Join our Tides of Tomorrow Legacy Society
When you make a planned gift for a cleaner, greener Chesapeake Bay region in perpetuity and you’ll become a part of our Tides of Tomorrow Legacy Society! Your generosity can honor loved ones, celebrate your most cherished moments near the water, reflect a life’s work, and provide significant immediate and long-term benefits for you and your descendants. Through careful gift planning, you may enjoy substantial income tax savings, reduce or eliminate estate taxes, and reduce capital gains taxes on appreciated assets, all while empowering communities to restore nature. Your planned gift will likely allow you to make a larger contribution to the Chesapeake Bay Trust than would otherwise be possible.
Have you already included us in your estate plans? Please let us know so we can acknowledge and recognize your commitment!
6 Great Ways to Give
CHARITABLE BEQUEST
Designate the Chesapeake Bay Trust as the or one of several beneficiaries of your estate. You may want to consult with your estate attorney to explore the bequest methods most advantageous to you and your heirs.
DONOR ADVISED FUND
Your financial advisor or fund manager can help you recommend a grant to the Chesapeake Bay Trust.
GIFTS FROM YOUR IRA
If you are 70½ or older, you can use your IRA to fulfill your charitable goals. Please contact your IRA custodian and make a qualified charitable distribution. We will acknowledge your generous gifts as a qualified charitable distribution, which may satisfy your RMD, if applicable.
LIFE INSURANCE BENEFICIARY
You can leave a significant legacy by donating a paid-up policy you may have outgrown, or by naming the Chesapeake Bay Trust as a beneficiary of an insurance policy. Life insurance paid to a charity is not subject to federal estate tax and you may be able to receive an income tax deduction for your premium payments.
DONOR ADVISED FUND BENEFICIARY
To support Bay restoration efforts through your DAF in perpetuity, you may name the Chesapeake Bay Trust as the successor beneficiary or designate us to receive a portion of the funds as you leave the balance to your descendants and other loved ones.
RETIREMENT PLAN BENEFICIARY
By naming the Chesapeake Bay Trust as a beneficiary of your retirement plan (401K, 403B, IRA), the assets (which may be taxed much more heavily than other estate assets) may avoid estate and income tax. Recent changes to tax laws also make lifetime gifts of retirement assets attractive in certain cases. Contact your plan administrator, as a simple form is required.
Share Your Estate Plans
Fill out the inquiry form for more information or to share your estate plans with the Chesapeake Bay Trust.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this site is not intended to be legal or tax advice. Please consult with your financial and legal advisors in developing an estate plan that is right for your circumstances and those of your heirs.
Learn More About the Trust
The Chesapeake Bay Trust shares a bold vision for a restored and protected Chesapeake Bay watershed and other natural resources in our area—from the Coastal Bays to the Chesapeake to the Youghiogheny River. We uniquely empower local community-based groups on the ground with the resources they need to take on a meaningful and measurable role in restoring forests, streams, rivers, bays, wildlife, and more in their own communities.
The Trust empowers these groups by providing grants and technical assistance. Every year, about 400 groups are awarded project money or provided other assistance to accomplish environmental education, community outreach, and local watershed restoration projects. Since 1985, the Trust has awarded $140 million in grants and engaged hundreds of thousands of resident stewards in projects that have a measurable impact.
The Trust has received the highest rating from Charity Navigator for over two decades: on average 90 percent of the Trust’s expenditures are directed to its restoration and education programs.
Mission & HistoryImpact of Our Work
Stay in Touch
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News from the Trust
Continued Support
Your continued support of the Chesapeake Bay Trust will help to achieve lasting results, providing support for environmental education, community outreach, habitat conservation, and local watershed restoration projects. There are a number of ways to make a tax-deductible gift to the Trust.
Buy a Maryland Chesapeake Bay PlateAdditional Ways to Give
Tax Identification Number: 52-1454182
The Chesapeake Bay Trust is a 501(c)3 grant making organization dedicated to improving the watersheds of the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland Coastal Bays, and Youghiogheny River. All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extension allowed by law. Our Form 990, annual reports, audited financial statements, and IRS determination letter are available on our website or by contacting the Trust by phone 410-974-2941 ext. 119.
DONOR PRIVACY POLICIES
The Trust does not trade, share or sell a donor’s personal information without the donors’ consent. We do not send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations.
Donors may request to not receive solicitations or mailings at any time. A donor may request anonymity.
Our donation payment processing service, Blackbaud Merchant Services, is a Level 1 PCI service provider and payment gateway, the industry’s toughest data security standards.
Upon request, The Trust can make available our policy for our investments with oversight by an Investment subcommittee composed of members of our Board of Trustees.
