Easy Gifts to Make

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Bequests

Amending Your Will

If your entire will does not need updating, a codicil is a simple amendment to a will, which avoids the cost, and complication of re-writing an entire will. The codicil must be signed and witnessed or notarized as is the original will.

Bequests are one of the easiest and most popular ways to leave a lasting legacy. Here is language you can take to your advisor for including The Wildlife Society in your will.

To Give Where the Need is Greatest

"I give, devise and bequeath _____percent of my adjusted gross estate to The Wildlife Society, Bethesda, MD, Tax ID 52-0788976, for its unrestricted use and purpose.”

"I give, devise and bequeath $_____ to The Wildlife Society, Bethesda, MD, Tax ID 52-0788976, for its unrestricted use and purpose.”

To Give to a Specific Program

...such as our Policy or Professional Development Endowment, or Long-range Plan Implementation Fund.

"I give, devise and bequeath _____percent of my estate to The Wildlife Society, Bethesda, MD, Tax ID 52-0788976, to be used for [state purpose].”

"I give, devise and bequeath $_____ to The Wildlife Society, Bethesda, MD, Tax ID 52-0788976, to be used for [state purpose].”

One of the reasons bequests are so popular is that you can change your beneficiaries at any time should your circumstances change. No matter which type of bequest you choose, your generosity will have left a lasting legacy. Even a small dollar amount or a percentage as small as 1% can make a significant difference in our ability to be here for the long-term, while preserving most of your assets for loved ones.

Gifts of Retirement Savings

Keep in Mind

Don’t forget that these days much of our assets pass outside our will through the beneficiary designation forms associated with our retirement plans, life insurance policies and Bank CDs. As you craft your will, make sure you coordinate the distribution of all of your assets.

Since you first started working, you’ve been regularly reminded of the importance of saving for retirement. Now you may find that your retirement savings are more than adequate. In addition, retirement assets are one of the most heavily taxed assets we own.

Donating all or part of a retirement plan to The Wildlife Society may be an attractive option that can help reduce estate taxes and result in a larger overall inheritance for your loved ones. Since we are a non-profit charitable institution, we are exempt from paying the taxes that might otherwise be owed by your heirs. This tax-wise move then makes other, less heavily taxed assets you own, available for loved ones. And making us the beneficiary of a retirement plan is so easy to do.

Simply request a Change of Beneficiary form from your advisor or the custodian of your account. Your plan administrator can send you a beneficiary designation form and forms are often available online. Check your statement for the phone number and website of your plan administrator. Don’t forget that you can name us as a partial beneficiary. And since your beneficiary designations can be changed at any time, you retain the flexibility to do so should your circumstances change.

Gifts of Life Insurance

Many of us have life insurance policies that have long since served their purpose. Perhaps you purchased a policy to make sure your children’s tuition needs were accounted for. But now the kids are on their own and doing well. Or perhaps you have a policy your parents purchased for you years ago. These are just a few examples of how insurance policies that have outlasted their original purpose can make a wonderful gift to support the wildlife profession. Here are two ways you can make a gift of a life insurance policy:

Request a change of beneficiary form from your life insurance company and make The Wildlife Society a full, partial or contingent beneficiary. A gift of life insurance in this way allows you the flexibility to change your mind at any time should circumstances — whatever they may be — dictate such a change.
Sign over a fully paid policy. You will be allowed a tax deduction for such generosity.

A gift of life insurance to The Wildlife Society will not only help us provide for the next generation of wildlife professionals but it will help in our efforts to conserve wildlife and their habitats for future generations.

Gifts of Bank CDs and Other Bank Accounts

One of the simplest ways you can provide for the future of our profession is by making The Wildlife Society the “payable on death” beneficiary of a certificate of deposit or any bank account.

Such a designation gives you the flexibility you might need should your financial situation change in the years to come, while also providing you an opportunity to make a terrific gift if your situation does not change.

Your financial institution can assist you with this easy process.