Leave a Legacy For Sea Turtles

Did you know that you can help save sea turtles in your will or by giving stock or cryptocurrency? By leaving a bequest or donating assets, you can have a huge impact on protecting important nesting beaches, ending the illegal trade in turtleshell, getting plastic out of sea turtle habitat, and helping educate people about how to protect these animals. 

You can name SEE Turtles as a primary or a contingent beneficiary of your retirement plan, a life insurance policy, financial accounts, personal property, or other assets. Learn more below.

“If you are interested in sea turtle conservation, this is the right place. As a small, family foundation, it is critical that our donations be targeted and efficient. I can say with full confidence that SEE Turtles is 100% respected as a leading organization in the field, committed, and scrupulous to its administration of a lean operation. I am very proud that SEE Turtles is our first and most important partner.
-Dan Berman, J. Berman Memorial Fund
”

Types of Bequests:

  • General Bequest: A specific dollar amount designated to SEE Turtles.

  • Specific Bequest: Allocating a specific asset to a beneficiary like SEE Turtles.

  • Residuary Bequest: To leave SEE Turtles what remains of the estate after loved ones are taken care of.

  • Contingent Bequest: Designate SEE Turtles to receive benefits if a beneficiary named in the will are not living at the time of death.

If you wish to name SEE Turtles in your will or estate plan, we should be named as:

SEE Turtles, a nonprofit corporation, organized and existing under the laws of the state of Oregon, with principal business address of 5605 SE Rural St, Portland OR 97206.

  • Our tax identification number is: 81-4325149

  • Our phone number is 800-215-0378

  • Date of Incorporation: Oct 25, 2016

  • SEE Turtles is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Donating Stock

Donating stock a great way to have a huge impact on sea turtle conservation while avoiding capital gains taxes and getting a tax deduction. Download our Stock Donation Information here or contact us to learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions About Planned Giving

Why include SEE Turtles as a beneficiary in your estate?

  • Leave a legacy for sea turtles around the world.

  • Retain control of your assets. If your circumstances change, you can modify your gift.

  • Reduced taxes for your beneficiaries. A well-designed plan can result in your estate paying less tax, allowing you to leave more for your beneficiaries.

How will my bequest help protect sea turtles?

SEE Turtles is an award-winning organization that will use your bequest efficiently and effectively.

Our programs protect sea turtles around the world by:

  • Providing financial support for important nesting beaches run by local organizations. We have helped save more than 4 million endangered baby turtles at more than 30 beaches around the world. These funds both help save turtles and benefit local communities by providing employment for local residents. Learn more about our Billion Baby Turtles program.

  • Working to end the illegal turtleshell trade. We work with organizations and the tourism industry to educate travelers about these products and how to avoid them and support efforts to stop this trade in hotspots around the world. Learn more about our Too Rare To Wear campaign.

  • Our conservation trips help benefit local communities and turtle conservation and research. To date, we have generated more than US $1 million for conservation and coastal communities and our travelers have contributed more than 5,000 volunteer shifts. Learn more about our turtle conservation trips.

  • Our school programs reach thousands of students every year with free resources for teachers including lesson plans, educational videos, classroom presentations, and hands-on field trips.

For these efforts, we have won the Changemakers Award from the World Travel & Tourism Council and the Skal Sustainable Tourism Award.

What kinds of bequests can I make to SEE Turtles?

SEE Turtles is able to accept cash, stock, and other liquid properties. We are not able to accept donations of land and we do not offer charitable gift annuities.

SEE Turtles is now named in my estate, now what?

Let us know by emailing us at brad@seeturtles.org. Our Leatherback Legacy program includes a free gift pack, discounts on our conservation tours and online gift shop, and more.

Do you have sample language to include in my will?

I give [__ percent of my estate, or description of asset, or ____ dollars] to SEE Turtles, a Portland OR based nonprofit corporation (Tax ID 81-4325149) for general use (or specific program name).

You can also designate which of our programs you want to support, either Billion Baby Turtles program (which supports nesting beaches around the world) or Too Rare To Wear (which works to end the illegal turtleshell trade).

Can SEE Turtles serve as a personal representative, executor, trustee, or witness for our bequest?

No, unfortunately we are not able to provide those services.