Pay It Forward for the Parks

Making a future gift for Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks demonstrates your support for national parks beyond your lifetime and ensures their future for generations to come.

Already included the parks in your gift plans? Notify us by completing our online intention form (or print, complete, and mail in our PDF form). When you share your plans with us, we can ensure your gift designation is implemented as you intend and celebrate your gift now.

Easy Ways to Support the Parks

Planned and estate giving can be an easy, highly effective way to support Washington’s national parks. Often, all it takes is a simple form or phone call to set up a donation that will help provide for the park’s future. Gifts of any size make a big difference — and can benefit you, too!

Plus, when you make a planned gift today you can help unlock up to $5,000 through our Legacy Challenge. Learn more here.

 

Find Your Option

Here are just a few of the many ways you can support the park through non-cash gifts. We look forward to helping you make a plan that fits your goals and are here to answer any questions you might have.

Wills and Trusts

Including Washington’s National Park fund in your will or trust is an easy way to make a lasting difference for the park — without affecting your income during your lifetime. You can choose to leave the Fund a specific amount or percentage of your estate, or the balance remaining after distributions have been made to other beneficiaries.

Click here to see sample language to use when creating your will.

Retirement Plans & Bank Accounts

Make a plan to support the parks’ future by leaving all or part of the balance of your IRA, 401(k) or other financial account to the parks — all you need to do is submit a simple form to your plan administrator naming us as a beneficiary. We’ll receive the assets tax-free; you’ll still be able to take withdrawals and modify your beneficiaries if your family’s needs change during your lifetime. Leaving your retirement accounts to a charity is generally more tax advantageous because they are exempt from high-rate income taxes that would be owed by your heirs upon receipt of these assets.

If you’re at least 70.5 years old, you can also make tax-free gifts to the Fund of up to $111,000 from your traditional or Roth IRA. Your donation will count toward your minimum required distribution.

Life Insurance

Have you paid off a life insurance policy? When you transfer policy ownership to WNPF, you’ll be able to make a generous, meaningful gift through an asset you and your family no longer need — and your gift will be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Every individual has unique needs and goals. Your legal, financial and/or tax professionals can advise you on which solution is best for your situation. We are not legal or tax advisory professionals and cannot provide legal or tax advice.

Get Started

Incorporating Washington’s National Park Fund into your estate, will, trust, retirement plan, or donor-advised fund is a simple but powerful way to protect the parks you love for generations to come. Contact us to learn more about your options and plan your gift.

 

Get In Touch

 

Please note that all gifts must align with our Gift Acceptance Guidelines.

 

Unlock the Legacy Challenge

Thanks to a group of visionary donors, a $100,000 Legacy Challenge is now available. When you share your intent to include WNPF in your will, trust, or retirement plans, you can unlock up to $5,000 in immediate funding for today’s highest-priority park needs. It’s a powerful opportunity: a future gift becomes present-day impact.

Here’s How It Works:

  1. 1. Include WNPF in your will or trust, or name WNPF as a retirement beneficiary.
  2. 2. Notify us to unlock challenge funds: wnpf.org/intention.
  3. 3. WNPF unlocks funds based on your future gift’s estimated value.

Planned Gifts of Any Size Qualify

  • Gifts of $25,000 or greater unlock $5,000 in Challenge funds.
  • Gifts of less than $25,000, or undisclosed amounts, unlock $1,000 in Challenge funds.

For more information download our Legacy Challenge flyer (PDF).

Join the Parks Everlasting Society

When you make a bequest or other planned gift, you’ll join our Parks Everlasting Society, a group of passionate park supporters dedicated to protecting the park during and beyond their lifetimes.

Parks Everlasting Society members receive special benefits and communications, including invitations to events and other special opportunities to hear updates from the parks.

Parks Everlasting Society Logo

Hear From Our Members

Here’s what some of our Parks Everlasting Society members have to say about what inspires them to give to Washington’s national parks now and for future generations.

A bequest certainly fits the national parks better than almost anything you can do. You are saying ‘I want to invest in something beyond my lifetime.’ I can’t think of anything that is more permanent than preservation of our national parks. The legacy of a bequest gift will go on for generations to come. Our children’s children benefit from that kind of gift.

– Honorable Dan Evans, former Washington Governor and Senator

Footer photo (below): North Cascades National Park by Nate Brown

 

Your Support Powers the Parks