Annville, PA – Pennsylvanians looking for a patriotic way to donate during the holiday season are reminded that they can give to programs that support the commonwealth’s nearly 700,000 veterans, service members and their families. The tax-deductible programs are managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA).
“We extend our utmost gratitude to Pennsylvanians choosing to donate to our nine programs that support veterans, service members and their families,” said Maj. Gen. John R. Pippy, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the DMVA. “Your contributions play a vital role in improving the quality of life for those who have sacrificed so much preserving the liberties we enjoy each and every day.”
The tax-deductible programs administered by the DMVA are:
Veterans’ Trust Fund (VTF): The VTF issues grants to statewide charitable organizations that assist veterans, veterans service organizations and county directors of veterans affairs to help veterans in need of shelter and necessities of living. The VTF also issues temporary assistance grants to individual veterans who have qualifying financial needs. The grants are funded by generous Pennsylvanians who voluntarily donate when applying for or renewing their driver’s license or photo identification card and renewing a motor vehicle registration, from proceeds generated by the sale of the Honoring Our Veterans and Honoring Our Women Veterans license plates, and by those who donate online or by mail.
Military Family Relief Assistance (MFRA) Fund: The MFRA Fund provides financial assistance, in the form of grants, to eligible Pennsylvania service members and their eligible family members who have an immediate financial need based on circumstances beyond their control. This program is made possible by generous donations from taxpayers who designate all or part of their Pennsylvania Personal Income Tax refund to support Pennsylvania military personnel and their families, and by those who donate online or by mail.
Six Resident Welfare Funds: Resident Welfare Funds at each of the DMVA’s six veterans homes help to keep the residents active and healthy by providing activities and entertainment. Donations are made online or through private donations by mail. The six Pennsylvania veterans homes and their locations are: Delaware Valley Veterans’ Home (Philadelphia); Gino J. Merli Veterans’ Center (Scranton); Hollidaysburg Veterans’ Home (Hollidaysburg); Pennsylvania Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home (Erie); Southeastern Veterans’ Center (Spring City); and Southwestern Veterans’ Center (Pittsburgh).
Pennsylvania Veterans’ Memorial Trust Fund: Located at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Lebanon County, and maintained by the DMVA, the refurbished Pennsylvania Veterans' Memorial is the first in the commonwealth to honor veterans of all eras from the Revolutionary War forward and it is the largest veterans memorial located in any of the national cemeteries. Donations are accepted online or by mail to help fund the maintenance and repair of the memorial.
When an online donation is made, donors may choose to enter honoree information and a plaque in their honor will be displayed on the Virtual Donor Wall. Online plaques will show that donations have been made: ‘in honor of,’ ‘in memory of,’ or ‘on behalf of’ someone.
Monetary donations to these tax-deductible programs can be made by individuals, corporations and companies.
To make a donation online or by mail for any of these tax-deductible programs, or to learn more about each one, go to www.donate.dmva.pa.gov.
The Shapiro Administration continues to deliver for veterans across the Commonwealth — from making improvements to veterans’ homes to investing in county mental health services and workforce training programs for veterans and military families. Additionally, Governor Shapiro and Maj. Gen. Pippy opened the new Lickdale Veterans Outreach Center this summer — a one-stop hub providing in-person support for veterans and their families, with accredited benefits officers, behavioral health services and PA CareerLink assistance. DMVA staff has responded to more than 1,100 requests for assistance over the past year in support of veterans and their family members. Over the last year, accredited veteran service officers throughout the Commonwealth, supported by DMVA, distributed compensation and pension benefits to an average of 192,000 veterans each month, totaling nearly $1.4 billion.
Learn more about the DMVA by following us at www.facebook.com/padmva, https://www.instagram.com/pa.dmva, https://www.linkedin.com/company/padmva/ or https://x.com/padmva.