Leave a legacy for ocean conservation.
Join the Oceanic Legacy Society and help the ocean you love thrive for decades to come.
For more than 55 years, Oceanic Society has connected people and the ocean through science, travel, and community action. By including Oceanic Society in your estate plans, you can help ensure that the oceans you love today remain vibrant and full of life for generations to come.
A legacy gift is a meaningful way to translate your lifelong passion for the ocean into lasting impact. It costs nothing now, you retain full control of your assets, and you can update your plans at any time. Most importantly, your gift becomes a reflection of your values, protecting the ocean’s future while caring for your loved ones.
Why Legacy Giving Matters
Every great movement depends on visionaries who think beyond their lifetime. Legacy gifts are vital to Oceanic Society’s ability to plan boldly for the future: protecting endangered wildlife, empowering coastal communities, and inspiring new generations of ocean stewards.
Your gift, large or small, strengthens a legacy of ocean conservation that began in 1969 and continues to grow worldwide. Together, we can ensure a future where coral reefs, whales, sea turtles, and coastal ecosystems thrive.
Real Impact, Real Legacy
Legacy gifts from people like you have helped Oceanic Society to:
- Protect sea turtles in more than 50 countries through the State of the World’s Sea Turtles (SWOT) grants program.
- Mobilize volunteers in more than 23 countries to clean plastic pollution from our oceans and coasts and inspire change through action.
- Establish and support marine protected areas, including Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve in Belize.
- Support sustainable ocean economies through responsible nature tourism.
- Develop innovative behavior-change programs that inspire global pro-ocean action.
- Provide free educational boat trips for thousands of underserved students in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Your legacy gift sustains this vital work — creating a ripple effect that touches oceans, communities, and lives around the world.
Ways to Leave a Legacy
A legacy gift can take many forms, each one simple, flexible, and deeply impactful. The following information is provided to help you in your estate planning, though it is not intended as legal, financial, or other professional advice. Every situation is unique, and it is important that you speak with your financial advisor or attorney to determine the best course of action for your legacy.
Include a gift to Oceanic Society in your will or living trust.
Designate a specific amount, asset, or percentage of your estate.
Sample language:“I bequeath ___% [or ___ dollars] of my estate [or description of assets] to Oceanic Society, a nonprofit organization located at 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross, CA 94957 (Tax ID: 94-3105570), to be used for its general charitable purposes.”
Your personal attorney or financial advisor can help you include this language, and we’re happy to provide a sample or walk you through it. If your circumstances change, you can always adjust your gift.
Name Oceanic Society as a beneficiary of your retirement account.
Add us to your retirement plan, IRA, or life insurance policy as a beneficiary. These gifts are easy to set up, can reduce taxes for your heirs, and can often be completed online.
Give a gift of stock or securities.
One of the most tax-efficient ways to give. If you have securities that have increased in value, you not only receive a deduction based on the full appreciated value, but you can also avoid the capital gains tax that would have been due had you sold the shares. Download our stock donation form for more details.
Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Remainder
Designate Oceanic Society to receive the remaining balance of your DAF, continuing your charitable impact automatically.
Quick Tip: Beneficiary designations are often the simplest way to make a legacy gift and can be updated anytime, without revising your will.
Oceanic Legacy Society
The Oceanic Legacy Society is a community of advocates who have committed to the preservation and rejuvenation of our oceans and the livelihoods they sustain.
Your decision to include a gift for Oceanic Society in your will or trust, or to designate us as a beneficiary of your retirement plan or financial account, is a powerful testament to our shared hope for the future — a future where collective efforts create a positive impact on our oceans.
As a member of the Oceanic Legacy Society, you join an inspiring circle of ocean-champions whose vision reaches far beyond the present moment. You will receive a personal welcome, regular updates on the long-term impact your gift supports, and an invitation to special gatherings with peers and conservation leaders.
In return, we promise to:
- Honor Your Intentions: We are dedicated to carefully stewarding the legacy you entrust to us.
- Provide Acknowledgment and Respect: Members of the Oceanic Legacy Society have the choice to be acknowledged publicly for their generosity, commemorate their gift in honor of a loved one, or receive a private expression of our gratitude.
- Give Lasting Appreciation: We deeply value the commitment shown by our Oceanic Legacy Society members in safeguarding the ocean and marine life for future generations.
As we work together towards a brighter marine future, your support serves as the cornerstone of our efforts to ensure a world where oceans thrive.
Join the Oceanic Legacy Society today by letting us know about your estate plans.
Let us know your plans!
Your connection to the ocean is deep, and your legacy can be even deeper. Consider making a gift that reaches beyond a lifetime and inspires new generations to protect our seas. Contact our team today at donations@oceanicsociety.org, by mail to P.O. Box 844, Ross, CA 94957, or call us directly for a confidential conversation about your legacy. We would be honored to welcome you into the Oceanic Legacy Society.
Thank you for helping us create a more Oceanic Society for the years to come!
Legacy Giving Resources
Create a Legacy for the Ocean This October
Each October, National Estate Planning Awareness Month reminds us to plan wisely for the future, both for the people we…
Make-A-Will Month: Leave a Legacy for the Ocean
Each August, Make-A-Will Month reminds us to take an important and empowering step: putting our wishes in writing. Creating a…
Nancy Wotkyns (1942-2023) Legacy Gift Honors Oceanic Society and Global Sea Turtle Conservation
Oceanic Society staff and board were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our friend Nancy Wotkyns of Eaton…
It’s A Great Time to Donate Stock to Charity
With the recent appreciation in the stock market, now would be a great time to consider making a charitable donation…
Extending Your Generosity Now and into the Future: Donating During Retirement
If you are like me—deeply committed to a cause—but retired on a fixed income, then a major gift to support…
Oceanic Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with headquarters in Ross, CA, USA (tax ID: 94-3105570). Your donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law. To request additional information or to make a donation by check, wire transfer, or stock transfer, please contact us.
