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Planned Giving

Making a planned gift is an investment that helps sustain the Oregon Zoo’s promise to inspire and mobilize humanity to love and act for wildlife, while accommodating your personal, financial and philanthropic goals.

Polar bear Nora swimming in saltwater pool.

A meaningful gift for your zoo and the animals you love.

Making a planned gift is an investment that helps sustain the Oregon Zoo’s promise to inspire and mobilize humanity to love and act for wildlife, while accommodating your personal, financial and philanthropic goals. Contact Natalie Neshyba at 503-914-6029 or email natalie.neshyba@oregonzoo.org to discuss these opportunities and determine the gift that is right for you!

Make a memorial or tribute gift

Honoring someone special in your life with a gift to the Oregon Zoo Foundation is a meaningful way to pay tribute to the individual and honor the zoo memories you and your loved one shared. Make your gift online and indicate in the comments section that this gift is in honor of, or in memory of your loved one, or mail a check to our office:

Oregon Zoo Foundation, 4001 SW Canyon Road, Portland, Oregon 97221

Designate your gift to an endowment fund

Your gift can sustain important zoo programs for many years to come by designating your gift to one of our established endowment funds for education, conservation, animal welfare and Asian Elephants.

Name the Oregon Zoo Foundation in your will or trust

You love wildlife and a gift in your will or trust will ensure that future generations can experience the wonder of our natural world. Have you already included the foundation in your plans? Please let us know so that we can thank you and welcome you into our Wildlife Legacy Society.

Designate the Oregon Zoo Foundation as a beneficiary of a qualified retirement plan or other financial account

Making the Oregon Zoo Foundation the beneficiary of your IRA or other retirement accounts, life insurance policy or transfer-on-death accounts is simple and gives you flexibility to meet your financial needs during your lifetime. Have you already included the foundation as a beneficiary? Please let us know so that we can thank you and welcome you into our Wildlife Legacy Society. Sample bequest language and a bequest intention letter is available below.

Legal name: Oregon Zoo Foundation
Address: 4001 SW Canyon Road, Portland, Oregon 97221
Federal tax ID number: 93-0718337

Important Tip: Please don’t forget to notify us when you have designated the Oregon Zoo Foundation as a beneficiary on an account. Many financial institutions assume no obligation to notify a charity of your designation. We would love to talk about your gift intentions with you so we can ensure that they are followed.

Make a gift of stock

Your gift of appreciated stocks, bonds and mutual funds that you have owned for more than a year can make a significant and lasting impact at your zoo. When making a charitable gift of securities to the Oregon Zoo Foundation, you may be able to  reduce or eliminate federal capital gains taxes and receive a charitable income tax deduction for the fair market value of the asset upon transfer. Stock transfer instructions are available below.

Make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)

If you are 70 1/2 or older, you can donate any amount (up to a maximum of $100,000) per year from your IRA directly to a qualified charity such as the Oregon Zoo Foundation. QCDs are limited to the amount that would be otherwise be taxed as ordinary income. This gift can satisfy part or all of your Required Minimum Distribution and is not treated as taxable income to you, so a QCD can be used to lower your annual income. Because a QCD is not a tax deduction, it is also a great option to support your zoo even if you do not itemize.

Make a gift of real estate

Would you like your real property to pay you income for life? Has your home risen in value beyond the capital gains exclusion rate? Do you own residential, commercial, or undeveloped real estate that has appreciated in value and you no longer wish to manage or maintain the property? If you are interested in making a meaningful gift to benefit the Oregon Zoo and your answer to any of these questions is “yes,” a gift of real estate may be a good option for you.

Gifts of appreciated real estate such as a personal residence, vacation home or rental property to the Oregon Zoo Foundation can be transformational for your zoo while at the same time, beneficial for you. You’ll know that you’ve made a big difference for your zoo, and at the same time, if you’ve owned the property for more than one year, you may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction, you may minimize or eliminate capital gains tax, and you’ll be free of property maintenance duties and fees.  

There are several different techniques you may consider:

  • Gift your real estate with a retained life interest.
  • Funding a charitable remainder trust
  • Funding a charitable lead trust
  • Making a bargain sale to the Oregon Zoo Foundation

Please contact Natalie Neshyba at 503-914-6029 or email natalie.neshyba@oregonzoo.org to discuss these opportunities and determine the gift that is right for you!