GIFT AND ESTATE PLANNING
Your gift to the National Park Foundation is an investment in the evolving history and rich national heritage preserved in our national parks. By including the National Park Foundation in your estate plans, you will sustain this philanthropic legacy and create a lasting inheritance for generations to come.
Bequests
Bequests allow you to make a meaningful gift to the National Park Foundation without jeopardizing your family’s security. A bequest can be cash or specific property and can consist of a share of your estate or a specific dollar value. Your bequest can be designated for general purposes, the National Park Foundation endowment, or for a specific program area of the National Park Foundation. Please contact the National Park Foundation to ensure that your gift can be used as intended. Although you are not obligated to notify the National Park Foundation of your intended gift, doing so will allow NPF to appropriately thank you for your gift and keep you updated on the work of the Foundation.
The following is an example of basic bequest language that can be included in your will or trust:
- Example: I give DOLLAR AMOUNT or PERCENTAGE OF MY ESTATE to the National Park Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation organized and existing under the laws of the District of Columbia with the business address of 1201 Eye Street, NW, Suite 550B, Washington, DC 20005, for its charitable purposes.
Life-Payment Gifts
Life-payment plans allow you to make a contribution to the National Park Foundation while still providing for your personal financial needs. There are several types, all of which combine a stream of payments for life or a period of years, with an ultimate gift to the National Park Foundation. Life-payment plans offer substantial tax benefits and may increase cash flow to you and/or another beneficiary.
Gift Annuities
In exchange for a transfer of cash or marketable securities, the National Park Foundation contractually guarantees to pay a specified annuity to you and/or another beneficiary. You can also claim a current charitable deduction for the portion of the transfer that represents the charitable gift.
Charitable Remainder Trusts
Charitable remainder trusts are popular plans because of the flexibility they offer. They are similar to other types of trusts, except that the National Park Foundation receives the remainder interest. You entrust cash or securities and specify how trust income and the remainder interest will be distributed.
Charitable Lead Trust
Charitable lead trusts are the reverse of charitable remainder trusts in that payments from the trust are given to the National Park Foundation for a term of years. Upon your death or the end of the term, the net assets of the trust pass to your family or other designees.
Gifts of Life Insurance and Retirement Plans
You may be interested to learn about the tax advantage of designating the National Park Foundation the primary or a successor beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement plan. Please discuss your particular situation with your tax advisor.
Contact Information
For your reference, the NPF’s tax identification number is 52-1086761. For additional information about including the National Park Foundation in your estate plans please contact Lauren Harnishfeger at (202) 354-6472 or lharnishfeger@nationalparks.org.
