How it Works
Step 1:
Name NPCA
Designate a percentage of your retirement account to NPCA. You can do this via your plan's website or by contacting your provider directly.
Step 2:
Tell Us About Your Gift
Informing us of your plans helps us ensure we can fulfill your wishes for your future gift. We will not pry into your personal details.
Step 3:
Support National Parks
NPCA receives your gift after your lifetime and uses it to protect and sustain America's national parks for generations to come.
Your gift is fully deductible for federal estate tax purposes, and there is no limit on the deduction your estate can claim. Many gifts are also exempt from state inheritance taxes.
Required Minimum Distributions and Qualified Charitable Distributions
If you are age 72 or older and own a traditional IRA, you may be legally required to take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) each year. Moreover, since your funds have accumulated in a traditional IRA pre-tax, the withdrawal of your RMD each year may be subject to income tax.
Many national parks supporters who do not need these funds choose to donate them to NPCA and invest in the long-term future of their favorite national parks. By making a direct transfer of all or a portion of your RMD, you may be able to avoid the income tax you would otherwise be subject to (so long as you did not contribute to your IRA that year). This is known as a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) and you are allowed to transfer up to $100,000 each year.
In order to quickly and efficiently match your IRA distribution gift to your donor record (and promptly provide you the receipt you will need for your taxes), it is helpful if you proactively inform us a check is coming, the amount of the check, and the financial institution. We always want to promptly thank our donors for their generosity, however, sometimes these checks show up and may only say "Fidelity" or "Charles Schwab" with no donor information listed. Informing us of your gift in advance will ensure we can quickly provide your receipt.
Donors age 70½ and older who are still contributing funds to their IRA may not be able to donate their QCD free of taxes. Donors are encouraged to seek financial and tax advice from a qualified professional when making gifts.
For more information, contact West Honeycutt, Director of Planned Giving, at (202) 809-2787 or by email at legacy@npca.org.