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 general bequest is a gift of specific dollar amount, rather than a specific asset or piece of property
- A specific bequest is a gift of a particular asset (property, jewelry, etc)
- A residuary bequest is a gift made from the remainder of the estate, after all other distributions have been made in accordance with your instructions.
- A demonstrative bequest includes instructions for how a particular asset or dollar amount should be distributed (i.e., X amount from my Vanguard brokerage account)
- A percentage bequest can be a percentage of the residual estate, or a percentage of the entire estate.
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. For some types of accounts, you may be able to access your account online and change your beneficiaries.
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.
You can change your beneficiaries at any time.
Create your legacy of animal protection with PETA.
Types of Gifts
Gifts 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.)
Gifts of Retirement Plans
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.
Contact your retirement plan administrator for a change of beneficiary form. You may be able to complete or download your form from your online account portal.
Gifts Through Bank or Brokerage Accounts
This is one of the easiest ways to protect animals in the future. Contact your brokerage firm, investment advisor, or bank for the appropriate instructions. When you do, you’ll be helping to create a better world for all animals.
Important Note: Consult with financial professionals, as state laws can affect POD and TOD accounts.
(There are two ways to name a charity as a beneficiary of a bank or brokerage account: a transfer on death (TOD) designation, generally used for investment accounts, or a payable on death (POD) designation, similar to that used for retirement plans and most often used for bank accounts.) Retirement accounts are usually POD.
Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Succession
A donor can include PETA in their DAF succession plan: they can recommend that funds remaining in their plan be distributed immediately; they may be able to create an endowed DAF where selected charities will receive distributions for some period of time; or they may appoint a successor trustee to continue recommending grants.
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.
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. Please request our Gift Annuity Disclosure Statement for additional information.
Questions? We’re here to help.
Tim Enstice
Vice President of Legacy Gifts, PETA Foundation
501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510
757-962-8213