More ways to give

A legacy of action for the future

You can extend the PennPIRG Education Fund tradition of public interest action on behalf of our nation’s consumers, and our tradition of research and education, for generations to come.

Your gift to PennPIRG Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, can have a lasting impact.

Giving through your will

We would consider it an honor to be remembered in your will.

Making a charitable bequest is simple and satisfying. In most cases, the addition of a few sentences to your will can complete the gift.

Please consult with your attorney before making any changes to your will.

More about giving through your will

Keeping your will or living trust updated is essential to ensuring that all of your wishes will be carried out. It’s easy to remember PennPIRG Education Fund in your will or living trust. Your advisor can include just a few sentences to arrange for the gift.

Through a will or trust, you can give:

  • A specific dollar amount or asset, such as securities.
  • A percentage of your estate.
  • A gift from the balance of your estate after expenses have been paid and specific and general bequests have been honored.

Retirement Accounts

An IRA or 401(k) can be an efficient way to save for retirement, but is not always the best gift to leave to your heirs. These assets can be a way to include PennPIRG Education Fund in your estate plan.

More about giving through retirement accounts

Most retirement plans are tax-deferred, meaning that you do not pay income tax on the assets in a retirement plan until they are distributed to you. Because any retirement assets that are unused during your lifetime may be subject to both income and estate taxes, these may be among the costliest assets to distribute to loved ones through your estate.

But a retirement asset can make an ideal gift to a tax-exempt charitable organization.Your estate may receive valuable tax savings.  In addition, unlike an individual beneficiary, a tax-exempt non-profit like PennPIRG Education Fund will not be subject to income tax on the value of the account. Consequently, leaving retirement account funds to a nonprofit can maximize the final value of your gift.

Naming or changing your beneficiary is simple. After checking with your advisors, ask the administrator of your retirement plan for a beneficiary designation form, fill it out, and return it to the administrator.

IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions

You may be able to arrange a direct transfer from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to PennPIRG Education Fund without having to count the amount as income for federal tax purposes. This type of gift from your IRA assets during your lifetime is commonly called an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), but you may also see it referred to as a IRA Charitable Rollover.

More about giving through an IRA qualified charitable distribution

You may be able to arrange a direct transfer from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to PennPIRG Education Fund without having to count the amount as income for federal tax purposes. This type of gift from your IRA assets during your lifetime is commonly called an IRA qualified charitable distribution (QCD), but you may also see it referred to as a IRA charitable rollover.

To Qualify:

  • You must be 70 ½ or older at the time the gift is made
  • Transfers must be made directly from a traditional IRA account (or in some circumstances a Roth IRA account) to a qualified charitable organization like PennPIRG Education Fund
  • The distributions must be outright charitable contributions; they cannot be used to fund life-income gifts such as charitable gift annuities or charitable remainder trusts

IRA qualified charitable distributions can in many circumstances be used to satisfy part or all of your required minimum distribution*, can total up to $100,000 per year to qualified charities, and may be excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes.

The distributions are not tax-deductible – because a deduction, combined with the exclusion from income, would result in a double tax benefit. But since many taxpayers are no longer itemizing their deductions, the exclusion of the IRA qualified charitable distribution amount from taxable income can provide a way for seniors to receive a tangible tax benefit from a charitable contribution even while taking the standard deduction.

For an IRA qualified charitable distribution to count toward your required minimum distribution for the current year, PennPIRG Education Fund must receive your gift by Dec. 31st. Please instruct your IRA administrator to name you as the donor on the transfer, and please mail checks to the following address:

PennPIRG Education Fund
Membership Processing Center
1543 Wazee St., Ste. 430
Denver, CO 80202

The IRS provides additional useful information on IRA qualified charitable distributions here. PennPIRG Education Fund cannot provide tax or legal advice. Be sure to check with your financial advisor to make sure this type of gift the best choice for you.

*  Your required minimum distribution (RMD) is the minimum amount you must withdraw from your traditional IRA each year, starting from age 73.

Life Insurance

In some circumstances, you can name PennPIRG Education Fund as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy.

More about giving through life insurance

Sometimes circumstances change, and life insurance is no longer a critical part of an estate plan. If you wish to redirect life insurance, it’s simple to do so. You can designate a charity as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy, which you will continue to own during your lifetime.
This may provide your estate with valuable tax savings.

Alternatively, you can assign ownership of the policy to the charity. In this case, although you will give up control over the policy, you may receive a current income tax charitable deduction.

After consulting with your advisors about what is best for you, ask your insurance agent how to make these types of simple changes to your policy.

Giving through your Donor Advised Fund

Many of our supporters use Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) to reach their philanthropic goals, manage their charitable giving, and secure favorable tax benefits. If you already have a donor advised fund, you can use it to direct a one-time or recurring charitable contribution to PennPIRG Education Fund, or name our organization as a partial or full beneficiary of your DAF. It’s quick and easy to do. If you do not already benefit from a DAF, you can set one up through a community foundation or your financial institution.

More about giving through a donor advised fund

To make a contribution through your donor advised fund of any amount to PennPIRG Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization,, contact your DAF manager. Specify whether you want the gift to be one-time or recurring. You will need our name and mailing address and our Federal tax ID number. You can email our planned giving coordinator for this information.

Please include your name and address on the distribution so we can thank you for your gift and update you on the change your generous contribution will make possible. 

You can also leave a lasting legacy by naming PennPIRG Education Fund as a full or partial beneficiary of your donor-advised fund. To do this, reach out to your DAF administrator for a beneficiary form.

Securities

Donating appreciated securities will support our work and, under some circumstances, may provide a meaningful savings on your taxes.

More about gifts of securities

Donating appreciated securities will support our work and, under some circumstances, may provide a meaningful savings on your taxes.

To find out more, including our DTC number and account number or other resources regarding planned giving, please email our planned giving coordinator using the form below, or call 1-800-841-7299.

Vehicle donations

You can donate cars, trucks, boats and other vehicles to PennPIRG Education Fund through Charitable Auto Resources. Your donation may be tax-deductible.

More about vehicle donations

You can donate cars, trucks, boats and other vehicles to PennPIRG Education Fund through Charitable Auto Resources. Visit our donation page and learn more here.

Cy Pres Awards

Cy Pres awards have provided funding for some of our most successful pro-consumer efforts, and have enabled us to seize opportunities to launch new initiatives. If you are in a position to direct a Cy Pres award, we would be grateful for the support.

Read more about Cy Pres awards


Public Interest Champions Circle

The Public Interest Champions Circle was established to recognize and thank our donors who have expressed their commitment to creating a healthier, safer, more secure future by remembering PennPIRG Education Fund or PennPIRG in their estate plans.

If you’ve already included PennPIRG Education Fund or PennPIRG in your estate plans or are planning to do so, email our Planned Giving Coordinator using the form below, or call 1-800-841-7299 to find out how to enroll in the Public Interest Champions Circle.


Donations to PennPIRG Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, are tax-deductible in many circumstances. Please seek the guidance of your attorney or financial advisor when planning a major gift.

Contact Our Planned Giving Department

For questions about membership or automatic giving, please contact our Membership Services Department through the form on our main contact page, or call at 1-800-838-6554.

To find out more about planned giving, including our tax identification number and other resources, please contact our planned giving coordinator using the form below, or call 1-800-841-7299.

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