One of the simplest ways to make a gift to the National Geographic Society is through your will. Bequests can be made in the form of a specific gift of cash or property, or as a percentage of an estate. Your bequest might fall in one of the following categories:
- Specific Bequest: You can name the National Geographic Society as a direct beneficiary of a specific amount of money or a specific percentage of your estate.
Sample bequest language: "I give, devise, and bequeath to the National Geographic Society, a nonprofit corporation located in Washington, D.C., the sum of $_____ (or ___ percent of my estate; or the property described herein) for its general purposes."
- Residuary Bequest: You can provide that the National Geographic Society receive all or a portion of the remainder of your estate once all bequests and other estate obligations have been satisfied.
Residuary bequest language: "All the rest, residue, and remainder of my property, both real and personal, and wheresoever situated, I give, devise, and bequeath to the National Geographic Society, a nonprofit corporation located in Washington, D.C., for its general purposes."
- Contingent Bequest: You can name the National Geographic Society as the contingent beneficiary to receive assets in case your named individual beneficiaries do not survive you.
Please Let Us Know
If you are planning to make the National Geographic Society one of your beneficiaries, we encourage you to tell us now. You may specify a purpose for your gift, but in that case, you should consult with the Society first. We can work with you and your advisers to make sure the bequest is planned and administered properly.
Prior notification also gives us the opportunity to thank you and to welcome you as a member of the Gardiner Greene Hubbard Society. Requests for anonymity are respected.
The information on our Web site is not intended as financial or legal advice. Please consult your own qualified advisers as you consider philanthropic gifts.
