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Help us raise $75,000 before January 1 to fund our mission of expanding access to justice in 2024!
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Ways to Give

Thank you for supporting VIP and expanding access to justice!

VIP offers multiple ways for donors to contribute. We depend on the generosity of both individuals and organizational donors.

If you do not see an option below that works well for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly to explore a customized approach.

Donate online

VIP uses Give Lively for secure processing of online donations via either credit card or bank account withdrawal. Our online giving portal has a range of functions, including setting up a recurring donation, making a donation in honor of a friend or loved one, and creating a peer-to-peer fundraising page. Please visit our donation page to make a gift today.

Donate with a check

To make a donation by check, please make the check payable to “Philadelphia VIP” and mail it to:

Philadelphia VIP
Attention: Executive Director
1500 JFK Blvd, Suite 1850
Philadelphia, PA 19102

Other ways for individuals to support VIP

Maximize your donation with employer matching

Many employers will match – in full or in part – the charitable donations made by their employees, employees’ spouses, and retired employees. When you make a gift to VIP, please take a minute to find out if your employer will match it.

Please contact us if there is any information – such as VIP’s tax identification number (it’s 23-2210390) and documentation of our 501(c)(3) status – we may provide to help complete a match.

Donate with a gift of stock

VIP welcomes gifts of securities to support our mission. Please follow this two-step process to complete a stock transfer electronically or by mail:

Step 1: Complete VIP’s Stock Transfer Form and return it as specified. This will notify us that you intend to donate stock.

  • Donor contact information, and any special instructions for a gift, sometimes are not directly forwarded by brokerage firms. The Stock Transfer Form allows us to thank you for your generous support and to direct your gift appropriately.
  • If you prefer, please feel free to email or call (215-523-9551) us to provide this information

Step 2: Initiate the stock transfer electronically or by mail with your brokerage firm. VIP’s brokerage information is noted on the Stock Transfer Form.

Give through United Way

VIP is a designated recipient for contributions made through the United Way. To donate to VIP through a United Way campaign, please use VIP’s United Way Donor Option #7763.

Donate with your Donor Advised Fund (DAF)

VIP welcomes contributions from your Donor Advised Fund, established at Fidelity Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, Ayco Charitable, National Philanthropic Trust, or others.

When making a grant recommendation through your DAF account, search for Philadelphia VIP either by name or by VIP’s tax identification number 23-2210390. If you want to designate your gift to a specific purpose, such as Homeownership or Small Business, enter that designation by the method your account supports. The DAF administrator will distribute funds to Philadelphia VIP with a cover letter that includes your designation.

Rollover a Qualified Charitable Distribution from an IRA

A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) is a tax-efficient way for those 70 ½ or older to donate from their IRA. Unlike other distributions from your retirement accounts, you pay no income tax on a QCD, although there is no charitable deduction for your contribution. However, your QCD contribution counts toward your Required Minimum Distributions (RMD) from your IRA without creating taxable income for you. To qualify as a QCD, the gift must be transferred from a traditional or Roth IRA directly to Philadelphia VIP.

Host a fundraiser on Facebook

Create a Facebook fundraising campaign to celebrate your birthday, #GivingTuesday, or other special events.

  • Click the “Fundraisers” button located in the column on the left-hand side of your Facebook “Home” page
  • Select a nonprofit then type in “Philadelphia VIP, Inc.”
  • Enter your fundraising goals, message, and cover photo

Other ways for attorneys, law firms, and companies to support VIP

Become a sponsor

For organizational donors, VIP offers substantial benefits designed to complement the donor’s strategic marketing objectives and provide a strong return on investment. Please email us to discuss upcoming sponsorship opportunities that might be a good fit for your organization.

Donate your attorney, referral, or arbitration fees

Attorney fees: In November 2019, VIP Board Member Anthony Baratta made a pledge to donate to VIP 1% of every dollar he earns representing seriously injured clients. Inspired by Tony’s generosity, we encourage other trial lawyers to consider making a similar commitment. Your donation to VIP is tax-deductible, will be leveraged many times over due to our volunteer-driven service model, and, as Tony explains eloquently, helps “ensure that a competent lawyer will be there to fight for a [low-income] family at no cost.”

Referral fees: If you are a volunteer attorney with VIP and are entitled to a referral fee for a fee-generating/non-VIP matter, you may have the opportunity to double the impact of a donation to VIP. Please contact us for more information.

Arbitration fees: If you volunteer as an arbitrator in Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas, you have an opportunity to donate your honorarium to legal services organizations, including VIP. When you volunteer at the Arbitration Center, 1601 Market Street, Philadelphia, you’ll receive a letter introducing you to the program – which is administered by the Philadelphia Bar Foundation (the charitable arm of the Philadelphia Bar Association) and a form to fill out. To donate your fee to VIP, simply fill out this form at the beginning of your day of service.

Provide an in-kind service

A wide range of costs – e.g., court reporter services, real estate appraisal, and process service – arise in VIP’s pro bono cases, just as in fee-generating matters. While some volunteer attorneys have the capacity to cover these costs, not all do. Accordingly, we welcome in-kind donations from VIP’s community of supporters to enable volunteers to provide our low-income clients with the full sweep of services needed for a particular case.

Planned Giving

Through a planned gift to VIP, you will help expand access to justice over the long-term, and give a significant boost to our efforts seeking funds from other sources. The gift may be of any amount, and may be designated for whatever purpose (ongoing operating needs, generating investment income, for a particular program) you determine. To discuss additional options for planned giving, including naming rights and other visibility opportunities, please contact us.

As you consider planned giving options for supporting VIP, we encourage you to seek the advice of a financial advisor, estate planning attorney, and/or a certified public accountant, including to discuss the potential tax implications.

Provide for a gift in your Will

The most straight-forward way to make a planned gift to VIP is by making a bequest (i.e., a gift made after the donor’s estate is settled) in your Will. The bequest can be a specific amount of money, another asset, or a percentage share of the residuary estate (i.e., the amount remaining in the estate after specific allocations are made).

  • If you do not have an estate plan, now may be a good time to establish one.
  • If you already have a Will, you can include VIP by making a codicil (i.e., an addition or supplement) to your Will using language such as: “I give to Philadelphia VIP, Inc., a private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization now located at 1500 JFK Blvd, Suite 1850, Philadelphia, PA, the sum of $_____ (or __% of my residuary estate) for the unrestricted use and purposes of the organization.”

Designate as a life insurance beneficiary

Naming “Philadelphia VIP, Inc.” as a beneficiary on a new or an existing life insurance policy can be a cost-effective way to make a major git to VIP.

  • Transferring ownership of a paid-up, existing policy that you no longer need is a simple way to benefit VIP. Under certain circumstances, you may be entitled to an income tax deduction for such a gift.
  • Continuing to pay the premiums on a new or existing policy where ownership has been transferred to VIP may be an attractive strategy for young donors, as the premium cost is relatively low. Whether you make a single premium payment for the policy or pay premiums annually, each payment produces a charitable income tax deduction.

Donate a share of retirement plan assets

Retirement plans such as an IRA, 403(b), or 401(k) may also be a mechanism for making a planned gift to VIP. Please contact your plan administrator for additional information about how to designate VIP (“Philadelphia VIP, Inc.”) as a beneficiary for a portion of your retirement plan assets, according to the conditions you select.

  • To make a gift in the future, include VIP as a beneficiary of remainder assets in your account. You could designate a specific amount from your retirement plan to any number of heirs before the remaining funds benefit VIP. Or you could provide for a contingent, charitable gift to VIP in the event that your heirs do not survive you.
  • Funds remaining in your retirement accounts at death are considered part of your estate for federal tax purposes and could result in additional estate tax. Any retirement funds that remain after payment of estate taxes will also be subject to income taxes when received by your heirs. You could avoid this double taxation by funding a planned gift to VIP with excess retirement funds and leaving other, less-heavily-taxed assets to loved ones.