Building a Legacy
Your legacy can have a significant impact on conservation efforts and help promote a brighter future for gorillas and their habitats.
Consider joining the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Legacy Society by making a planned gift.
Planned giving offers a meaningful opportunity to make a lasting difference, without impacting your current finances. By including a donation to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in your will or estate plan, you join a group of individuals committed to helping safeguard gorillas and their forest habitats for generations to come.
These special contributions often entail no immediate cost, yet they guarantee the continuation of the vital work you support into the future. Whether through a bequest in your will, designating the Fossey Fund as the beneficiary of your retirement account, or naming it as your life insurance policy beneficiary, planned giving is a powerful way to create a legacy of conservation and compassion.
Let us know your intentions
See sample legal language to include the Fossey Fund in your will or estate plan HERE.
Tax ID: 52-1118866
Have a question? Our team is always happy to speak with you. Contact Ariel Joseph, Major Gifts Officer at ajoseph@gorillafund.org
There are many ways to make a planned gift
Please consult a professional advisor or attorney when considering these options. To learn more or to notify us of a planned gift, please contact Ariel Joseph at ajoseph@gorillafund.org
One of the easiest ways to make a lasting impact is by leaving a gift to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in your will. You can choose to leave a specific amount or a percentage of your estate, after taking care of your loved ones.
This kind of gift costs nothing now, but it creates a powerful legacy that reflects your values. It may also reduce taxes on your estate, helping you provide more for both your loved ones and the causes you care about most.
You can use a life insurance policy to make a meaningful gift to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. If you name us as the owner or beneficiary of the policy, it can provide important support for gorilla conservation in the future.
You may also receive tax benefits—both for the value of the policy when you give it and for any future premium payments you continue to make. Even a fully paid policy can be donated and may qualify for a charitable tax deduction.
If you’re 70½ or older, you can make a tax-free gift directly from your IRA to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund through a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD).
Your gift won’t count as income and can help lower your tax bill, while protecting gorillas and their habitat.
Regardless of age, you can name the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund as a beneficiary of all or a percentage of your IRA. After your lifetime, your gift will support our mission tax-free.
A donor-advised fund (DAF) is like a charitable savings account that gives you the flexibility to support the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and other causes you care about. You can recommend one-time or recurring grants from your fund to help protect gorillas and their forest home—now or in the future.
You can also create a lasting legacy by naming the Fossey Fund as a beneficiary of all or part of your DAF. Or, name a loved one to carry on your tradition of giving by continuing to recommend grants after your lifetime.
A charitable remainder trust (CRT) is a way to make a meaningful gift to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund while providing income for yourself or your loved ones.
You place assets—like cash, stock, or real estate—into the trust, and it pays you or your beneficiaries income for life or a set number of years. After that, the remaining funds go to the Fossey Fund to help protect gorillas and their rainforest habitat.
A CRT can offer key benefits:
- Lifetime or term income for you or someone you choose
- Potential savings on income, capital gains, and estate taxes
- A powerful legacy for wildlife conservation
There are many ways to make a planned gift.
Please consult a professional advisor or attorney when considering these options.
To learn more or to notify us of a planned gift, please contact Ariel Joseph at ajoseph@gorillafund.org
Bequests by Will
One of the easiest ways to make a lasting impact is by leaving a gift to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in your will. You can choose to leave a specific amount or a percentage of your estate, after taking care of your loved ones. This kind of gift costs nothing now, but it creates a powerful legacy that reflects your values. It may also reduce taxes on your estate, helping you provide more for both your loved ones and the causes you care about most.
Donor Advised Funds
A donor-advised fund (DAF) is like a charitable savings account that gives you the flexibility to support the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and other causes you care about. You can recommend one-time or recurring grants from your fund to help protect gorillas and their forest home—now or in the future. You can also create a lasting legacy by naming the Fossey Fund as a beneficiary of all or part of your DAF. Or, name a loved one to carry on your tradition of giving by continuing to recommend grants after your lifetime.
Make a Lasting Impact with your IRA
If you’re 70½ or older, you can make a tax-free gift directly from your IRA to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund through a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). Your gift won’t count as income and can help lower your tax bill, while protecting gorillas and their habitat. Regardless of age, you can name the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund as a beneficiary of all or a percentage of your IRA. After your lifetime, your gift will support our mission tax-free.
Life Insurance
You can use a life insurance policy to make a meaningful gift to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. If you name us as the owner or beneficiary of the policy, it can provide important support for gorilla conservation in the future. You may also receive tax benefits—both for the value of the policy when you give it and for any future premium payments you continue to make. Even a fully paid policy can be donated and may qualify for a charitable tax deduction.
Charitable Remainder Trust
A charitable remainder trust (CRT) is a way to make a meaningful gift to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund while providing income for yourself or your loved ones.
You place assets—like cash, stock, or real estate—into the trust, and it pays you or your beneficiaries income for life or a set number of years. After that, the remaining funds go to the Fossey Fund to help protect gorillas and their rainforest habitat.
A CRT can offer key benefits:
- Lifetime or term income for you or someone you choose
- Potential savings on income, capital gains and estate taxes
- A powerful legacy for wildlife conservation
