Leave a Legacy With Your Forest
Including a charitable bequest in your will is a simple way to make a lasting gift to the places in our local backcountry that you hold dearly. Click here for sample language. We can help guide you through the process to leave a legacy gift for ForestWatch. Please contact our Director of Development, Jessica Dias, at jessica@forestwatch.org or 805.617.4610 x2.
Have you already included a gift in your will or trust? Please fill out this Gift Intent form to let us know! We would love to thank you for your generosity. Giving is a very personal choice, and we respect your privacy.
Begin Your Legacy with Us
Whether you’re 18 or 108, everyone should have a will in place. People use wills to choose who gets their property, name guardians for minor children, provide a plan for pets, and more. Through a will, many people also choose to leave a part of their estate to Los Padres ForestWatch and make an impact on the causes they love, for years to come.
To help you get started on your plans and legacy, you can use FreeWill, an online tool that guides you through the process of creating your will or trust. It’s easy to use, accessible online and can be completed in 20 minutes. Start your free will here. You can use this resource on its own or use it to document your wishes before finalizing your plans with an attorney.
Other Ways to Give Through Estate Planning
There are many other ways that you can support ForestWatch. We encourage you to consult with your estate or financial planner for details. You may contact us if you need a referral.
Living Trust: Avoids probate. Just name Los Padres ForestWatch as a beneficiary.
Charitable Remainder Trust: This is a great tool for selling assets tax-free and receiving income for life; the remaining assets benefit Los Padres ForestWatch. It provides steady cash flow and can be more beneficial than keeping an asset or selling it outright.
Non-Probate Assets: Do you have an IRA, 401(k), life-insurance policy, or any other assets not included in your will? If so, these are called non-probate assets, and you must plan your beneficiaries for them separately. Use this online Beneficiary Designation Tool to make your plans and designate us as a beneficiary of one or more of these assets.
Retirement Assets: Retirement funds are subject to substantial income and estate taxes, but are tax-free to Los Padres ForestWatch.
Charitable Lead Trust: You greatly reduce or avoid estate tax on trust assets passing to family if some trust income goes to Los Padres ForestWatch for a few years.
Lifetime Bequest: A “lifetime bequest’ is a combination of a gift or pledge now plus an estate gift later to facilitate and maximize the impact of your gift.
Real Estate Gift: Donate real property to ForestWatch to benefit our work and reduce your burden of managing the property.
Life Estate Deed: You can deed your home or farm property to Los Padres ForestWatch, save taxes with a current deduction, and still use the property for the rest of your life. It won’t reduce your disposable funds.
Privacy Policy
ForestWatch respects your privacy, and does not sell, rent, or trade the addresses or contact information of its members and supporters.
Our Tax ID#: 20-1531390
ForestWatch is registered as a nonprofit public benefit corporation with the Internal Revenue Service and the California Franchise Tax Board. ForestWatch is also registered with the California Attorney General Office’s Registry of Public Charities.
