discount Programs 1 activity
- Operating an affinity program for musical instrument ownersLinks musical instrument owners in its network to partner businesses through an affinity program that offers favorable rates and services, enhancing support for instrument care and ownership.
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Community Music Performances & Education 1 activity
- Providing musical outreach and performance programs to underserved communitiesDelivers live and virtual classical music performances and educational outreach programs to underserved populations, including schoolchildren, senior residences, rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, and community centers; during the pandemic, provided remote interactive performances and produced compiled group performances through the Distanced But Connected program.
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Artist Support Grants 1 activity
- Supporting civic-minded classical musicians through artist programsSupports a roster of civic-minded artists (CCI Artists™) by providing financial support, performance and teaching opportunities, and access to instrument lending programs; engages musicians as ambassadors of Western classical music through performance, education, and community service.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$41K
Contributions & grants$41K99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$3911%
Other revenue$50
expenses
Total expenses$126K
Program expenses58%
Admin / overhead42%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$20K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$671K
Cash$40K
Investments$209K
Liabilities$89K
Net assets$583K
Liquid reserves23.8 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -79.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 8
- DR PAOLO BODINI — TRUSTEE AND CHAIRMAN
- ELAINE SHENG — TRUSTEE
- ELLEN THOMPSON — TREASURE
- JIANG TIAN — TRUSTEE
- KAREN NEUS — TRUSTEE
- RISA ROSENBERG — TRUSTEE AND SECRETARY VP
- ROSALINE YIN — TRUSTEE VP OF BRANDING DESIGN
- YIN LONG — TRUSTEE
relationships · 11
Who they work with
- Archi Magazine Partner — Media partner that featured the FindMyInstrument™ registry in its September/October issue distributed at Cremona Musica.
- FindMyInstrument.org Partner — Operational platform partner for the FindMyInstrument™ registry.
- Friends of Stradivari Partner — Bodini is founder and president of Friends of Stradivari, and CCI appointed him as board chair, indicating a leadership and organizational connection.
- Friends of Stradivari Partner — Dr. Paolo Bodini, founder and president of Friends of Stradivari, serves as Board Chair of Classically Connected.
- Lincoln Square Partner — Based in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City, engaging with its musically rich community.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art Partner — Partner institution contributing instrument data to the FindMyInstrument™ registry.
- Museo del Violino Partner — Partner institution contributing instrument data to the FindMyInstrument™ registry.
- Museo del Violino Partner — Partner institution that received loaned fine instruments from CLASSICALLY CONNECTED INC in 2022.
- Sau-Wing Lam Partner — Original founder and principal benefactor of Classically Connected, Inc., honored through the establishment of the Sau-Wing Lam Memorial Violin Scholarship Fund.
- Tectus Insurance Brokers Partner — Partner in an affinity program providing insurance services to musical instrument owners.
- Tectus Insurance Brokers Partner — Provides discounted insurance services to musical instrument owners through the affinity program.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Artist-Centered Community Engagementmethodology: artist_ambassador_modelBy deploying musicians as ambassadors through performance, education, and service, and by designing programs through direct community input, the organization strengthens the classical music ecosystem because artist-led and community-informed models deepen engagement and trust.
- Cultural Connection Through Classical Musicmethodology: cultural_connection_through_musicBy using classical music as a shared cultural language, the organization connects a global community and fosters continuity among artists, because shared artistic experiences transcend geographic and social boundaries.
- Direct Funding and Program Integritymethodology: direct-program-fundingBy channeling donor funds directly into program delivery without administrative diversion, the organization maximizes impact because 100% of contributions support mission-aligned activities.
- Instrument Access and Legacy Preservationmethodology: instrument_lending_networkBy building a sustainable instrument lending and registry network, the organization expands access to fine instruments for artists while preserving instrument legacies, because secure, authenticated, and accessible records ensure long-term cultural stewardship.
- Universal Access to the Artsmethodology: universal_access_to_artsBy treating access to live, high-quality classical music as a universal right, the organization shapes programming to prioritize inclusion and reach underserved and isolated populations, because equitable access fosters broader cultural participation.