Leaving a gift in your will (sometimes called a bequest, legacy or planned gift) is another wonderful way to make a donation that will have an impact beyond your lifetime. For many people this is the most powerful and meaningful philanthropic contribution they will ever make.
Once you have provided for those closest to you, please consider nominating Save the Elephants in your estate planning. Funds received from bequests will shape the organisation we become tomorrow.
Why you need a will
A will gives you the opportunity to direct how your estate is to be distributed to those people and organisations that are most important to you. In the absence of a will, the state decides who will receive your assets. A current and legal will minimises delays and expense at a challenging time. Creating a will ensures your plans are fulfilled.
“I have already written my will.”
People change their wills for many reasons, particularly when their personal circumstances change. A minor change can be made by adding a codicil, or a new will may be written to ensure clarity of intention.
“But I have nothing to give.”
Often people feel that they do not have the means during their lifetime to help others as much as they would like to. Leaving a gift in your estate will provide vital support to Save the Elephants without affecting your independence and self-sufficiency today.
Information to complete your planned gift
Firstly, we would encourage you to discuss any plans that you might have with family and friends, and to seek your own legal advice. It is important to have these conversations with those closest to you right from the outset.
There are 3 main types of gift you can make:
- Residuary – a percentage, or all of, what’s left of the value of your estate after family and friends have been taken care of
- Pecuniary – a specific sum of money
- Specific – other items such as stocks or shares which will generate funds for the beneficiary
The advantage of leaving a percentage (also known as a residuary gift) is that it holds its value, and you don’t need to worry about nominating an amount now for your gift. You won’t need to change your will to keep up with inflation. Whatever is left over after your needs are met in your lifetime can be distributed as per your wishes.
If you are in the United Kingdom
Suggested wording for UK tax payers:
“I give and bequeath to Save The Elephants, c/o Gerald Edelman, 73 Cornhill, London EC3V 3QQ (Registered Charity Number 1118804):
- All of my residuary estate or
- …………% of my residuary estate
- Or the sum of £……
to be used for its general charitable purposes at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer and its Board of Trustees.”
If you are based in the United States of America
Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) is Save the Elephants’ 501(c)3 charitable partner in the US and 100% of your gift will be transferred to Save the Elephants, as long as they know of your intention. Please contact WCN’s Gift and Legacy Manager Pauline Russell at planned_giving@wildnet.org or on +1 (415) 202 6384 if you have any questions or would like to advise them you wish to select Save the Elephants as the beneficiary of your planned gift.
Suggested wording for US tax payers:
“I ___(name)___ give ___(amount/percentage of assets)___to Wildlife Conservation Network, a California nonprofit corporation, with principal business address of 209 Mississippi Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 (Tax ID #30-0108469), for the benefit of Save the Elephants.”
Other ways to leave a planned gift to Save the Elephants via Wildlife Conservation Network:
- Life insurance – Whole life, universal, and other forms of permanent life insurance policies
- Charitable gift annuities – WCN pays ACGA-recommended rates and annuities can be established with a minimum gift of $10,000 and a minimum age of 60.
- Retirement plans – Through a beneficiary designation in your IRA, 401(k), 403(b), or other retirement plan
We would always recommend that you contact a legal professional in your country of tax residence for legal advice relevant to your own circumstances.
If you have already included Save the Elephants in your will, please let us know so we can thank you!
You may choose to formally notify us of your bequest by:
- Providing a copy of the clause in your will that mentions the gift to Save the Elephants, or
- Having your legal representative notify us in writing that you have left a bequest to Save the Elephants
Please be assured that any information you provide to Save the Elephants will be treated in the strictest confidence. If you would like to have a confidential discussion about leaving a legacy gift to Save the Elephants, please contact our Director, Major Gifts Pooja Dutt at pooja@savetheelephants.org