From training dolphins in Hawaii to tracking lions in Africa to spending a week in the Serengeti among cheetahs, Dorothy Samson knows a thing or two about animals and their habitats. Yet her decades-long support of WWF extends beyond her love for wildlife and wild places.

“World Wildlife Fund is not only dedicated to conserving wildlife and their habitats, but also to helping indigenous peoples living among,” Dorothy says. “That’s why I stick with WWF—they benefit the whole system: wildlife, environment, and people.”

Dorothy’s primary support of WWF is through charitable gift annuities. She established the first one in 1990 and another in 2020. She credits WWF’s longevity for her confidence in the arrangement.

“I didn’t have a retirement plan. I enjoyed my jobs, but they didn't pay much. I had to find ways to provide for my future,” Dorothy says. “The charitable gift annuities allow me to benefit WWF after my lifetime and will provide me with income for the rest of my life.”

And what an adventurous life hers is. The octogenarian regularly travels to places where she can boogie board, snorkel, and ride horses. She’s no stranger to frigid destinations either.

“I lived in Alaska in the 1950s and traveled to Mendenhall Glacier. I returned a few years ago and couldn’t believe how far it had retreated,” she says.

While Dorothy values the security that charitable gift annuities provide for her future, more meaningful to her is providing for WWF and the planet.

“I’m old enough to have seen glaciers melt. You just don’t know what will happen in the future,” Dorothy says. “It’s a wonderful feeling to help yourself and Mother Earth.”

Who Knows What the Future Holds?

Protect your retirement and the planet with a charitable gift annuity at WWF. For more information, contact Office of Gift Planning at 888-993-9455 or legacygifts@worldwildlife.org.