Donate to PACO

 There Are Many Ways You Can Help

The Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra (PACO) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and is supported primarily by membership dues, grants, and donations. PACO’s tax ID number is 94-1656715. Your support provides much-needed revenue for our programs and helps us continue the quality traditions that are the hallmark of the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra. Any amount is appreciated.

Individual Donations

Current PACO families, alumni and friends of PACO are encouraged to donate to our annual campaign. Donations are tax-deductible to extent allowed by law. Donations may be made securely online via VBO Tickets filling out the donation form below, or via check which may be mailed payable to PACO to: Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra 4000 Middlefield Road #M1 Palo Alto, CA 94303.

Current family members are suggested to donate $800 per student for Super Strings and Prep orchestras and $1,000 per student for students in Debut, Sinfonia and the Senior Orchestra.

Donate to our annual campaign here!

Family members are suggested to donate $800 per student for Super Strings and Prep orchestras and $1,000 per student for students in Debut, Sinfonia and Seniors.

* Donation services handled by VBO Tickets.

Where Does Your Donation Go?

Student tuition only covers a small portion of our programming costs. It is our goal to offer excellent teaching staff for all students, individualized chamber music instruction, concerts, guest artists, guest clinicians, masterclasses and many new programs under new Music Director Scott Krijnen. Your gift of support helps fund our PACO mission of cultivating the highest artistic value, instilling a life-long appreciation for chamber music in young people and embracing the importance of human relationships! We thank you for your contribution.

  • PACO Academy - Chamber Music Conservatory - Up to three string quartets from the Senior Orchestra will participate in ongoing coachings and participate in masterclasses with world renowned artists as well as perform in festivals in the Bay Area and perhaps beyond. PACO would like to increase its current level of professional coachings from six to eighteen for all three quartets.
  • Instrument upgrade - PACO would like to improve and potentially expand its collection of violas and violins. An instrument of quality allows a student to grow without limitations.  Your donation allows for access to an instrument that doesn't limit the student’s technique, but expands it. 
  • Venues and soloists - Great halls and guest artists inspire musicians and audiences alike. PACO aims to expand its concert venues in addition to its established venue at Cubberley, both of which come at increased cost. If there was a patron that would like to support an artist access fund, we would love to speak with you regarding ideas and possibilities.

PACO has also made a large impact beyond the walls of Cubberley, the United States and beyond.

  • Ghana and PACO out in to the World.  We want to share the world of PACO with others.  A PACO alum is currently in Ghana working with the music students in Accra, Ghana.  On October 29th, we will have a fundraiser concert to ship donated instruments to Ghana.  We would like to expand our funding to give regular shipments of strings and accessories and provide teaching support by PACO students to students in Ghana over Zoom. 
  • Lessons for All.  PACO is looking to support music lessons given by faculty to those who can’t afford them considering the financial challenges for some of living in the Bay Area.  The longterm result would be more music in more communities, a stronger connection to the diversity that represents the Bay Area and another way to get PACO out into the world.

Corporate Matching Gifts

It may be possible to double the impact of your gift to PACO! Many corporations will match gifts to charitable institutions. For information about your employer’s gift matching program, contact your human resources office at your workplace.

Stock Donations

Consider a donation of stock/bonds/mutual funds to PACO.  This is an easy way to give and  has so many benefits:

  • Save Taxes: If you own stock at a current market value of $1,000 which you purchased for $600, and you donate it to charity, the charity receives the $1,000 value and you do not have to pay capital gain taxes on the $400 gain. 

  • Take a charitable deduction:  You can take a $1,000 charitable tax deduction. The savings are $400 × your capital gains tax rate.

  • Decrease future capital gains: You can donate the stock to charity on Day 1 and then buy the same stock on the same day without triggering any penalties. Now your cost basis in the stock is $1,000.

If you would like to donate stock shares, please contact us at [email protected].  We will happily walk you through the process.