Benefits of Giving.
Giving to the Foundation provides donors tax advantages, benefits the future recipients of the Foundation’s work, and will promote the important role of professional counselors. The VCA Foundation is an endowment fund holding a tax status of 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, with all contributions being 100% tax-deductible for eligible taxpayers.
For more than 30 years, the Foundation has supported counselors in their professional development, including funding:
- Suzee Leone Grants for special projects
- Pete Warren Fellows Scholarship to encourage involvement and leadership in the profession
- sponsorships to attend the annual VCA convention
- support of graduate work
- memberships to VCA and its Divisions and Chapters
- financial support of the VCA Journal
- sponsorship of the John Cook Keynote Speaker at the annual convention
- selection of the John Cook Award recipient for “…long and meritorious service to VCA and the counseling profession”.
- beginning in 2021, co-sponsored with VCA, BIPOC membership scholarships to attract more ethnically and racially diverse counselors who have been historically under-represented in the VCA membership
The VCAF aims to be the alumni association for professional counselors in all settings.
Ways to Give to VCA Foundation.
The Foundation relies on the generosity of its benefactors to achieve its goals. Its ongoing support to counselors and the organizations that serve the counseling profession can only be accomplished with the continued generosity of its supporters.
There are many ways for you to give to the Foundation:
- The Foundation may be included in your annual plan of charitable giving.
- A life insurance policy can be arranged with the Foundation named as beneficiary. This would allow you to deduct the premiums paid on the policy as a charitable contribution.
- The Foundation might be named in your will for a specific amount. Perhaps specific stocks or bonds can be directed.
- Contributions can be directed for a specific purpose or fund.
- You may be able to provide items for a raffle or silent auction at a future VCAF event.
- Transfer of stock or investments to the VCA Foundation.
- Tangible property may be transferred to the organization.
No amount is too small, and larger amounts will go far in addressing the endless possibilities to advance the work of the Foundation. When the spirit moves you, or when you are making your annual decision about charitable contributions, we hope you will keep the VCA Foundation in mind.
Other Ways to Help.
As counseling professionals, our focus in our work has been in “giving” to others. At the same time, we know from our experience that “it is in giving that we receive,” as well. Though VCAF by definition exists to raise money and to serve the counseling profession in Virginia, we also need non-monetary assistance to do our work.
The VCAF Board includes 4 officers and 9 Directors, energized to take the Foundation into a more prominent place in the minds of professional counselors. To that end, the Board aspires to be a diverse group of people with regard to gender, ethnic and racial composition, career roles, personal skills and talents, who live in different geographical areas of Virginia. Furthermore, we want to include more people in our efforts to spread the word about the Foundation and its goals.
We would like individuals and organizations interested in VCAF to offer their skills and expertise to contribute to our success. To achieve that, we offer counselors and community members in Virginia a chance to help in in a variety of ways. Here are some of the ways you can play a part:
- Provide technical and social media support to our growing organization.
- Participating in the events sponsored or supported by the Foundation.
- In-kind donation of time and skills that can become a part of Foundation events.
- Volunteer to serve on our committees. “Meetings” may only be virtual – by phone, via digital conference, by email, etc. For example, the Foundation regularly reviews and updates its Bylaws and other documents. We would welcome your editorial input.
- If you have previous experience working inside a foundation, we welcome your expertise and advise.
- Let us know if you would like to be considered as a VCAF Board member in the future, in an official capacity or as an adviser.
- To raise funds, VCAF has conducted raffles and silent auctions in the past. We welcome items donated to our cause.
- VCAF would like to create a list of mentors from the growing ranks of our retired counselors. We will be providing more information about this in the future.
- VCAF needs to expand its financial base in order to expand its programs. Do you know an individual or an organization who would like to like to help us enhance our financial resources?
We welcome your suggestions and ideas about how you would like to serve the VCA Foundation. Send us an email to let us know how you would like to contribute: vcaf@vcafoundation.org