How to Help
Hello! Thanks for your interest in getting involved with our important mission.
There are 7 major ways to get involved.
- Donate Money
- Ship Stuff (old clothes, toys, vitamins, school supplies)
- Conduct a Drive with a group or community (clothes, money, vitamins, etc.)
- Introduce us to deployed soldiers or other likeminded non-profits
- Host or Sponsor a Fundraising Event
- Donate goods or services for our various silent auctions. The main one is each December.
- Get the word out. Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, sign up for our newsletter, and tell your friends about TDF
Here is a little more detail to help plants some seeds or generate some ideas:
Donate Money
The first one is pretty simple. You can donate today via the website or send a check to Tom Deierlein Foundation 19 Westbury Road, Garden City, NY 11530. All donations are fully tax deductible as allowed by law. The foundation registered with the IRS and is fully tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3). We were incorporated on July 30, 2007 and our Tax ID is #41-2255430.
Ship Stuff
This second one is fairly simple as well but involves a few more steps. Raid your closet, your basement and garage and drop the items in a box (no more than 70 lbs). Items we need are children’s clothes, shoes, blankets, and toys. Soccer balls and stuffed animals are always a hit! Unlike many charities that request “gentle used” we will take it all – the children these items are going to have nothing and many are in orphanages. Next step – reach out to us (tdfoundation@hotmail.com or 917-287-5961) and we will send you a current address of a solider, person, or non-profit partner on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ship to that address. Done. Don’t forget to take photos, send them in or post on our Facebook page. Save your receipts – especially the shipping can be expensive – we will fully reimburse all yours costs (boxes, tape, postage, etc).
Conduct a Drive
Involving others in our cause is great too. We have worked with elementary schools, high schools, churches, synagogues, two Eagle Scouts, a professor in Las Vegas, a little league team in Westbury NY, and even Soccer Moms in NJ. (Visit our Success Page-LINK). We will pay for all the expenses including marketing materials (flyers) , boxes, shipping etc. The key here is to decide what your goal is, announce the drive and run the event. One eight grader in northern Florida announced her drive at a school assembly and left boxes at the door entrance for two weeks. She got 19 boxes worth of clothes, toys, notebooks, pens, and vitamins in those two weeks. Another student for her civics class did a direct mail piece to friends and family, raised $1,500 and shipped $1,500 worth of children’s vitamins to Baghdad. The Eagles Scouts created 6 months projects where the final delivery was more than 500 backpacks filled with school supplies. Multiple people have run races and used TDF as their fundraising charity of choice. In April 2008, we partnered with Soccer Moms from Fair Haven, New Jersey to donate soccer uniforms, balls and equipment to children in Baghdad. Martin Dupalo a professor at UNLV reached out to TDF in early summer 2008. Turns out that Rite Aid was closing 20 stores in Vegas and Dupalo, a former military officer had a plan…scoop up the first aid and medical supplies at 90% off. Over the course of 3 days Martin ran from Rite Aid to Rite Aid buying up all the last inventory.
Tom has visited many schools, community, business, and church groups. He was the guest speaker at one of the Eagle Scout ceremonies. He is always willing to come visit and kick off the drive or simply talk to students about TD Foundation and the importance of helping others locally, nationally and globally. He has travelled to Massachusetts, Florida, and California to name just a few. He has yet to say no to any volunteers or speaking requests.
Introduce us to deployed soldiers or other likeminded non-profits
As a grassroots organization we are always looking for new partners. We just added the Afghan Orphan Project and School is Open in the last year. Visit our current Partners page.
Most of the supply distribution comes from shipping to APO addresses (Army Post Office) to those deployed overseas who have regular contact with the local population and the neediest families, children and orphans.
Know someone in the service – a sister, a cousin, a high school or college friend? Anyone that is heading overseas is a decent contact – let them know about us and see if they want to get a shipment to get to the local children in their area. With two clicks of a mouse we can have them $5,000 worth of school supplies or $1,000 worth of vitamins. Maybe we send them 12 boxes of old clothes and toys. With the drawdown in both Iraq and Afghanistan we are always looking for people “in the box” that want to play a role and make a difference during their tour.
Host or Sponsor a Fundraising Event
Here the ideas are limitless. Back in early 2008 a young man found us on myspace.com and convinced a bar and his friends who were in three different bands in Seattle to give the door entrance fees one Friday night. He promoted the event using digital as well as old fashioned posters around town. The Wall Street Journal and Brian Quinn used some of their barter credits with TPC to host an incredible golf tournament at TPC Jasna Polona in Princeton New Jersey. Alan Chapell and his band “Something Heavy” have done not one but two different concerts in NYC to benefit the TDFoundation. Chris Hogan offered his services and along with Nick Johnson and NBCU put together a golf outing in summer of 2011. Matt Wasserlauf another digital media veteran used the First Online Video Golf Outing (OVO) to raise more than $33,000 in one day. John Tonra, a West Point classmate ran the Maui marathon twice and raised thousands of dollars for the TDFoundation. This is a SMALL and grassroots organization – any amount of money is going to good use. Turns out the Seattle event raised less than $100 but built the brand and garnered some new TDF advocates.
Donate goods or services for silent auctions
Our main silent auction is each December at our Holiday Cocktail Fundraiser. Here is just a small sample of the items we have auctioned off: fine dining, travel packages, sports tickets, broadways shows, ballet, jewelry, La Prairie gift baskets, sports memorabilia, backstage passes to iCarly show, toys, collectible videos, autographed books, homemade crafts, 50 inch HDTV, golf outings, vacation homes for the weekend, etc. Mark Westlake and his band “The Modulators” played for free at the 2010 Holiday Fundraiser.
Get the word out
- Like our Facebook page
- Follow us on Twitter
- Sign up for our newsletter, and tell your friends about TDF
