Charitable contributions to Volunteer Legal Advocates have an immediate impact on our programs and services, including our Domestic Violence, Child Advocacy, and Immigration Practices, and our Legal Clinics.

Annual gifts from Volunteer Legal Advocates supporters make it possible to provide comprehensive legal services to more than 2,100 clients every year. We invite you to help vulnerable children and survivors escape domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence by making a tax-deductible donation in one of the following ways.

Online

Make a donation to Volunteer Legal Advocates through the security of your credit card or by direct debit from your bank account. Gifts of all sizes have a lasting impact on Volunteer Legal Advocates’ programs and services. You can designate your gift to a programmatic area that you value most, including our Domestic Violence Program, Child Advocacy Program, Immigration/RELIEF Program, or our Legal Clinics. Click here to make your gift easily and securely online.

By Check

Please make checks payable to Volunteer Legal Advocates. A gift by check entitles the donor to an income tax deduction in the year in which the gift is made. Mail your gift by check to:

Volunteer Legal Advocates
Attn: Development Office
5335 Wisconsin Ave NW, Suite 440
Washington DC 20015

Sustaining Gifts

Become A Recurring Donor

As a sustaining donor, you’ll make monthly payments through the security of your credit card or by direct debit from your bank account. A small, recurring amount every month can add up to a gift that really has an impact on Volunteer Legal Advocates’ programs and services. You can designate your monthly gift to a programmatic area that you value most, including our Domestic Violence Program, Child Advocacy Program, Immigration/RELIEF Program, or our Legal Clinics. To sign up, simply complete the form linked here.

Stock

Your gift of stock directly to Volunteer Legal Advocates is exempt from capital gains tax. You will still be eligible to deduct the full fair-market value of the asset you donated from your income taxes up to the overall amount allowed by the IRS. The Volunteer Legal Advocates team are not financial advisors. Please consult your professional financial advisor before making a stock donation to Volunteer Legal Advocates.

Please provide your broker with these delivery instructions to facilitate the electronic transfer, receipt, and proper acknowledgment of your gift of stock.

Delivery Instructions:
DTC Number: 0235
Account Number: 322-97472
Account Name: Volunteer Legal Advocates
Tax ID: 26-1089584
Contact: Nicholas Marchio, RBC Wealth Management
1700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 700
Washington DC 20006
Telephone: 202-661-9508 or 877-567-2794
Email: Nicholas.Marchio@rbc.com

When you initiate a stock transfer to Volunteer Legal Advocates, please email the gift details to Brian Yourish, Director of Operations, at byourish@volunteerlegaladvocates.org to ensure we can promptly receive and acknowledge your gift. If you have any questions about donating stock to Volunteer Legal Advocates, please email Brian or call 202-464-1614.

Donor Advised Fund

Planned Gifts

Brokerage (or other accounts)
Most people do not realize they can leave assets from their accounts to their favorite charitable organizations. You may name a charity as a full, partial or contingent beneficiary to a brokerage, savings or other accounts.  Simply fill-out a “change of beneficiary form” offered by your account representative.

Charitable Trusts
Hard-earned assets are worth protecting and various charitable strategies can safeguard family assets while providing security for loved ones and your favorite charities, like Volunteer Legal Advocates. Consider having a conversation with your advisors about whether a charitable trust is right for you. Here are two examples:

  • Charitable Remainder Trust
    A charitable remainder trust allows you to provide income distributions for yourself or others while making a gift of the remaining assets to Volunteer Legal Advocates when the trust ends. The income distributions may continue for the lifetimes of the beneficiaries, a fixed term of not more than 20 years, or a possible combination of the two.
  • Charitable Lead Trust
    Annual gifts of income are first made to Volunteer Legal Advocates and when the charitable lead trust ends, the remaining assets are distributed to you or your beneficiaries.

Life Insurance
You can make a significant impact for survivors by donating a paid-up policy you may have outgrown, or by naming the Volunteer Legal Advocates as a beneficiary of an insurance policy. Life insurance paid to a charity is not subject to Federal estate tax and you may be able to receive an income tax deduction for your premium payments.

Retirement Plans
Your IRA, 401k, 403b, or other retirement plan is a wonderful way to leave a lasting legacy that will benefit DV survivors and at-risk children in DC. You can name Volunteer Legal Advocates as a full or partial beneficiary on a “change of beneficiary form.” Did you know that retirement plans left to individuals or family trusts are some of the most heavily taxed upon death — up to 70% of your plan’s value could be lost to taxes. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Volunteer Legal Advocates receives these same assets free of all taxes.

Securities
Gifts of appreciated stocks, bonds and other securities you own for at least one year are eligible for your charitable income tax deduction based on their fair market value on the gift date, and no capital gains tax is due on the appreciated value.

IRA Gifts

Retirement Plans
Your IRA, 401k, 403b, or other retirement plan is a wonderful way to leave a lasting legacy that will benefit DV survivors and at-risk children in DC. You can name Volunteer Legal Advocates as a full or partial beneficiary on a “change of beneficiary form.” Did you know that retirement plans left to individuals or family trusts are some of the most heavily taxed upon death — up to 70% of your plan’s value could be lost to taxes. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Volunteer Legal Advocates receives these same assets free of all taxes.

Matching Gifts

Did you know you can significantly increase the impact of your gift through your employer? Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match charitable contributions made by their employees. If your company matches, the impact of your gift may be doubled or possibly tripled! When gifts are matched, donors often qualify for a higher Giving Circle category such as the Amplifying Voices Society.