Leave a Legacy

Thank you for turning your compassion into action by remembering the Friends of Ironwood Forest in your will, trust or other planned gift. Your gift will have a lasting impact on the preservation of the Ironwood Forest National Monument.

Gifts in Your Will or Living Trust

There are several ways to include a gift to Friends of Ironwood Forest in your will or living trust.

  • You can leave a small percentage of your estate – even 1% can make a real difference!
  • You can leave a defined sum to  or a specific asset.
  • You can leave a percentage of funds left over after other gifts and debts are paid and your loved ones are provided for.
  • You can make a secondary or contingent gift that comes to Friends of Ironwood Forest only if your other beneficiaries do not survive you or other specific gifts cannot be fulfilled.

Gifts by Beneficiary Designation

You can name Friends of ironwood Forest as a partial or total beneficiary of your:

  • retirement accounts
  • life insurance plan
  • Donor-Advised Fund (DAF)
  • Other financial accounts, including your bank and brokerage accounts

As with gifts in your will, you can designate all or a percentage of the funds in your account, and you can name Friends of ironwood Forest as a primary beneficiary or a second-in-line beneficiary. And, of course, you can change your mind at any time.

Simple steps to make a gift by beneficiary designation:

  • Contact your retirement plan administrator, insurance company, bank, or financial institution for a change-of-beneficiary form. You may be able to request or download your form from your online account portal.
  • Be sure to include our legal designation:

Friends of Ironwood Forest

Federal Tax ID #71-1032020

Please let us know. Some financial institutions will not notify us after your lifetime that we are a beneficiary; sharing your wishes now helps ensure your gift will be distributed as you wish. We will always keep your information confidential, and you can update your plans at any time.

A Gift That Pays Income for Life

A charitable gift annuity provides fixed payments for life in exchange for a gift of cash or securities to Friends of Ironwood Forest. Gift annuities are easy to set up and the payments you receive are backed by the general resources of Friends of Ironwood Forest. Rates recently increased and now go up to 9.7%.

To establish a charitable gift annuity:

  • Donate cash or securities worth $10,000 or more to Friends of Ironwood Forest.
  • Your payment rate is based on your age, and will never change, no matter how long you live or how the market fluctuates.
  • Make your gift by December 31 and you may be able to reduce your current year tax burden. If you fund your gift with appreciated securities, you will avoid a significant amount of capital gains taxes.
  • You must be age 65 or older to receive payments.

Under the Secure 2.0 Act, you may be able to make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from your IRA to fund a charitable gift annuity. Please contact us to determine if you qualify and if this gift is right for you. This information is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.

A Gift That Pays You Income

A charitable remainder trust (CRT) can provide you and/or other beneficiaries with income for life or for a fixed number of years. Many people prefer to use real estate to fund a CRT, but you can also donate cash or appreciated securities.

For your donation, you receive an immediate income tax deduction for a portion of your contribution to the unitrust and savings on capital gains taxes, too. You will also have the satisfaction of making a significant gift that benefits you now and Friends of Ironwood Forest later. With this type of gift, you may be able to:

  • Avoid paying capital gains on sales of appreciated stock and real estate
  • Give up the stress of being a landlord, while retaining a lifetime income stream
  • Receive a significant charitable income tax deduction
  • Remove assets from your taxable estate