PLANNED GIVING AND PELICAN SELECT PROGRAM

The Board of Directors and the Agua Hedionda team is excited to recognize those who consider to generously remember The Lagoon Discovery Center in their estate plans, through living trusts, insurance policies, stock options and other planned gifts. As a donor in our Pelican Select planned giving program you are effectively inspiring others to consider leaving a legacy as well. By embracing this gift program, we will fulfill our vision to inspire people through education and outreach to preserve the Agua Hedionda Lagoon as an accessible and healthy watershed. The Lagoon Discovery Center thanks you for your consideration in the Pelican Select program and appreciates you investing in the many educational programs, animals, native plants and habitats that call the Discovery Center home.

Will or Living Trust:

One of the many ways our supporters can contribute to the Agua Hedionda Discovery Campus is by adding the AHLF as a beneficiary to their will or living trust. This is one of the easiest ways to leave a legacy of support for our environmental education and stewardship programs by including us in your estate plan.

Life Insurance Policy:

There are three ways you can donate a life insurance policy and name Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation as a beneficiary, with the possibility to save on your estate taxes.

• Take out a new policy in the name of AHLF. You’ll receive a charitable tax receipt for the cash value of the policy and for any premiums you pay.
• Name the AHLF as the beneficiary of an existing policy. This is a good option if you already have a policy that your family no longer needs for financial stability. At the time of your death, the charity will receive the policy proceeds and your estate will receive the tax benefits.
• Transfer ownership of an existing policy to the AHLF and receive a charitable tax receipt for the cash value of the policy. If you owe annual premiums on the policy, you’ll still pay them, but you’ll also receive tax receipts in the amount of your payments.

Another option with Life Insurance is selling your old unwanted, unneeded and unaffordable Life Insurance policy. Your Life Insurance policy is an asset and like any other asset, can be sold for cash. If you are 65 or older and ready to lapse or surrender your policy, selling it can yield more money for you and your legacy and you can then donate all or some of the proceeds to the Agua Hedionda Lagoon.

Retirement Plan:

If you have an IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) plan, you can name the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation as a primary or secondary beneficiary to receive all or a portion of the proceeds from your retirement plan and you may be able to eliminate both income and estate taxes. Additionally recent IRS tax changes allows individuals the a ability transfer their annual required minimum distribution directly to a charity under the “Qualified Charitable Distribution “QCD” provision therefore reducing their taxable income.

Gifts of Stock and Appreciated Securities:

By making a gift of appreciated stock to the AHLF, you may claim a federal income tax charitable deduction for the full, appreciated value of the securities. Additionally, you will pay no capital gains tax on the transaction. If you have your shares of stock in a brokerage account this is a convenient way to transfer your securities, you can simply instruct your broker to electronically transfer your securities out of your account into the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation’s account and provide the appropriate account information.

​

​Click here to complete a fillable PDF document to give to your broker and the AHLF.

Donor Advised Funds (DAF’s):

Make an immediate tax deduction, with this simple, flexible and tax-efficient way to give to the AHLF.

​

Charitable Gift Annuities and Pooled Income Funds:

A charitable gift annuity or pooled income fund with The Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation is a gift that gives back. It can provide you and/or another beneficiary with stable income for life. You may also receive an immediate income tax deduction. Assets are transferred to the Lagoon Foundation in return for our promise to pay you an annual income.

​

For each of these “other ways to give”, you will be recognized in the Pelican Select Program with the equivalent dollar amount to the levels mentioned above. 

​

The information is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor.