At Pacific Marine Mammal Center, we think of our donors as our partners. With your generosity we are able to continue our mission to rescue, medically treat, and rehabilitate marine mammals that strand along the Orange County coastline due to illness or injury; release healthy marine mammals to their natural habitat, while preserving species diversity; and increase public awareness of the marine environment through education and research. In the spirit of this partnership, we are pleased to share ways that a planned gift to Pacific Marine Mammal Center can be mutually beneficial.

A planned gift can provide guaranteed income security, the stability of a fixed income, a charitable tax deduction, gift and estate tax savings, protection for your estate against probate, and more. You will also have the satisfaction of knowing that your planned gift will support our organization in perpetuity.

A bequest is a gift made through your will. The gift becomes effective after your lifetime and, in the meantime, you can amend it whenever you wish. You can designate this gift in several ways; a percentage of your estate, a dollar amount, or specific property (i.e. real property, art work, or securities), are most typical.

In addition to bequests, there are planned giving options that make it possible to support Pacific Marine Mammal Center while continuing to fulfill your other obligations.

A revocable living trust, which allows you to receive income from the trust for life. If that amount becomes insufficient to meet your needs you can withdraw assets from the trust at any time. In the trust agreement, you can specify that whatever assets are left in the trust after your lifetime will go to Pacific Marine Mammal Center. In the meantime, the terms of the trust are flexible; you can add to it, amend it, or revoke it at any time.

A charitable remainder trust is similar to other types of trusts. However, a distinguishing feature of this type of trust is that the amount of money distributed at its termination - the remainder - is paid to a charitable beneficiary such as Pacific Marine Mammal Center. This allows you to convert assets such as real estate, stocks, or collectibles into a lifetime income for yourself and your spouse and enables your heirs to avoid paying capital gains or estate taxes on the sale. Pacific Marine Mammal Center is named as the recipient of the trust assets after your lifetime.

A bank account is another way that you can make a revocable trust gift. You can open an account in your name in trust for Pacific Marine Mammal Center. During your lifetime you will receive interest on the account and can add or withdraw funds at any time. After your lifetime the balance becomes the property of Pacific Marine Mammal Center to benefit our programs.

Often your financial responsibilities extend beyond your lifetime. You may need continuing income to provide for a surviving spouse or elderly parents. In such a case, there are other planned giving options that not only provide Pacific Marine Mammal Center with a gift, but also pay income for life to one or more selected beneficiaries.

A testamentary charitable gift annuity is one way you can help both loved ones and Pacific Marine Mammal Center. This is a combination of a gift and an investment under which, in exchange for a transfer of cash or property, Pacific Marine Mammal Center will contractually guarantee to pay a specified annuity to one or two beneficiaries for life.

You can also make a gift of life insurance. By making Pacific Marine Mammal Center the primary or contingent beneficiary of an existing policy, you still own the policy and maintain control all of its options. Donors concerned about providing for children can provide for a charity as well with a life insurance trust. The trustee of the insurance trust can purchase enough life insurance to replace the full property value for the children. The proceeds are kept out of the taxable estate and children pay no income or estate taxes.

A memorial gift is a charitable bequest given in memory of a donor or loved one. Pacific Marine Mammal Center is pleased to honor these wishes and has many suitable ways to grant recognition.