Participating

PARTICIPATING
Volunteer | Booster Club | Bingo

Become involved through participation. The countless hours of support given to the organization by parents, family, friends and the members themselves have allowed the Santa Clara Vanguard to provide an extraordinary experience to thousands of young men and women for 40 years.

Your participation will not only enable the Santa Clara Vanguard to continue enriching the lives of our members, but you will also get to know the members, and develop a personal connection to your experience—and theirs!

Volunteer

It goes without saying the having more hands available to help eases the burden and makes everyone’s job that much easier. There are many opportunities year-round for individuals, families, organizations and businesses to get involved.

The following are of some of the areas where we can use your help, and how you may fit in. Remember, this experience is for everyone (not just the members) and here is your chance to be a part of this very special family.

• Cooking
• Sewing & Uniforms
• Transportation - Bus, Truck & Light Vehicle Drivers
• Event Staff (Pacific Procession, California State Open)
• Merchandise Planning & Sales
• Facilities Maintenance
• Fleet Maintenance
• Bingo
• Communications (Journalism, Photography, Media)
• Health/Medical (Nurse, Physical Trainer)

If you are interested in helping out in any of the above areas, please contact the SCV Office at booster@scvanguard.org or 408-727-5532 x10.

Booster Club

The Booster Club is the heart of the Santa Clara Vanguard organization. It not only serves as the governing body, but it provides the majority of the operating funds and equipment for the programs. The booster club is made up of both current and past member's parents and family, fans, and alumni.

• Join to connect and meet people who share your passion.
• Help out to ensure that the current and future young men and women participating in our programs have an experience to remember.
• Learn about the organization, participate, and vote to make sure the organization continues for many years to come.

Being a member of the Booster Club also gives you special benefits. Not only do you receive a discount on merchandise purchased from our souvenir wagon, but if you join at one of our Star Club levels, you can first access to tickets for drum corps shows, merchandise, tax-deductions and more!

Join or Renew your membership today!

Bingo

Bingo is the flagship fundraiser of the Booster Club. Operating 4 days a week, bingo provides a significant portion of our operating revenues. The proceeds from the games are used to support the Vanguard, Vanguard Cadets, Winterguard and Community Dance programs.

In order for the games to run smoothly and be successful, we rely on the continuous support of parents, members and volunteers to run the program. Without their tireless effort selling pull-tabs, counting money, and running the games, we could not be as successful.

Sign up to help during an upcoming session

In addition to volunteering, you can also support our bingo program by coming down and playing the games. Sessions are about 4 hours long and are held on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evenings and on Sunday afternoons and evenings.

Donating

DONATING
Monetary | In-Kind | Matching Gifts | Stock

Donating to the Santa Clara Vanguard is a great way to help ensure that we can provide the best possible experience for the members participating in our programs. Below are some of the many ways in which you can donate.

Monetary

Money makes the world go round, and that is especially true for the Santa Clara Vanguard. While we operate a successful bingo operation to generate a majority of our revenue throughout the year, the costs to support the programs are continually increasing.

We have several easy programs setup where you can help support the Santa Clara Vanguard financially. Because we are non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, your donation can be tax-deductible. Be sure to check with your tax advisor for further details.

• 
  Use PayPal to make a one-time or recurring donation to the Santa Clara Vanguard using your credit card or directly from your bank account.
  
  Choose an option below, fill in the amount or terms of your donation and press the "Donate Today" button to the right. You will be automatically redirected to the PayPal website to complete your donation. Paying with PayPal is fast, free and secure.
  
  

  Make a One-Time Donation Yes! I would like to make a one-time donation to the Santa Clara Vanguard.
  Amount: $
  - OR -
  Set-up a Recurring Donation* Yes! I would like to set-up a recurring donation to the Santa Clara Vanguard.
  Monthly Amount: $10.00 $20.00 $30.00 $40.00 $50.00 $75.00 $100.00 $125.00 $150.00 $175.00 $200.00 $225.00 $250.00 $500.00 $750.00 $1,000.00 Duration: 6 months 12 months 18 months 24 months 30 months 36 months 42 months 48 months
  * You donation will be automatically processed at the amount you choose above once a month for the duration you select, unless you cancel prior to the end of the duration.

• 
  Give to the Santa Clara Vanguard by donating with your American Express Card. Donations through the GivingExpress program can be made in dollars or Membership Rewards® points. And, your dollar donation is tax deductible. You can set up either a one-time or recurring donation to the Santa Clara Vanguard. Plus, you can earn one Membership Rewards point for virtually every dollar you donate on an eligible, enrolled Card*. Visit www.americanexpress.com/give for more information.
  
  

  Yes! I would like to donate to the Santa Clara Vanguard using the GivingExpress program and my American Express Card! Donate Now!

  * Terms and Conditions for the Membership Rewards program apply. Visit membershiprewards.com/terms for more information. Participating partners and available rewards are subject to change without notice. Bonus Points: To be eligible to earn bonus points, you must be enrolled in the Membership Rewards program at the time of purchase and you must charge your purchase on an eligible, enrolled American Express Card. Bonus points will be credited to your Membership Rewards account 6-8 weeks after your first purchase appears on your monthly billing statement. 50,000 maximum bonus points per account. Bonus ID 0549
  
  Please note: American Express will deduct a transaction fee of 2.25% from your donation to cover processing costs. The charities will receive your donation amount, minus the 2.25% American Express processing fee, from our partner JustGive. This transaction fee is similar to or less than the processing fee the charity would pay if you were to charge your donation with your American Express Card through any other means (i.e., over the phone to the charity, through the charity's website, etc.). You will not be charged any additional fees for using the American Express Donation Site and your dollar donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

In-Kind

While monetary donations are very important to keep the Santa Clara Vanguard running and supporting its programs, in-kind donations are also very much appreciated and let the donor know exactly how they are helping.

There are many items that we are constantly purchasing throughout the year that can be subsidized through in-kind donations. Examples of such are:

• Food for Weekend Camps & Tour
• Paper Products (Paper towels, napkins, plates, cups)
• Ice, Water, Gatorade during rehearsals & tour
• Medical Supplies (Band-aids, ace-bandages, antiseptic, etc)
• Office Supplies, Copy Paper
• Gift Certificates/Gift Cards (Walmart, Costco, Staples, Home Depot, etc)
• Rehearsal Facilities
• Professional Services

If you are interested in learning more about what types of "in-kind" donations we can use, or to find out when we might need some of the items listed above please contact the SCV Office at booster@scvanguard.org or 408-727-5532 x10.

Matching Gifts

Your employer may be able to help you give even more to the Santa Clara Vanguard. Many companies have a Matching Gift program where they will match your donation. Just check with your Human Resources office and send us the paperwork. We will take care of the processing and you can be proud of doing even more for the young people performing for the Santa Clara Vanguard.

Stock

Throughout the year, many of you will be reviewing your tax liability situation with your CPA or other advisors. Now is the time to plan a gift to help reduce the taxes you may need to pay.

A gift to the Santa Clara Vanguard of appreciated securities or mutual fund shares offers dual benefits: you will be helping our non-profit organization and you will get a tax deduction.

With any stock sale, you owe taxes on the capital gain, but when you donate publicly traded stocks held long-term (owned for more than one year) to a qualified charitable organization, such as ours, you avoid all capital gains taxes. Plus, you may take the full fair market value of the stock gift as a charitable deduction on your income taxes. The maximum deduction you may take within a given tax year is 30% of your adjusted gross income. If you are unable to take the entire deduction in one year, you may carry the excess deduction forward for five additional years.

Shopping

SHOPPING
SCV Marketplace | DCI Fan Network | Equipment for Sale | GoodSearch | Quality of Life | iGive

From the comfort of your living room or by just going about your daily activities, there are still many ways you can support the Santa Clara Vanguard. Purchase merchandise from our online store, shop online at iGive.com, register with eScrip or Quality of Life to earn money for SCV when you buy groceries, etc.

SCV Marketplace

Visit the Santa Clara Vanguard Marketplace where you can purchase many of the souvenirs that we sell on the road each year. We have a large selection of t-shirts, apparel, DVD's, CD's, and specialty merchandise available. The online store is a great way for you to buy items to show your support for SCV even it we don't happen to travel to a show near you during the summer.

• New Merchandise Available Online
  Black Distressed "Vanguard" Zip Sweatshirt $45.00 Get It Today!	Large Feather Pin $5.00 Get It Today!	2008 Tour Shirt $20.00 Get It Today!

DCI Fan Network

DCI Fan Network is your one-stop shop to download all of your favorite drum corps shows. 100% of the download revenue goes directly back to the corps.

Equipment for Sale

We are very fortunate to be able to provide top quality equipment for our members to use throughout the season. To continue this effort, we periodically sell our used equipment when we receive the las test models--sometimes after only a year or two.

This is a great opportunity to purchase high quality brass, percussion and colorguard equipment at great discounts. Many local high school bands have already benefited from this program. If you are interested in taking advantage of this opportunity, please contact Kathy Serksnis at kserksnis@scvanguard.org or (408) 727-5532 x10.

GoodSearch

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause.

Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure "Santa Clara Vanguard" is selected as the charity you want to support. And, be sure to spread the word!

Quality of Life

Quality of Life is a paperless scrip program for those who shop at Raley's, Bel Air, or Nob Hill Foods. Similar in nature to eScrip, a percentage of your purchases are donated to the organization of your choice.

• Obtain a card from the Santa Clara Vanguard.
• Register your card online and select which organization you wish to support.
• Present your card to your cashier each time you shop. The Quality of Life program will donate a percentage of your purchases to the youth organizations you have selected.
• Check online periodically to see how much money you've raised.

Click here for more details about the Quality of Life program and to sign up!

iGive

The Santa Clara Vanguard has registered with iGive.com and qualifies to receive the benefit of your on-line shopping. Up to 25 percent of your online shopping can go back to the Santa Clara Vanguard! Get dressed, fill your fridge, feed your pet, restock your lawn and garden shed, order flowers and gifts, and buy that new computer, all online! At iGive.com, membership is free! Imagine how much money could go to the Santa Clara Vanguard if our supporters did all of their shopping online at www.iGive.com/santaclaravanguard, where up to 25 percent of every purchase is donated to the organization!

So hurry up and visit the Mall at iGive.com, where you can shop at the almost 500 merchants, including favorites like iTunes, JCrew, Amazon.com, PETsMART.com, Spiegel.com and BarnesandNoble.com for all your everyday needs. Tell your friends because iGive.com will give $1 to Your Cause for every shopper you refer - out to six degrees of referrals!

When you sign up, you'll need to indicate that the Santa Clara Vanguard is to receive the donations. iGive.com sends regular reports and payments of donations directly to the Santa Clara Vanguard. You will also receive verification of your donation.

Go to iGive.com today and designate the Santa Clara Vanguard as the non-profit organization that you support.

Sharing

SHARING

Tell your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors and more about the Santa Clara Vanguard and the activities we participate in. The more people that we can get exposed to drum corps, winterguard, and youth dance programs, the larger they can grow.