Using retirement plan assets to support the work at World Wildlife Fund is both a great way to further our mission and a tax-smart way to further your personal and charitable goals. Money in a traditional employee retirement plan, IRA, or tax-sheltered annuity is generally taxed upon distribution. If you make an individual the beneficiary of your retirement plan, that person will owe federal income tax when funds are distributed from your account.

Instead, consider leaving your loved ones other assets from your estate and designating World Wildlife Fund as the recipient of your retirement benefits. As a tax-exempt public charity, we will receive the full amount of what you designate, and we will use those funds in support of our global conservation efforts. You can take advantage of this gift opportunity to support WWF in a number of ways, including:

Name WWF a beneficiary of your plan. Doing this would require an update to your beneficiary designation form, generally obtained through your plan administrator. You can designate World Wildlife Fund as the primary beneficiary for a percentage or specific amount. You can also make World Wildlife Fund the contingent beneficiary so that WWF will receive the balance of your plan only if your primary beneficiary doesn't survive you.

Make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) to WWF. IRA owners who are 70½ years old or older may elect to make direct distributions of funds from the account to take advantage of a simple way to help WWF mission and receive tax benefits in return. You can give any amount up to $105,000 annually from your IRA directly to a qualified charity such as World Wildlife Fund without having to pay income taxes on the distribution. This popular gift option is also commonly called the IRA charitable rollover.

Set up a charitable gift annuity. If you are 70½ or older, you may now make a one-time election for a qualified charitable distribution of up to $53,000 (without being taxed) from your IRA to fund a life-income gift. This gift provides you (and a spouse, if you wish) with stable lifetime income that is unaffected by the markets. After your lifetime, the remainder of the gift annuity becomes your legacy at WWF. Some limitations apply, so contact us for more details and a personalized illustration at no obligation.

Fund a testamentary charitable remainder trust with retirement plan assets. When you fund a charitable remainder trust with retirement plan assets, the trust will receive the proceeds of your plan. A CRT's inveestmene income is generally tax-exempt and typically pays income to one or more named beneficiaries for life or for a set term of up to 20 years, after which the remaining assets in the trust would go to support World Wildlife Fund. This kind of structure can provide excellent tax and income benefits for you while supporting your family and our work.