Protect Tomorrow's Wildlife and Wild Places Today: Join the Owls Club
Owls — ancient symbols of wisdom, helpfulness and protection for many — have long been among the vast suite of species we are fighting to save. Joining the Owls Club and making a planned gift to the Center, such as a bequest, a charitable trust, a gift of insurance or a pension, helps ensure the future of one of the most widely recognized and effective species and habitat protection organizations in the world.
By naming the Center in your will, or making the Center a beneficiary to your retirement plan or other estate plan, you can help us continue our superb work fighting for the iconic wildlife, trees and landscapes we love — not just for our lifetimes, but for generations to come. These gifts are designed to help you and your family as well as the Center. Please call to get more information.
Ask your attorney or trusted financial adviser to help you find the best type of planned gift for your situation, which may include naming the Center in your will through a bequest or as a beneficiary in a retirement plan or charitable trust. The Center cannot and will not provide legal advice.
Making a Bequest
Retirement-plan Legacy Gifts
Information on Estate Tax Law
Important Information
MAKING A BEQUEST
By including the Center for Biological Diversity as a beneficiary in your will or living trust, you can leave a lasting legacy of conservation for generations to come (and possibly receive tax benefits now). This is the most common way of leaving a legacy to the Center. We'd be happy to talk with you about the different options: email owlsclub@biologicaldiversity.org or call us at (646) 770-7206.
Your donation will entitle you to membership in the Owls Club, a group of special supporters who offer their vision and commitment to the future of our planet and of the Center. Whether you wish to leave us your real property or name us in your life-insurance policy, your bequest gift will help ensure the continued strength of our programs and will make your voice for wildlife heard well into the next century. There are many types of bequests. Please click here to learn more about which one might be right for you and get sample language to include in your bequest.
Once you have chosen the most appropriate type of bequest for your legacy gift, please supply your attorney or other advisor with the following information:
Center for Biological Diversity, Inc.
PO Box 710, Tucson, AZ 85702
501(c)3 Tax ID: 27-3943866
Although a bequest is a very personal affair, we would like the opportunity to thank you personally and acknowledge you as a member of our Owls Club. Please let us know of your intention to include the Center for Biological Diversity in your will or trust, or you may ask your attorney to inform us.
RETIREMENT-PLAN LEGACY GIFTS
If you want to make a simple, tax-wise gift, you can name the Center as a beneficiary for part or all of what remains in your retirement account when you no longer need it. This includes your individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Keogh plans, 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans and other qualified pension plans. The proceeds of these plans will be distributed outside probate and are entirely free from federal estate tax.
Under the Chartable Rollover law, if you are 70 1/2 or older, you can transfer up to $100,000 per spouse to the Center from your respective IRAs and not have that counted towards your taxable income. If you itemize your deductions, this could reduce your taxes by reducing your adjusted gross income. If you take the standard deduction instead of itemizing your deductions, you receive the equivalent of a tax deduction, since you avoid paying income tax on the gift to the Center.
Remember: Everyone's tax situation is different, so the tax law's effects on your bequest will be unique to you. To request free financial planned-giving resources to discuss with your financial advisor, please contact us.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
If you make the choice to leave a legacy to the Center, thank you. Here is important information to help you in finalizing your legacy gift.
Legal description of the Center for Biological Diversity:
The Center for Biological Diversity, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Federal tax ID number: 27-3943866
Address: P.O. Box 710, Tucson, AZ, 85702-0710
For more details on joining the Center's Owls Club, please contact:
Paula Simmonds, Chief Development Officer
owlsclub@biologicaldiversity.org
(646) 770-7206
Center for Biological Diversity
Attn: Owls Club
P.O. Box 710
Tucson, AZ 85702
The information provided on this page is general in nature. Please contact your professional tax advisor and/or attorney to learn how these options may relate to your individual circumstances. The Center for Biological Diversity is a nonprofit organization with a solid record of fiscal responsibility and conservation achievement for more than three decades. The Center cannot and will not provide legal advice. All gifts may have tax-deductible benefits and will help promote conservation of wild places and endangered plants and animals.
