How We Work
Each project is different and it’s difficult to predict just how it will go, but each client asks how we will go about placing an organ in their building. Here’s a series of steps we will take together to help your church acquire a wonderful organ:
Gathering information:
We will ask you to provide us with basic information about your building (See Before you start). We also feel it’s important to learn something about your church, its style of worship and liturgy, and general community life. If you are seeking an organ for a concert hall, school, or private residence you can tell us about the institution and what uses would be planned for an instrument.
Initial possibilities:
With a little introductory information we can share photos and descriptions of a few instruments that we think might be good possibilities for you, but we cannot promise that they will be available when you are ready to make a purchase.
Development of vision:
Conversations about the purchase of an organ typically involve several people from a church including clergy, musicians, and a committee of church members charged with researching the possibility and preparing a proposal for the congregation. If your church is serious about acquiring an organ, we look forward to meeting with you in person so we can work together to form a vision of the ideal instrument.
Establishing a budget:
There’s almost always a conflict between the price of the ideal organ and the amount of money available. We are aware of the complications of raising and committing so much money to a musical instrument. We will work with you to reach a balance that best suits your situation.
Defining the ideal organ:
Knowing how much money will be available, knowing the possibilities and constraints of the building’s architecture, and knowing the needs of your parish, we can establish a description of the organ that would be ideal for your church. Then, we can focus our search to and tell you about organs that would be right for you.
Fundraising:
Although we are not fund-raisers, we have witnessed the fund-raising efforts of hundreds of churches so we can offer some suggestions toward successful fund-raising based on what we have learned from our other clients.
Availability of Funds:
The most appealing organs sell quickly, and there might be other churches that are looking for the same thing as you. So you should be ready with available funds and the authority to complete the purchase when the ideal organ becomes available. These decisions are often made in a matter of weeks.
Visting organs:
One advantage of purchasing existing organs is that many available instruments are still playable in their original homes. We can arrange for you to visit, play, and hear organs that would be appropriate for installation at your church.
Negotiating a sale:
We provide a standard draft for a Purchase/Sales agreement and help you negotiate a price with the seller.
Our Finder’s Fee is $2500 or 10% of final sale price, whichever is greater. The fee is payable by the purchaser. This fee provides the support necessary for us to maintain our website and provide these services.
