Donors like you have given bequests and other planned gifts to the Sierra Club. Planned giving is the best way to ensure your love for people, wildlife and our Earth continues to make a difference well into the future.
What is a Charitable Bequest?
A charitable bequest is a gift you designate to a nonprofit charity in your will, trust, or estate plan. You can also designate the nonprofit as a beneficiary to your life insurance policies, bank and savings accounts, and retirement funds.
A bequest gift is a thoughtful and enduring way of showing others what you value most. When you make a bequest to the Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club, you are planting a seed that will stay right here in the region and bear fruit for many years:
- land and wildlife protection,
- clean air and water,
- climate change and renewable energy,
- and getting people outdoors to enjoy and benefit from the wonders of nature.
From desert trails to the halls of Congress, the Toiyabe Chapter works to ensure the beauty of our region and the health of our communities for generations to come.
We leverage the power of volunteers, which means your gift goes further and makes an impact on more people and more places.
You can make the Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter a beneficiary of:
- Your will or estate;
- Your retirement plans (including IRA, 401(k), 403(b), & others).
- Your life insurance policy or bank account.
One of the simplest and most “tax-wise” ways to make a gift to charity is through your IRA, 401(k), 403(b) or other retirement plan. Why? Considerable taxes may result when your retirement plan is distributed directly to an estate or to heirs.
When you designate Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter as a beneficiary to your retirement plan, you can avoid federal estate taxes on the value of the assets going to charity. As a result, your heirs will not be subject to federal, and possibly state, income taxes on retirement plan assets. A gift of some or all of these plan assets could be your lowest-cost method to support the Toiyabe Chapter’s work in your honor.
You can also name Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter as a beneficiary, or partial beneficiary, for any accounts that require a beneficiary form, such as life insurance policies, health savings plans, travel insurance, etc.
How to Name Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter as a Beneficiary
You must designate your charitable beneficiary, Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter, on the specific beneficiary form required by your policy or plan in order to get tax savings and leverage your gift.
Most retirement plan websites have a “beneficiary designation” form that you can download, fill out, and send, fax or scan back. If you cannot find the form, contact your plan administrator or agent for help.
By using the beneficiary designation form, the percentage you designate goes directly to charity. If your fund is made payable to your estate, unpaid income taxes will be due and must be paid before any other distribution.
Sample Language for Your Gift
Language for Sierra Club’s Toiyabe Chapter - Tax ID: 94-1153307
I give _____________(amount or percentage/description) to Sierra Club, a California nonprofit corporation, currently located at 2101 Webster Street, Suite 1300, Oakland, CA 94612, (Attention: Director of Gift Planning), to be used to support the activities of Sierra Club’s Toiyabe Chapter. In the event that the Toiyabe Chapter (or its successor) ceases to exist as a Sierra Club entity, then the Board of Directors of Sierra Club shall be authorized to administer the funds to support other Sierra Club conservation activities in Nevada and the Tahoe Basin and Range of Light territories of California.
The Toiyabe Chapter is a 501(c)(4) entity. Donations to the Toiyabe Chapter are not tax-deductible for estate tax purposes. But they are greatly appreciated, because they allow us to lobby elected leaders to create strong environmental policy.
If space is limited.
Sometimes beneficiary forms don’t have enough room to write the full legal description. If that is the case, you may simply write the following:
Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter, Tax ID: 94-1153307
Language for charitable projects of the Sierra Club's Toiyabe Chapter - Tax ID: 94-6069890
I give _____________(amount or percentage/description) to The Sierra Club Foundation, a California nonprofit corporation, currently located at 2101 Webster Street, Suite 1300, Oakland, CA 94612, (Attention: Director of Gift Planning), to be used to support the charitable activities of the Sierra Club's Toiyabe Chapter. In the event that the Toiyabe Chapter (or its successor) ceases to exist as a Sierra Club entity, then the Board of Trustees of The Sierra Club Foundation shall be authorized to administer the funds to support other charitable conservation activities in Nevada and the Tahoe Basin and Range of Light territories of California.
If you’re interested in speaking with us about your plans, please contact us at toiyabe.chapter@sierraclub.org. We would like to know how best to acknowledge your gift and make sure we direct the gift according to your wishes.
We also strongly recommend you consult with your tax advisor when making these plans.
Thank you for considering the Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter in your plans.