Coastal Prairie Conservancy’s Planned Giving Circle recognizes visionary donors for their commitment to the future impact of the organization. Planning Giving Circle members have made a planned gift which is a donation made by a donor in the present and then gifted in the future, usually after the donor has passed. More often than not, these donations are incorporated into a donor’s will, known as a bequest, or in a trust. 

When you include the Coastal Prairie Conservancy in your estate plan, your generosity preserves coastal prairies, wetlands, farms, and ranches to benefit people and wildlife forever. Thank you for ensuring that CPC can impact those we serve well into the future.

If you have already included a planned gift to the Coastal Prairie Conservancy in your estate plans, we hope you’ll consider letting us know. Sharing your plans is entirely up to you, but doing so helps us ensure your gift is honored and used just as you envision. It also allows us to celebrate your generosity as part of our legacy giving community. Of course, any details you share will be kept strictly confidential and nonbinding.

How to Get Started

We recommend speaking with an estate attorney and financial advisor to discuss your vision, goals, and the giving options that best suit your estate planning needs. While the Coastal Prairie Conservancy cannot provide with you advice on what giving options you should pursue, we welcome the opportunity to discuss whether you might wish for your planned gift to be directed to a specific program or initiative and we can provide you with the correct name and description for your preferred gift designation.

Below we have outlined common planned gift options and how you could include the Coastal Prairie Conservancy in your estate plans.

Bequests

Bequests are legacies left to certain people or causes that come from the general value of the estate, and are made by designating a specific dollar amount, a particular asset or a fixed percentage of your estate to the cause of your choice. Sample general bequest language follows:

“I give, devise, and bequeath to the Coastal Prairie Conservancy [EIN:76-0377029] , the sum of $___________ (or a description of the specific asset), for the benefit of the Coastal Prairie Conservancy to be used for the following purpose: (state the purpose).  If at any time in the judgment of the trustees of the Coastal Prairie Conservancy it is impossible or impracticable to carry out exactly the designated purpose, they shall determine an alternative purpose closest to the designated purpose.”

In addition to general bequests, there are types of residuary or contingency bequests.

Designated Beneficiary

You can simply designate the Coastal Prairie Conservancy as the beneficiary of all or a percentage of your retirement plans, donor-advised fund, or life insurance policies.

Charitable Trusts

Charitable trusts are planned giving tools that allow you to support the Coastal Prairie Conservancy while offering tax advantages that support your legacy and provide flexible ways to give while retaining benefits for you and your family. 

There are two main types. Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) provide income to you or your beneficiaries for life or a set term, with the remainder going to the charity. Charitable Lead Trusts (CLTs) provide income to the charity for a set term, after which the remaining assets pass to your heirs.

Land and Other Assets

A gift of land, securities, or other assets can greatly benefit the Coastal Prairie Conservancy and may be used directly in our work or sold with the proceeds directed toward advancing our mission.

A gift of real estate, undeveloped land, or other tangible assets such as a vehicle or equipment can provide meaningful support to CPC. For gifts of securities,  by placing a ‘transfer on death designation’ on your brokerage or investment account, that account will be paid to CPC after your lifetime.

What about Blended Giving?

By making a gift now, you are jump-starting the legacy you would like to leave and giving yourself the joy of watching your philanthropy take shape. Blended giving is a philanthropic strategy that combines immediate (outright) donations with planned (deferred) donations. This approach allows donors to make a current impact while also planning for future contributions after the donor’s lifetime.

IRA Charitable Rollover

A Special Opportunity for Those 70½ Years Old and Older - You can make a donation now from your IRA directly without having to pay income taxes on the money. This popular gift option is commonly called the IRA charitable rollover, but you may also see it referred to as a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD for short. The charitable distributions can satisfy all of our part of your required minimum distribution.

Your gift will be put to use today, allowing you to see the difference your donation is making. If you are required to take minimum distributions, you can use your gift to satisfy all or part of your obligation. You pay no income taxes on the gift. The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so you benefit even if you do not itemize your deductions. Since the gift doesn’t count as income, it can reduce your annual income level. This may help lower your Medicare premiums and decrease the amount of Social Security that is subject to tax. 

I have several retirement accounts—some are pensions and some are IRAs. Does it matter which retirement account I use? To determine if a rollover to an IRA is available for your plan, speak with your plan administrator. 

For Those 59½ Years Old or Older - If you are at least 59½ years old, you can take a distribution and then make a gift from your IRA without penalty. If you itemize your deductions, you can take a charitable deduction for the amount of your gift.

Multi-Year Pledged Donation

A multi-year pledge is a powerful way to make an impact now and commitments of significant size allow us to plan boldly and strategically for the near future. Whether you're interested in supporting a specific initiative or giving to our annual fund, we invite donors considering a multi-year pledge to speak with our team to explore opportunities for meaningful partnership and impact at this leadership level.

Legal name: Coastal Prairie Conservancy 

Legal address: 5615 Kirby Drive, Suite 867, Houston, TX 77005 

Federal tax ID number: 76-0377029

Contact Us About Planning Your Legacy

We look forward to speaking with you about your leaving a legacy with the Coastal Prairie Conservancy. Please reach out to Advancement Director, Jenny Claycombe at jenny@coastalprairieconservancy.org.