I work in the Educational Arena and of course funds are always non-existant. I have heard rumors that some companies look to donate their old equipment to the school system when they upgrade. Anybody have any contacts in companies that do this sort of thing? Is there a thread I can search for companies that do this sort of thing? If I need to put in a grant proposal for it that is more than fine. I just need a place to start. Help...anyone, please.
And thanks, in advance.
Welcome to CB TaraRogan. I have not heard of anyone directly donating large sums of equipment to schools. What is very common is the selling of used equipment. This may be cost-effective for many groups, depending on what they are looking for. Just as a cautionary bit of advice, many schools do not allow for the purchase of used items, so it would pay to look into your particular situation before pursuing it too much. You may want to try the search function to see what it turns up. There is a lot of good info buried there. [edit: see http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/collaborative-articles/9401-sources-used-equipment.html.]
I think, ultimately, if a company did donate equipment to a group, it would be a group they had a great working relationship with. I would encourage you to foster good relationships with all of your local theatrical suppliers and manufacturers. Not only is this just good business, but they can be a great resource to you as far as education and helping out in a pinch. Over time, you may get other perks such as discounted equipment rental, the temporary use of a demo product, or a workshop/seminar for your staff and/or students: all great things that can only enhance a program.
Welcome to the CB.
through our new state group of community theaters we got info on a group that was having to close up because their building was being torn down. We picked up 30 light fixtures, Leko and Fresnel, for $100. You probably will have an issue with used equipment, but if you get lucky like we did you can probably find a sponsor to pick up the tab.
Good luck
I have some gear donate from one of our local road houses, they were getting rid of their 360 stock and we took it. It happened before I got here, but the gear is here. Most rental houses will want to make a buck, might want to contact some of the local theatres instead. I know I have a bunch of stuff I don't want to trash but really don't use. Most places will keep something unless they have a good home to go to.
TaraRogan: I have heard of one incident where a favorite manufacturer built a bunch of ERSs in white for an architectural install. When the project was canceled, they donated the fixtures to an employee alums' college. The college didn't mind at all, as the vast majority of the time the fixtures would be masked from the audience. But that's a rare occurance. Manufacturers and vendors exist to turn a profit. Still, as said above, make friends with your local dealer. (Also a great source for job information, as they (should) know everything happening around town.)
Expect to see much used equipment on the market, as several major commercial theatres have recently declared bankruptcy, with (hopefully not, but...) more to follow.
