Massachusetts Veterans Inc. is a private not-for-profit organization which receives nearly 40% of it's total revenue from individual contributors like you. Every dollar you give helps Massachusetts Veterans Inc. bring a more comprehensive range of professional services to homeless veterans and veterans in need. There are several ways that you can make a difference and help the shelter provide optimum services to our residents.

• The MVI Wish List
• Contributions of Cash and Goods
• Quick and Easy Gifts
• Annual Gifts
• Planned Gifts
• Endowments
• "Giving Works" Program on eBay

(Underlined items are the most desirable)

1. Movie Tickets
2. Telephone calling cards
3. Bus passes
4. Tickets to recreational events
5. Gift certificates (grocery stores, doughnut shops, fast food restaurants, gas stations, department stores, etc.)
6. Shower shoes ("flip-flops")
7. Single-bed fitted sheets
8. Postage stamps
9. Toothbrushes
10. Toothpaste
11. Bar soap
12. Shampoo / Conditioner
13. Razors
14. Deodorant
15. Combs
16. Shaving cream
17. Bath towels
18. Hats, gloves, scarves (both mens and womens)
19. Mens new underwear and t-shirts (all sizes)
20. Womens clothing: sleepwear, socks, pants, new underwear (all sizes)
21. Non-perishable canned goods

PLEASE NOTE: Massachusetts Veterans Inc. operates a drug and alcohol-free environment. We cannot accept any items containing alcohol. Please verify that mouthwashes, aftershaves, etc. are alcohol-free before donating them. Thank you very much for your thoughtfulness.

• Cash contributions
• Men's and women's clothing
• Dry goods
• Canned goods
• Old laser and inkjet printer cartridges
• Old cellular phones

All contributions are tax-deductible. You may send a check or make a delivery to the shelter at the following address:

You may make a donation on the internet via PayPal:

You may call our toll-free number to make arrangements: (800) 482-2565

or send us email: Massachusetts Veterans Inc.

We sincerely appreciate any contributions that you are able to make.

The following guide is intended to help you plan a meaningful gift to Massachusetts Veterans Inc. All information provided is general in nature. For specific advice concerning your situation, please consult your attorney.

Gifts to Massachusetts Veterans Inc. (MVI) can take many forms. For your convenience, MVI accepts gifts of cash, checks, credit cards, in-kind gifts and more.

Your gift may be designated to a specific area memorial, operational, recreational, development. Unrestricted gifts will be used to meet the general ongoing needs of MVI.

We do not recommend sending cash through the mail. Please make checks payable to:

Gifts made to MVI with your debit, MasterCard or Visa puts your donation to work immediately.

The Massachusetts Veterans Inc. Annual Fund provides critical ongoing support of the programs and services with the greatest need. MVI solicits annual gifts from the local community and corporations.

Unrestricted gifts to the annual fund are an important source of steady income that enables the MVI to target support for activities and projects such as operation safe quarters, development of transitional and permanent supportive housing, expansion on the Massachusetts Veterans Inc. Computer Academy and additional educational programs.

We do not recommend sending cash through the mail. Please make checks payable to:

Gifts made to MVI with your debit, Mastercard or Visa puts your donation to work immediately.

What is Planned Giving?

A planned gift is a way to make a gift now that will provide immediate financial benefits to you and future benefits to Massachusetts Veterans Inc. By making a planned gift, you may enjoy tax savings, income for life (funded by assets such as appreciated securities). A variety of methods used to make these gifts range from simple bequests made in wills to setting up charitable trusts.

If you decide to leave assets from your estate to Massachusetts Veterans, Inc. by provision in your will, or a codicil to your will, this is a bequest. You can bequeath a specific amount of money, a percentage of your estate, or specific property. Your estate will receive a charitable estate tax deduction at your death, when the gift is actually made. A bequest enables you to make a significant gift to MVI while retaining full control of your assets throughout your life and can reduce your estate taxes.

This trust would make payments, either a fixed amount (annuity trust) or a percentage of trust principle (unitrust), to whomever you choose to receive the income. You may claim a charitable income tax deduction and may not have to pay any capital gains tax if the gift is of appreciated property. At the end of the trust term, the MVI would receive whatever amount is left in the trust.

Charitable reminder unitrust provides some flexibility in the distribution of income, and can be helpful in retirement.

The lead trust makes payments, either a fixed amount (annuity trust) or a percentage of trust principle (unitrust), to MVI for a set term of years to support any program you might designate. When the trust terminates, the asset is ultimately returned to you (a grantor lead trust) or to your heirs (a non-grantor lead trust). You may claim a charitable tax deduction for funding a non-grantor lead trust. The lead trust is one of the few ways to reduce transfer taxes that would otherwise be due on assets left to your heirs.

You may gift your personal residence to Massachusetts Veterans Inc. and retain the right to live there for the remainder of your life. You would receive an immediate tax deduction, but would continue to maintain the property and pay taxes and even receive any income it may generate. At your death MVI could use or sell the property.

A direct and simple way to make a planned gift would be to name Massachusetts Veterans Inc. as the beneficiary to receive all or a portion of the proceeds of a life insurance policy. This method may also offer tax advantages; these vary state from state.

If you have stocks which have greatly appreciated in value since their purchase you might want to consider them as a charitable gift to Massachusetts Veterans, Inc. You can deduct the fair market value of qualified non-cash property and pay no capital gains tax on gifts of long-term appreciated property (held for at least a year and a day). This can dramatically reduce the cost of making a charitable gift or increase the amount you can afford to give.

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An endowment, as with any good investment, increases in value over time. For the donor, an endowment means your fund will exist in perpetuity. Your fund will grow to keep pace with or exceed inflation should no further contributions be made. For Massachusetts Veterans Inc., an endowment preserves capital, provides long term growth, provides income for MVI, increases purchasing power, and the account keeps pace with or exceeds inflation.

As an example, consider a $100,000 unendowed gift to MVI for capital improvements. If $10,000 were allocated each year there would be zero dollars remaining in the fund after 10 years. However, if that $100,000 were used to establish an endowment, the money would be invested and each year, a portion of the fund's earnings would be allocated to capital improvements. A portion would be reinvested in the fund's principle, and a portion would be used to cover investment fees. After 10 years, even if no further contributions were made to the fund, the fund would still exist, continue to provide capital improvement support, and the amount of both the principle and the award would increase over time.