Dear Sir,
You are invited to be present at a meeting to be held in the Assembly Hall of the Cosmos Club, Friday evening, January 13, at 8 o'clock, for the purpose of considering the advisability of organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge.
Very respectfully yours,
Gardiner G. Hubbard, A.W. Greely, J.R. Bartlett,
Henry Mitchell, Henry Gannett, A.H. Thompson
On that auspicious night in 1888, 33 prominent men in Washington, D.C.'s scientific and intellectual circles convened to form the National Geographic Society.
Gardiner Greene Hubbard, National Geographic's first president, was a lawyer and businessman, but he was also a scholar, philanthropist, and patron of science. He understood that if the new Society were to succeed in its mission of "increasing and diffusing geographic knowledge," it could not rely solely on the deeds of its explorers. It must also depend on individuals able to sustain those efforts—individuals, from all walks of life, willing to help shoulder the burden so that, as Hubbard explained, "we may all know more about the world upon which we live."
Today the work of National Geographic—inspiring people to care about the planet—is more important than ever. Gardiner Greene Hubbard continues to be remembered as the founding father and guiding spirit of our organization—Hubbard Memorial Hall is the cornerstone of our Washington, D.C. headquarters and the Hubbard Gold Medal recognizes outstanding achievement in exploration and discovery. Accordingly, we chose to name our legacy society after this extraordinary man.
The Gardiner Greene Hubbard Society honors donors who have included National Geographic in their estate plans through a will, trust, charitable gift annuity, or beneficiary designation of their retirement plans such as an IRA or 401(k). Bequests and other legacy gifts from the dedicated members of this group fund National Geographic conservation, exploration, research, and education efforts around the world.
Members of the Gardiner Greene Hubbard Society enjoy the following benefits:
- Invitations to exclusive receptions, exhibitions, and lectures in Washington, D.C., and across the U.S.
- A personalized membership certificate celebrating your dedication to the National Geographic Society
- The Society's gift-planning newsletter, Charting the Future, that contains financial and planning ideas for friends of National Geographic
- Recognition in National Geographic Mission Programs' annual report
If you already have included us in your estate plans, please let us know by completing the Hubbard Society Application Form (PDF) and mailing it to our office using the address below. If you wish to have a confidential conversation with a planned giving officer about an estate gift option that would work best with your specific goals, please contact the Office of Gift Planning directly.
National Geographic Society
Office of Gift Planning
1145 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
U.S.A.
Email: plannedgiftinfo@ngs.org
Telephone: 800 226 4438 (U.S. and Canada only)
Fax: +1 202 429 5709
Download the Hubbard Society Membership Application Form (PDF).
Download the ABCs of Bequests (PDF).
Download the Charitable Gift Annuity Application Form (PDF).
Download the ABCs of Annuities (PDF).
