Fundraising – JESSICA BELLWOAR

Supercharge Your Year-End Impact with EarthShare’s Giving Platform

Posted to Earthshare’s website Dec 1, 2023

It’s that time of year again when twinkling lights, soup, warm fires, and cozy sweaters become the norm for many, and—perhaps less obviously—people begin to think about their year-end giving. For most of us who have budgets to stick to throughout the year, it’s a time to assess where we stand and how much money we have to give to the causes and organizations we care about. And while, certainly, events occur throughout the year that inspire people to give, the importance of end-of-year giving cannot be understated.

For the majority of nonprofits, the month of December alone brings in a quarter of all annual donations—25% of the year’s donations in one month! That’s no small amount.

Giving by individuals is the largest source of philanthropy in the United States. Even more than billion-dollar foundations. It’s people—just like you—who are making the greatest difference. And why do people give? To have a positive impact on the world around them.

But are you making the most of your giving?

Earthshare encourages everyone to take action for a healthy planet! That’s why we spotlight our Network of 500+ environment, climate, and sustainability-focused Nonprofit Partners on our Platform, so you can learn more about the work being done to fight for healthy air, water, land, animals, and wildlife in your community.

But that’s not all. Want to donate to causes besides the environment? Support more than 1 million 501(c)(3) organizations across the U.S.!

All of the causes you love. No limitations. No restrictions.

How It Works

How do you get access to the EarthShare Giving Platform, and how does the Platform work?

For only $25 a year, you become an EarthShare Member and receive instant access to our Giving Platform. (Businesses can join, too, giving this same charitable giving platform to their employees. Learn more here.)

Once you create an account and log-in, you can immediately add funds to your DAF (via credit card or direct deposit, with the option to add recurring deposits) and start giving right away. Unlike other giving accounts, your EarthShare DAF has no minimum, meaning you can fund your account with as little as $.01 if you so choose.

From there, the giving world is your oyster!

Explore our extensive database of nonprofits. Find the organizations you love (including searching by your zip code to find nonprofits in your community).
Search by environmental issue areas. Discover nonprofits doing on-the-ground work for the causes that mean the most to you, from climate change to clean water and more.
Track your impact. See the good your giving is doing! Review your transactions as well as the nonprofits and issue areas you’ve supported. Plus, quickly download your giving receipts—all in one place (super convenient for taxes!).
Stay updated on environmental issues. Browse our extensive content library and learn more about the world’s most pressing environmental issues and the solutions taking place to address them. We have quizzes, tips for living a more sustainable lifestyle, and more.

This year-end giving season, don’t miss out on an opportunity to increase your impact. Whether you’re choosing to support EarthShare and our Network of vetted Nonprofit Partners, or you’re giving to other groups and organizations you love, do it all from one convenient place. No stress. No confusion.

Give and share good with EarthShare.

Continued Good: How to Write a Nonprofit into Your Will and Why You Should

Posted to Earthshare’s website on September 29, 2023

If you’ve ever wondered how you can sustain your legacy of good—even after you’re gone—writing a nonprofit into your will is a great way to continue to give back through your estate. But what about other forms of giving, such as living trusts and bequest giving? Let’s start by talking through all the definitions you’re going to need to know.

Terms to Know

While a will and living trust are both estate planning tools, the main difference between them is how they are managed:

A will, a legal document detailing your assets (money, physical belongings, etc.) and how they should be managed after you pass, is implemented after death.
A living trust on the other hand places all of your assets into a trust fund that can be distributed to your heirs and beneficiaries while you are still alive.

Other terms that you’ll want to be familiar with include:

Legacy Giving – Contributions donors plan to give to a nonprofit after they die.
Estate Planning – The process of creating a legal plan for what should happen to your estate (a term used to refer to all your assets combined) after your death.
Bequest Giving – Similar to Legacy Giving, this is the donation (or “gifting”) of a large amount of money; often (but not always) after the donor has passed away.

What Can You Donate to a Nonprofit In Your Will?

Money in the form of cash may seem like an obvious answer to this question, but did you know you can also donate stocks and bonds as well as add a nonprofit as a beneficiary to your life insurance and retirement funds? That’s right, your estate represents your total assets—not just the money you currently have in your savings account—so this is also money you have to donate if you so choose.

You’re also able to donate real estate, such as your house or another piece of property, as well as personal property such as your vehicle, jewelry, and artwork. You can even include directions in your will for how you would like the nonprofit to use these assets. For example, do you want your vehicle to be gifted to a family in need of the nonprofit’s choosing, or do you want the nonprofit to sell your assets for cash? You have the flexibility to choose what and how you want to contribute; it’s your legacy, after all.

Details You Need to Know

In order to write a nonprofit into your will, there are some official details you will need to have in hand. First and foremost, the full legal name, address, and EIN number of the nonprofit you are interested in donating to. You’ll also want to know exactly how you intend to donate to them. In other words, what is the nature of your gift (cash, property, stock investments, etc.), and how much do you plan to give? Make sure you’re very specific about the number of properties, amount of cash, and/or the percentage of your estate you want to contribute.

From there, you’ll need to decide what kind of beneficiary you want the nonprofit to be: primary, secondary, residuary, or contingency. Most commonly, nonprofits are listed as residuary beneficiaries, meaning they receive a gift only after the primary beneficiaries have received their share of the estate. However, this is not the only method available. You might also want to choose:

Primary Beneficiary –the nonprofit receives all the assets you assign them.
Secondary Beneficiary—if your primary beneficiary passes away before you do, the nonprofit receives all assets intended for the primary beneficiary.
Contingency Gift – the nonprofit is listed as a “backup plan” in case your beneficiaries pass away before you do. This form of giving can also be used as a contingency plan if certain stipulations you put in your will aren’t met. For example, you may say that, in order to receive your estate, your beneficiary must be sober, stay out of jail, etc. If these conditions are not met, your estate is then donated to the nonprofit you’ve chosen.

If you have any questions or concerns about these details, make sure you speak with a qualified estate attorney or your financial advisor!

How Do Gifts From Your Estate Benefit EarthShare?

Estate gifts are kind of a big deal! In general, estate gifts tend to be larger in value and size than one-time cash donations, which means that when you give a legacy gift to EarthShare, you are able to make a BIG and positive impact on the environment.

Your gift also helps us plan for the future. Being able to know what donations will be coming to the organization now and in the future helps us identify more substantial timelines and goals for projects and initiatives, enabling us to do more good. Your contribution directly supports our mission of building a healthier, more sustainable planet for everyone, and enables positive work and change in your memory. That’s a legacy to be proud of.

Ready to Get Started? Here Are Your Next Steps

Contact our Development Director, Jessica Bellwoar, at jessica@earthshare.org to let her know your plans
Speak to a financial advisor or estate attorney to make sure you’ve fully addressed all relevant details
If you include EarthShare in your plans, please use the following legal name and tax identification number:

Legal Name: EarthShare

Address: 1717 K Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20006.

Federal Tax Number/EIN: 52-1601960

Please note that we at EarthShare are not lawyers and are not qualified to give you official legal advice. If you need additional support when it comes to charitable giving and estate planning, be sure to speak with a qualified legal professional!

Celebrate Joe Minott’s 40 Years of Leading Clean Air Council

Make a gift. Honor Joe’s 40 year commitment to fighting for the environment.

The Clean Air Council is celebrating Executive Director and Chief Counsel, Joseph Minott’s 40 years of leading the Clean Air Council! Joe is a sought after environmental voice and leader across the state and the region. He has spent his career championing environmental issues like clean air and water, advocating for a transition away from fossil fuels, and promoting clean energy solutions such as energy efficiency, wind, solar and geothermal.

Being an environmental activist in a fossil fuel state is not for the faint of heart.

Joe started as a new Staff Attorney in 1982 and within 3 years, was appointed as Executive Director and Chief Counsel, and he still fills that role today. Joe fought tirelessly to raise awareness on urban air pollution in the 1980’s by establishing and distributing a daily regional air quality index report that is still used today. And in the early 2000’s when fracking was falsely seen as transitional energy, Joe purposely grew the legal team to oppose natural gas expansion. Working for the Council, Joe and his legal team have sued the federal government, the state government, local governments, and the fossil fuel industry.

Under Joe’s leadership, the Council has grown considerably in depth and breadth, now enjoying a $3 million budget and a staff of over 30 environmental experts. Today, Joe leads the Council in defending PA’s move to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multi-state movement to lower emissions from the power plant sector. Part of Joe’s environmental legacy will be to make sure RGGI crosses the finish line, and that the resulting revenues are invested in clean energy.

Will you donate to celebrate Joe’s 40 years?

Joe has decided that any donations will go toward hiring a Legal Fellow in 2023 to assist the legal team with ongoing litigation, like fighting Mariner East II pipeline, and other proposed natural gas projects such as the Shell Petrochemical Plant. The legal work is one avenue where the Council makes its greatest impact, and currently, there is no funding for the Legal Fellow position for 2023.

Your tax-deductible special gift will go a long way toward strengthening the Council’s legal team and ensuring the Council can hire a Legal Fellow in 2023 for $60,000.

Fundraiser created by Jessica Bellwoar.