Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions | Financial / Donation Questions |
Here you will find the answers to the questions most frequently asked about our organization. Please call us or email us if you need more information.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Are you a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization?
Yes, we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and your contributions are tax-deductible.
Our Federal ID # is 54-2143612.
Do you build only brand new homes, or do you adapt existing homes?
Most of the projects we undertake are the building of new homes. In rare cases, especially in areas with very high land costs, it is more cost effective to buy an existing home and renovate it with all the special modifications needed as dictated by the particular disabilities and injuries of the veteran. In some cases, the Veteran already owns a home, so we renovate the home with all the necessary special adaptations.
Who do you provide assistance to?
We provide assistance to the most severely wounded service members who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Do you help severely wounded service members from all branches of the military?
Yes, we provide assistance to members of all branches of the military who qualify for our assistance.
Does Homes for Our Troops charge the Veteran for the home?
No. The Veteran does not pay anything toward the cost of the home, and there is no mortgage to be paid in the future.
Can I contact a veteran?
Due to privacy issues, we do not provide the contact information of the veterans we are working with.
How did HFOT get started?
John Gonsalves started the organization in 2004 after watching a news report of a severely injured Service Member who had returned from Iraq. He thought to himself "What now, what happens to this person now?".
He searched for an organization that he assumed was already in place where he could donate his building expertise for a few weeks. When he found out that none existed, he quit his contractor job and started Homes for Our Troops.
Do you share my personal information with any other organizations?
We do not share your personal information with any other organizations.
Will these homes still be needed when the war ends?
With more than 30,000 injured service members to date, we see the need for our services increasing rather than decreasing in the future.
I am from the media. How do I interview someone at HFOT?
Please call our office at 508-823-3300 to set up an appointment for an interview.
How do I contact you?
Email us at info@homesforourtroops.org, call us at 508-823-3300 or visit our office..
How do I start a fundraiser?
Please visit our "Get Involved" page for ideas, tips and tricks on how to organize a successful fundraiser.
Can I use your logo in advertising my fundraiser?
Please download our Event Planning Guide from the downloads page, fill it out and fax - mail - email it back to us so that we may review and approve the use of our logo in your promotion of your event.
What can kids do to help?
Visit our website for kids at http://www.kidsforourtroops.org/ to learn about the things other kids have done to raise awareness and funds for Homes for Our Troops.
FINANCIAL / DONATIONS
What percentage of my donation goes to overhead?
Since our founding in 2004, administration and fundraising costs have averaged only 8% of donations.
View our financial statements here.
How do I make a donation?
You may make a donation using your credit card online here , by calling our office from 9 am to 5pm EST at 866-7-TROOPS or print out the form and mail in a donation to our office at:
Homes for Our Troops
6 Main St.
Taunton, MA 02780
Where does your funding come from?
We receive donations from individual donors, corporations and foundations across the country.
I am in the home construction industry and want to donate my services and/or materials. How do I do that?
You can register on our web site through our online form, and if we take on a veteran’s project in your area we will contact you if we can use your services.
I am not a professional in the home construction industry, but I do have home construction skills and would like to volunteer my services. Can I do that?
If you have home construction abilities but you are not in the home building industry, please register as a contractor through our online form, and if we can use your talents we will contact you.
I really don't have any home building skills, but I would like to volunteer to support a project in some other way. How can I do that?
If you want to help a project, the best way to do that is to find a way to raise funds to help us pay for costs that we cannot get via donations for materials and labor. Click on this link to learn some of the many ways you can help us build these homes.
Do you have any Chapters across the country?
No. We have only our one office in Taunton, Massachusetts. We do, however, have many supporters who hold fundraisers in their state to benefit Homes for Our Troops. Click on this link to learn some of the many ways you can help.
Do you accept donations of land?
YES!! The cost to purchase land is the biggest cash outlay we have on many projects. If you have land you want to donate that is permitted as a buildable lot, or that could get permitted fairly easily, please call our office at 508-823-3300.
Can I donate stock to HFOT?
Yes. Click on this link to learn how easy it is to donate stock. There can also be tax advantages to donating stock, so please talk to your financial advisor to see if donating stock makes sense for you.
Can I name HFOT in my will?
Yes. You can include HFOT in your will. You can donate either a bequest (a donation we can use right for current projects) or you can donate an endowment (a donation where we use the only the earnings from the endowment). Please call Tom Benoit, our VP/CFO if you want to learn more about including HFOT in your will.
| 
