Effectiveness of Donations
Every dollar donated to St. Joseph’s Mission Fund is used to support the neediest people in the world. There are no salaries paid or expenditures for overhead expenses associated with the Fund (view the latest IRS form 990). Volunteers handle all administrative functions, and administrative expenses are borne by several generous individuals. Local administrators in India and Africa determine the specific needs to be supported thus ensuring the funds are put to best use. Due to pressing needs, donations are utilized immediately to support daily needs or to fund vital permanent improvements. The recipients are grateful for any assistance provided. The monthly financial support provided by St. Joseph’s Mission Fund is essential to meeting the needs of the orphans and the aged.
Donate by mail
Although contributions could be mailed directly to the Administrator of the orphanage in Vellamadam, mail is often lost and never arrives there. The unreliable mail system was one of the reasons several donors banded together to form SJMF in order to ensure that donations were received reliably.
Unrestricted donations give us the best latitude to respond to the most pressing and immediate needs. If you would prefer to specify how your donation is to be used, you need only enclose a short note, or even annotate your check appropriately.
Directed gifts will be used as specified by the donor.
- Mail donations to:
- St. Joseph’s Mission Fund
- 8705 Falkstone Lane
- Alexandria, VA 22309-4004
- *You will receive a written receipt for each donation by letter, usually within a month.
Donate Online
Making a cash donation to St. Joseph's Mission Fund online through the PayPal secure service is easy and safe. [Note that PayPal deducts a small charge for their service from your donation (usually 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction).]
To assure your privacy, PayPal does not forward either credit card or address information to us. Please include your address in the "donor notes" section of the PayPal form. If your gift is in honor of or in memory of a loved one, please also use the "donor notes" section to let us know where to send an acknowledgement card.
Donations as Gifts or Memorials
Unsure what to give the person who has everything?
Make a Christmas, birthday or other special occasion donation in honor of that family member or friend. Donations can, if desired, be for a specific purpose such as orphan support, livestock program, or housing. SJMF can provide you with gift cards and envelopes that you can then send to your recipient. Contact us and we will be glad to help you.
Memorial gifts are particularly appropriate and welcome. SJMF is pleased to accept and acknowledge donations in memory of a friend or loved one.
Shop On-line and Help the Orphans!
Have a portion of your on-line purchases and travel arrangements go directly to St. Joseph’s Mission Fund by registering at www.iGive.com/SJMF. Fully secure. No hassle. No “spam.” No additional cost to you. Just more funds for St. Joseph’s Mission Fund to use to help the needy.
Over 600 merchants are now participating with iGive.com, including Land’s End, Barnes & Noble, J. C. Penney, Lane Bryant, Coldwater Creek, Expedia (including airline tickets, rental cars, et al.), United Airlines, Hilton Hotels, Ross-Simons, Sharper Image, 1-800-Flowers, Eddie Bauer and many other names that you will recognize. Over one million dollars has been raised for charities by iGive.com. St. Joseph’s Mission Fund has received over $500 so far from purchases by less than a dozen people.
If you already shop or make travel arrangements on-line, please seriously consider using this service. Many of your fellow supporters already do, and the orphans have already benefited significantly from the funds we have received. A wonderful way to help with ease and at no cost to you.
Sign up when you are ready to make a purchase so that we can get the $5 bonus for a new subscriber who makes a purchase.
Volunteers and Sponsors
Fundraising
Volunteers are needed throughout the world to help us give other people the opportunity to help the neediest. We need your help in identifying church, social and business organizations where our story might bear fruit. Your level of involvement is up to you:
- Give us names, addresses, email addresses or telephone numbers of potentially interested people, and we will contact them
- You can distribute pamphlets for us to individuals or groups
- We can provide you with a presentation on a CD
Management
Volunteers in the Alexandria, VA, area are needed to assist with month-to-month SJMF operations, including:
- Processing donations
- Preparing personalized receipt letters
- Preparing mailings
- Conducting handicraft sales at local church bazaars
Volunteers interested in more substantial involvement are invited to consider becoming a member of the Board of Directors.
Businesses are invited to consider becoming a sponsor of SJMF. Contact us to discuss how to establish mutually beneficial arrangements.
Purchase items made by the women and older orphans
A limited selection of fancy embroidery work and hand-made crafts are available for sale. These items are usually sold at church bazaars in the Alexandria, VA, area. If you are interested in such items, contact us by email or mail.
You may also order items directly from the Help the Needy Society website at www.helptheneedysociety.org.
