Real Estate Gifts
You can support Audubon by donating land or leaving real estate to us in your will. Here's what you need to know.
Thank you for considering a gift of real estate to Audubon! There are two types of real estate that donors most often want to leave:
1. Land that donors would like to see permanently protected.
We receive many offers, but are not able to manage and sustain all of the real estate that is offered to us. We are usually able to only consider those that are adjacent to an existing Audubon Sanctuary, Center, or other high-priority project. Please contact us if you think this is the case.
2. Real estate to be sold, with the proceeds supporting our work.
If you are leaving a gift of real estate to Audubon through a will or trust, we prefer that you instruct your executor/trustee to sell the property and donate the proceeds to Audubon. This enables Audubon to continue its focus on identified priority habitats for birds, and still provides your estate with a tax deduction for the value of the land as sold. This includes not only rural lands, but also residential and commercial properties.
Please use the following suggested language in your Will or Living Trust:
I instruct my executor to sell the property owned by me and located at [address/description of property, lot number, etc.]. The net proceeds from this sale should be donated to the National Audubon Society, Inc., a not-for-profit organization, with its principal offices located at 225 Varick Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10014. Tax ID # 13-1624102.
You may also wish to specify how these proceeds should be used by Audubon:
These proceeds should be used for [ex: conservation programs in the Pacific Flyway; education programs in Florida; etc.].
If you wish to sell the property during your lifetime, placing it in a Charitable Remainder Unitrust would be a way for you to receive income with the remainder coming to Audubon later. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this possibility.
Please contact us at 212-979-3033 or plannedgifts@audubon.org for further assistance.
Shari Kolding
Vice President of Gift Planning
Audubon.org/legacy