Sponsor a College Scholarship

Fewer college scholarships will be available in the 2009-2010 academic year because of the current economic climate so we're reaching out to you for help.

Every year more than 20,000 youth age out of foster care and are left with uncertain futures.

Many dream of a good education and a better future. With your help, we can turn dreams into reality.

Working together, we can change one life at a time. Will you help fund our scholarship program for a deserving foster youth? Please donate now.

Who Funds Our Scholarships

OFA's scholarship program receives no government money; funding comes from caring individuals, foundations, and corporations. Furthermore, 100%t of all donations designated for the Sponsored Scholarship Program goes directly to the students. Since 1991, OFA has awarded over $9 million to thousands of students in all 50 states. Every year, over 2,000 hopeful young people apply for aid.

Visit our Sponsored Scholarships page to learn about the program.
Conceive a scholarship to provide youth with educational opportunities in your field or industry.
Email us for more information on how your donation will change a life.
To make a stock donation to the program, click here.

Donate Your Time

Volunteer as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate)

Becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate is one of the best ways to ensure that foster children have a chance to stay in a safe, permanent home. In an overburdened social welfare system, abused and neglected children often slip through the cracks among hundreds of current cases. CASA volunteers change that. Appointed by judges, they typically handle just one case at a time—and commit to staying on that case until the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. While others may come and go, CASA volunteers provide that one constant that children need in order to thrive.

Visit the National CASA website to learn more about this special opportunity in child advocacy.

Donate Products: Care Package Program

The only mail many of our college students get are bills or letters addressed to recipient so you can only imagine how important our care packages are to them.

OFA is their surrogate family and we put love and thought into our care packages, ensuring our students that they're not all alone in this big world.

Bolster corporate citizenship by donating items to OFA's Care Package Program. Food, school supplies, toiletries, electronics, you name it, college students love it.

It's an opportunity to get rid of excess stock by putting it to good use. Your company's contributions

are tax deductible at full market value;
promote your brand and product identity to a subset of the public that is motivated to succeed

Three times a year we put together thousands of care package that we ship out nationwide. Remember how important it was for you to receive packages from home? These youth are tending to their educational needs, help OFA tend to their emotional needs as well.

Get involved: Plan a Care Package event with colleagues at your workplace, church, scouting group or community organization. Prepare and send at least 25 Care Packages to OFA college students. We've prepared some easy guidelines for you here.

Send in Gift Cards: OFA students love gift cards and we will include them in Care Package mailings. Card suggestions: Barnes and Noble, Border's Books, WalMart, Target, Starbucks, McDonalds or any national chain.

You Can Help

DONATE YOUR SKILLS TO OFA
What's your area of expertise? Your talents might be very useful to OFA. Here are just a few of the skills we can put to good use:

Fundraising and grant writing
Computers and I.T.
Marketing and public relations
Photography and graphic design
Organizing community events (e.g. care package days)

BECOME A VIRTUAL MENTOR

vMentoring encourages teens to stay in school and develop the skills and confidence necessary to lead productive lives. When young people connect with experienced adults who genuinely want them to succeed, they can translate practical advice and inspiration into constructive action.

OFA's vMentoring program is unique in that it enables busy professionals to volunteer on their own schedule. Through a secure internet portal, mentors communicate with their mentees at any time around the clock. The time requirement is typically an hour per week.

vMentors are professionals who come from all walks of life and are motivated to share their expertise and life experience. They must be 25 years old or older. Background check is required. Training is provided on foster-care issues through conference calls, and supported with online materials. A two-year commitment is requested.

OFFER INTERNSHIPS
Your business/workplace setting could provide an ideal environment for a young person to gain real world experience on the job. OFA students have interned at congressional offices on Capitol Hill, as well as at a variety of large corporations and agencies.

Contact Lynn Davis, OFA Manager of Partnership Development, to learn how your organization can provide young people with pivotal opportunities to get on the track to success.

Foster Care to Success

OFA is leading a national service movement that connects caring and committed volunteers with foster youth in their communities in order to provide young people with opportunities for personal, academic, and social enrichment.

Learn more...

Red Scarf Fund for Foster Youth

The Red Scarf Fund for Foster Youth covers a range of emergency needs of our students, including medical bills, housing, and transportation. When there is a need, we want to make sure our youth get the help they need. The fund alsosupports general OFA programs.

You can make a secure donation online now through Payal

Or donate through the Network for Good.

........................................................................................

OFA's Four Star rating from Charity Navigator reflects the very highest score possible for fundraising efficiency from one of the nation's leading charity evaluators.

Donations to OFA are tax deductible.
Over 91 cents of every dollar contributed go directly to support the youth we serve.

........................................................................................

Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)

If you are a federal government employee and your workplace takes part in the CFC, you can donate to OFA using number 11105.

........................................................................................

If you prefer to use "snail mail," checks made out to Orphan Foundation of America can be sent to

Orphan Foundation of America
21351 Gentry Drive, Suite 130
Sterling, VA 20166

ORGANIZE A FUNDRAISING EVENT
OFA volunteers have organized everything from bake sales to golf tournaments. Whether it's a silent auction, a benefit concert, or walkathon, you can help OFA by tapping creative connections in your own community to help make a difference in the lives of teens emerging from foster care.