Legacy Giving
Did you know people are already including Pacific Environment in their wills and estate plans? You can leave a legacy for the environment and communities around the Pacific Rim.
Bequest by Will, Living Trust or Retirement Plan
The simplest and most common way to leave a legacy is a bequest. As part of a will, a charitable bequest specifies that a sum of money or percentage of the estate, or a particular asset, such as a stock, personal property, or real estate, be given to a named charitable organization upon the donor's death. Gifts can be made outright at the time of your death or after you make provisions for your spouse or other loved ones.
Bequests made through your will may take various forms:
Specific Bequest: Directs a specific dollar gift or property to pass to Pacific Environment
Percentage Bequest: Designates a percentage of the total value of the estate as a gift to Pacific Environment
Residual Bequest: Directs that Pacific Environment receives the remainder of the estate, or a portion of the remainder, after all expenses and other bequests have been made.
A bequest to Pacific Environment is not subject to Federal or estate taxes, and there's no limit on the amount of the deduction. Most importantly, your bequest to Pacific Environment will help ensure the protection of the environment in the Pacific Rim in future years.
Living Trust Note: A revocable living trust provides you with the flexibility and privacy to manage your estate. It creates a means to manage your financial affairs in the event of future incapacity. You can name your heirs and charitable organization(s), such as Pacific Environment, as beneficiaries of your remaining assets in your living trust after your death.
IRAs and Other Qualified Retirement Plans
If you are accumulating significant amounts in your IRAs, defined contribution pension plans, or profit sharing plans, considerable amounts may remain in these plans at the time of your death. Retirement plans are often considered the smartest assets to leave to charitable organizations. These assets are unusual in that they are subject not only to estate tax but also to income tax when received by heirs. Heirs often receive only a fraction of the original value. Both taxes are avoided when a qualified charitable organization such as Pacific Environment is named the beneficiary.
Information You Will Need: Legal Designation
If you wish to name Pacific Environment in your will or estate plan, we should be named as:
Pacific Environment and Resource Center, a nonprofit corporation, organized and existing under the laws of the state of California, with principal business address of 251 Kearny Street, Second Floor, San Francisco, California, 94108.
Tax ID: Our tax identification number is: 94-2628924.
Pacific Environment is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is a 50%-type organization under section 170(b)(1)(A).
At Pacific Environment, all unrestricted charitable gifts are used strategically to support top conservation priorities. If you have a more specific purpose in mind, please contact us at (415) 399-8850 to ensure that we can meet your wishes. Whether you choose to restrict a gift or not, your support will help preserve our wildlife and wild places for future generations to enjoy.
