Conservation of habitat is about people working together to protect places for birds, other wildlife and the human spirit.
Plan for your future—and for the future of Montana’s wild birds and wild places! Making a planned gift to Montana Audubon is a flexible and simple way to combine philanthropy with financial planning. A planned gift may help you to contribute more to wildlife conservation than you thought possible, while still providing favorable financial and/or tax benefits. Unless otherwise noted by the donor, gifts are designated to support all of the conservation and education work Montana Audubon does. Donors can also specify that gifts benefit one or more program—or one of our endowments, which will support our work in perpetuity.
There are many giving options to choose from, including gifts of stocks, real estate, retirement assets, gift annuities, retained life estates, and Charitable Lead or Remainder Trusts.
For example, you could name Montana Audubon as the beneficiary of your IRA, 401(k) or other qualified plan, and after your lifetime, the amount left in your account is conveyed to Montana Audubon, tax-free. By doing this you avoid income and estate taxes, giving your most-taxed asset to Montana Audubon and leaving more favorably taxed property to your heirs. Moreover, you can continue to withdraw money from your retirement account throughout your lifetime.
Charitable Gift Annuities Offer Secure Return
Did you know that you can make a gift to Montana Audubon and receive fixed annual income for the rest of your life? A charitable gift annuity offers an immediate tax deduction, a guaranteed annual income, and the knowledge that you have made a gift to support the important work of Montana Audubon. Whether the markets rise or fall, gift annuity payments will stay the same and continue for life. Rates are based on age.
Of particular interest to Montana residents and taxpayers is our state’s generous tax credit. The credit for individuals is 40% of the present value of any “planned gift” to the permanent endowment of a Montana charity, up to a maximum amount of $10,000 per individual per year.
Please note: The amount of the tax deduction is determined by the donor’s age, the annuity rate, and the IRS Discount Rate in effect at the time of the gift. This information is for illustration purposes and is not to be considered tax or legal advice. Always check with your professional advisors before making such a gift.
Montana Audubon wants to ensure that there will always be a place for birds and wildlife in our state’s future. For this reason, our organization has established several permanent endowments to support its science, research, education, and policy programs. This perpetual source of funding will help sustain our mission into the future.
A valuable feature of Montana Audubon’s endowments is that gifts are permanent. That is, once money is placed in an endowment, only the investment income from the contribution is used. Therefore, the original gift is never depleted, but continues to work for conservation, year after year.
Donations to Montana Audubon’s endowments can be done through a variety of tools, from writing a check to putting your donation in your will.
Our endowment choices include:
Montana Audubon Endowment Fund
The Montana Audubon Endowment Fund supports general operations— all of our programs benefit from it—including
Public Policy Endowment
The purpose of this endowment is to support the organization’s Public Policy program—which strives to protect birds, wildlife, and habitat through influencing decision makers.
Montana Audubon Center Endowment
We have a special endowment fund, held at the Billings Community Foundation, to specifically benefit the conservation education programs offered year-round at the Montana Audubon Center in Billings.
Engler Memorial Fund
The George and Laurene Engler Montana Audubon Conservation Fund has been created as a memorial for two very special people- George and Laurene Engler. All proceeds will benefit Montana Audubon, and the Montana Community Foundation will administer the fund. Its purpose is to provide sustainable revenue to monitor, study and conserve Montana’s birds, including preservation, enhancement and restoration of Montana’s avian habitats, and to promote land use policies and legislation consistent with these conservation goals.
To donate to this fund, you may write a check payable to: Montana Community Foundation (write on memo line: “Engler Audubon Fund”). Please send to: Montana Community Foundation, 1N Last Chance Gulch, Ste. 1, Helena, MT 59601.