Benefits

If you would like to support National Geographic but don’t feel that you can make a significant gift today, you can remember the Society in your will. A bequest is one of the simplest ways to support our work.

Designating National Geographic as a beneficiary in your will does not affect your current assets or cash flow during your lifetime. And a will or trust is revocable, so it can be changed at any time you choose.

How a Bequest Works

Bequests can be made in the form of a percentage of an estate or as a specific gift of cash or property. Including us in your will is as simple as using the following language:

"I give, devise, and bequeath to the National Geographic Society, a nonprofit corporation located in Washington, D.C., ___ percent of my estate (or the sum of $_____, or the property described herein) for its general purposes."

Please contact us directly for more information about different types of bequests and how we can help you with your estate planning.

If you have already chosen to leave a bequest to the National Geographic Society, we would love to know. Prior notification gives us the opportunity to thank you and to welcome you as a member of the Alexander Graham Bell Legacy Society. Requests for anonymity are respected.

Download the ABCs of Bequests (PDF).

Request Additional Information

National Geographic's federal tax identification number is 53-0193519.

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.