Gifts That Cost You Nothing Now

Yes, you can protect animals and give them a future by making a gift that costs you nothing now.

You can help PETA create a more compassionate world simply by signing your name. There’s no need to write a check, you maintain control of your assets during your lifetime, and you can change your gift at any time and for any reason.

Please let us know if you’ve included a gift to PETA in your will or trust or by beneficiary designation. Providing us with documentation is the best way to ensure that your gift will be used in the way you intended.

Gifts in a Will

Making a gift in your will or trust is one of the most common ways to create your legacy with PETA, making a gift of compassion for tomorrow.

A gift in your will is one of the most common ways to create your legacy and offers the following benefits:

NO COST

Costs you nothing now to give in this way.

FLEXIBLE

You can alter your gift or change your mind at any time and for any reason.

LASTING IMPACT

You take care of both your family or loved ones as well as leave a legacy for animals.

There are several simple ways to include a gift in your will:

  • A specific bequest is a gift of a specific sum of money or an item of property. For example, “I give a sum of $25,000 to PETA,” or “I give my antique desk to my niece, Sarah.”
  • Another common way of leaving a gift to charity while leaving the majority of assets to loved ones is a residuary bequest: “I give the balance of my estate (or some percentage of the remainder of my estate), after all other bequests are satisfied, to PETA.”
  • A contingent bequest is a gift made on condition that a certain event occurs. This kind of bequest is often used to leave gifts to charity. For example, “I give $25,000 to my friend Christina if she survives me—or, if not, to PETA.”

Gifts by Beneficiary Designation

Gifts by Beneficiary Designation are an easy way to give that costs you nothing now. Gifts by beneficiary designation are among the simplest ones to make. They don’t require a visit to a lawyer, they cost you nothing now, and you can change your beneficiaries at any time.

Simply request a change of beneficiary form from your plan administrator and add PETA as a full or partial beneficiary. You can often do this by logging in to your account online.

Be sure to designate our organization clearly: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Inc. (PETA).

Include PETA’s tax identification number: 52-1218336.

We may not be notified by the financial services company that you have named PETA a beneficiary. To ensure your gift is directed to PETA as you intend, please let us know.

It’s easy to put your retirement funds, insurance plan, bank account, and brokerage accounts to use to create a better world by saving animals—and it costs nothing now.

By naming PETA as a beneficiary of these assets, you’ll be adding saving animals and providing them with higher-quality lives to your legacy.

 

Potential benefits of gifts by beneficiary designation:

You may reduce estate taxes and leave less heavily taxed assets to your heirs.

Your gift transfers to PETA outside of your will or trust.

No cost to you now to give.

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You can change your beneficiaries at any time.

Create your legacy of animal protection with PETA.

Types of Gifts

A gift of life insurance

It’s not uncommon for people to have a life insurance policy that has outlasted its original purpose. If you do, you can use it (or a percentage of it) to reduce your taxes and create a gift to PETA that demonstrates your commitment to a better world for animals. Request a beneficiary designation form from your life insurance company and make PETA a full, partial, or contingent beneficiary. (You can also sign over a fully paid policy. You’ll be allowed a tax deduction for your generosity.)

A gift of retirement funds

This option is becoming increasingly popular. Naming PETA as a beneficiary of your retirement plan can be an attractive option for creating a legacy while reducing income taxes—and possibly estate taxes—for your loved ones. When you leave retirement funds to your loved ones, they will face income taxes on the amount received. Therefore, naming PETA as a beneficiary of your retirement fund and leaving other less heavily taxed assets to your loved ones can be a very smart way to protect animals for years to come while also benefitting the people you care about.

A gift of funds remaining in your bank accounts, brokerage accounts, or certificate of deposit (CD)

This is one of the easiest ways to protect animals in the future. The next time you visit your bank, you can name PETA as the beneficiary of a checking or savings account, a CD, or a brokerage account. When you do, you’ll be helping to create a better world for all animals.

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) residuals

What remains in a DAF is governed by the contract that you completed when you created it. When you establish a DAF, consider naming PETA as a “successor” of your account or a portion of your account value to create your legacy of action and compassion for animals.

Complimentary Gift Planning Resources Are Just a Click Away!

Please contact us if you’d like to discuss the gift options available to you and determine which is best for you now and in the future.

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Questions? We’re here to help.

Tim Enstice
Vice President of Legacy Gifts, PETA Foundation
501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510
757-962-8213