Charitable Gift Annuities

Secure, Regular Payments for Life

A Charitable Gift Annuity is a unique giving option in which the National Geographic Society, in return for a gift of cash or marketable securities, agrees to pay you a fixed amount for life. In the year you establish a charitable gift annuity, you may receive a one-time charitable income tax deduction. If your gift is made using long-term appreciated securities, you can also receive additional tax benefits. Your annual payment is fixed, and backed by the full assets of the Society. Up to two people can be named as the beneficiaries of the payments, which are based on your age or ages at the time of your gift. 

Why Choose a Charitable Annuity

PLAN  > PREPARE  >  PROTECT
  • You may be eligible for a charitable tax deduction in the year you make your gift, if funded by check or with appreciated stock. A charitable gift annuity funded with an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution does not provide a charitable deduction. 
  • You or another beneficiary of your choosing receives guaranteed payments every year for as long as you or they live. The payment is calculated as a percentage of your donation and is based on the ages of all beneficiaries. 
  • You can begin receiving payments immediately or defer payments for a year or more, which may result in a higher annual payment.
  • The remainder passes to the National Geographic Society to support our mission after the lifetime of all beneficiaries.
  • You can set up an annuity by check, and other assets may have additional tax advantages such as long-term held appreciated stock or an IRA.
To receive a free, personalized illustration, contact us here and provide your date(s) of birth. Our gift-planning experts are available to share additional information, answer your questions and help guide you with questions to ask your advisors.
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Flexible Funding for Your Future

A Charitable Gift Annuity can be funded with a variety of assets, offering different financial and tax advantages:
  • Check: The simplest way to establish your annuity. 
  • Appreciated Securities: Donate long-term held, appreciated stocks or mutual funds to maximize your gift’s impact while reducing capital gains tax on the appreciation. 
  • IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD): If you are 70.5 or older, you may be able to fund your annuity using a QCD from your IRA. This provides a tax-advantaged way to make a gift and satisfy your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).
Contact us today to learn more about how these different assets can be used to fund a charitable gift annuity and the benefits of each.  Individuals who establish a charitable gift annuity are welcomed to our Alexander Graham Bell Legacy Society. Explore the benefits of being a member of our legacy society.  The National Geographic Society cannot provide tax or legal advice and this information is not intended as such. Please contact an advisor before making a charitable gift to the Society.
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Additional Ways to Create Your Legacy

State Disclosures

The payments made under a charitable gift annuity are backed by the full faith and credit of National Geographic and are not insured or guaranteed by an insurance company or backed in any way by the State of Alabama. At this time, there are no legal proceedings by governmental authorizes, administrative bodies or other persons to which the issuer or its property is or may become a party. A copy of the National Geographic Society annual report with audited financials is available upon request.

Gift annuities are not subject to state regulation and are not approved by the state of Arizona. National Geographic will make additional financial information, including our most current audited and interim financial statements, available on request.

Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under this agreement, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE.  ANY PROSPECTIVE DONOR SHOULD SEEK THE ADVICE OF A QUALIFIED ESTATE AND / OR TAX PROFESSIONAL TO DETERMINE THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS OR HER GIFT.

A qualified charitable gift annuity is not insurance under the laws of Georgia and is not subject to regulation by the Commissioner of Insurance or protected by any insurance guaranty association.

Payments made under the National Geographic Society Charitable Gift Annuity are backed by the full faith and credit of the National Geographic Society. Payments made under the National Geographic Society Charitable Gift Annuity are not insured or otherwise guaranteed by any government entity.

A qualified charitable gift annuity is not insurance under the laws of this state and is not subject to regulation by the Insurance Commissioner or protected by an insurance guaranty association.

A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department.

Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.

Photo credits (from top of page): Pedro Peloso