There are so many reasons to support Voices for Children. Your gift will make a difference in the life of a foster child.
Your donation makes a transformative difference in the life of a foster child. Your tax-deductible contribution to Voices for Children supports our CASA Program—the recruitment, training, and supervision of 1,600+ Court Appointed Special Advocates each year. These dedicated CASA volunteers are ordinary men and women who have stepped up to do extraordinary things: they volunteer their time and assist foster children one-on-one. After thorough screening and training, CASAs are assigned to the cases of abused, neglected, or abandoned children living in foster care, and are supervised by the professional staff at Voices for Children.
CASAs are truly the “voice” of a child, helping ensure that no boy or girl slips through the cracks of an overburdened, underfunded public foster care system. A CASA is often the only consistent adult in a child’s life, making sure through the court system that the foster child is given all the rights and opportunities he or she deserves, and helping find safe, permanent “forever families” for these wonderful children. Our CASAs serve the County’s Juvenile Court as informed, empowered sources of unbiased and up-to-date information about the child’s best interests, and regularly provide this information to the judges and all those who are involved in a foster child’s life. Perhaps equally important, CASAs serve as mentors and friends for boys and girls who are going through extremely challenging times. CASAs are fully supported by the Voices for Children professional staff, who give them the counsel, support, and tools to be the best advocates possible for children in crisis.
Unlike many social service agencies, Voices for Children is 83% privately funded. Therefore, the organization depends almost entirely on the generosity of individuals, foundations, and corporations to support this vital work through an annual budget of approximately $6 million. If you have any questions about ways that you can contribute to this cause and make a transformative difference in a child’s life, please call 858-598-2211 or email giving@speakupnow.org.
Voices for Children is a private, nonprofit organization, designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law (federal tax ID: 95-3786047). For more information, view our federal and California tax letters and our federal tax return, IRS Form 990.
Ways to Give
Online Giving
This is the fastest, easiest way to make a tax-deductible gift to Voices for Children.
By Mail or Phone
You can donate anytime with cash, personal check, cashier’s check, or money order made payable to Voices for Children. Please mail to:
Voices for Children / Development Office
2851 Meadow Lark Drive
San Diego, CA 92123-2709.
You may also use your credit card to make a donation over the phone. Just call Voices for Children at 858-598-2211.
Tribute & Memorial Gifts
A Tribute Gift is a thoughtful way to celebrate a special person or mark an important occasion while contributing to the powerful mission of Voices for Children. You can also use this program to raise money by asking others to give to Voices for Children in lieu of gifts for birthdays, graduations, weddings,anniversaries, or other events.
Memorial Gifts are a caring and impactful way to remember a loved one while supporting the needs of foster children. We are proud to assist you in honoring the memory of a loved one. Once we process your information, you will receive an acknowledgement letter, and the person of your choosing will also receive a letter notifying them that you have made a gift in the honoree’s name (we do not disclose the amount of the gift).
Gifts can be made online or through the mail. Please mail checks to Voices for Children, 2851 Meadow Lark Drive, San Diego, CA 92123-2709. You may also use your credit card to make a donation over the phone. Just call (858) 598-2211. We are here to answer your questions and help facilitate any Tribute or Memorial Gifts you may wish to make.
Recurring Gifts
Setting up a monthly, quarterly, or annual gift is an easy and convenient way to make a difference year-round for foster children. Contact your bank about a recurring, automatic payment via bank-issued check, or provide us with your credit card information and request an automatic draft. For more information and assistance in setting up a Recurring Gift to Voices for Children, email giving@speakupnow.org.
Appreciated Stocks & Securities
Giving appreciated securities—stocks, bonds, and mutual funds—benefits both donors and Voices for Children. In most cases, donors receive a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the security and do not have to pay capital gains tax on the transfer of securities that have been held for at least a year. For information about transferring securities, email giving@speakupnow.org.
Corporate Employer Matching Gifts
Did you know that many employers offer generous “matching gift programs” that can double or even triple the impact of your donation to Voices for Children? Matching gift programs can dramatically increase your charitable gift at no additional cost to you. Many companies will match their employees’ donations (and sometimes even employee spouse or retiree gifts as well!). Some companies even match volunteer hours and in-kind donations.
Find out if your employer or the employers of your friends and family have matching gift programs. You can often get more information from your company’s HR department. Each company has its own guidelines, but many will match gifts annually. Leverage your support to help more foster children!
View a list of corporations that offer matching gifts here. With any questions, email giving@speakupnow.org.
Planned Giving: The Advocates Circle
Would you like to help Voices for Children continue its mission into the future? A simple, flexible, and versatile way to ensure we can provide the CASA program for generations to come is to name Voices for Children in your will or living trust, by making a charitable bequest. Such “planned gifts” can have significant tax benefits for donors and your heirs. By including Voices for Children in your estate 
planning, you can make a legacy gift that may not be possible during your lifetime. Bequests in any amount can be unrestricted or designated for a specific purpose.
Here is sample wording for you and your attorney to consider when including a bequest to Voices for Children in your estate: “I give to Voices for Children, a nonprofit organization (IRS EIN #95-3786047) located in San Diego, California, the sum of $_________ [or property described herein].”
Aside from a simple will or estate designation, there are other options for planned giving include a charitable gift annuity, a charitable lead trust, or a life insurance policy. Always check with your estate attorney or financial adviser for additional information.
VFC has established The Advocates Circle to honor and recognize those donors who have told us that Voices for Children is included in their estates. The Chair of The Advocates Circle is Kathryn Ashworth, Esq., the co-founder of Voices for Children. Members are invited to special events to acknowledge those leaving a legacy for foster children. To join, you simply need to inform us of your plans. For more information, email giving@speakupnow.org.
Children’s Assistance Fund: In-Kind Gifts
Our CASAs love to take their children on special “field trips” and Voices for Children welcomes donations of tickets to all sports events, the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, museums, musical performances, or other local attractions! You can help our CASAs to provide special activities to enrich our foster children’s quality of life. All year long, we also welcome donations to our Children’s Assistance Fund or outright donations of Gift Cards in increments of $25 or $50, which we give to foster children on their birthdays or at the holidays. Please view our wish list. For more information, call 858-598-2211 or email children@speakupnow.org.
Host an Event Benefiting Voices for Children
Do you belong to a group or organization that raises funds for charities? Would you and a group of friends like to organize your own small event with proceeds donated to Voices for Children? Please contact us at 858-598-2232 or email events@speakupnow.org to let us know about your event. Approved events may use our logo and mission to help raise funds to support Voices for Children.
The Starfish Store
“The Starfish Story” is an fictional tale that symbolizes the work of our CASAs and Voices for Children: you can make a difference in someone’s life, one person at a time. We are pleased to offer a sophisticated line of Starfish Collectibles, designed around “The Starfish Story.” All proceeds of our beautifully packaged, hand-blown glass paperweights, keepsakes, and ornaments, as well as our sterling silver starfish-themed jewelry, benefit Voices for Children. These glass pieces, created and made by a talented San Diego glass artist, are unique wedding favors and corporate gifts, as well as meaningful gifts for birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions. Each piece comes with “The Starfish Story” enclosed. Visit our Starfish Store now, learn more about the story behind the starfish, and place an order! You will be helping a foster child.
Vehicles for Voices
Donating your car, truck, van, SUV, boat, motorcycle, ATV, RV, trailer or airplane to benefit a charity has never been easier! Cars Inc. provides vehicle donation services for Voices for Children. Simply give them a call and trained staff will guide you through the donation process. They take care of everything, including pick-up and sale, then send you a nice tax deduction at the end. Vehicles do not even have to be operational! Get that clunker out of your driveway! For more information, email giving@speakupnow.org.
United Way
The focus of United Way of San Diego is to help San Diego’s children and families grow stronger, and Voices for Children welcomes donations through United Way’s workplace giving. Our United Way number is 96584. For more information, visit United Way of San Diego County.
Voices for Children takes donor privacy seriously. Learn more about our policies for donor ethics and privacy.
