Legacy Giving

Create a Legacy through the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Long-Term Investment Fund for Digital Civil Liberties

There are many ways you can make a significant gift to EFF that will provide you with tax savings and other benefits. Depending upon your unique financial planning objectives, you can be a major supporter of EFF using any or all of the giving methods described below. It is important, regardless of the size of your estate, to have a properly executed plan to ensure that you, not the courts, determine who will receive your property upon your death. When you create a will or living trust with a qualified advisor, attorney, accountant and/or financial planner, you ensure that your intentions are carried out. You are also ensuring that the needs of the people and organizations you care about will be met. The Development Team is prepared to work closely with you and your financial advisors to explain the benefits of each gift category. We encourage you to consult with your tax advisor for specific information about your own estate and financial planning goals.

Bequests

The amount of a bequest gift is fully deductible for estate tax purposes. Gifts of securities, real property, and business interests may be made as bequests. Some sample language you can use to include EFF in your estate plan: "I bequeath to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, 815 Eddy Street, San Francisco, California 94109, the sum of ______________ ($) dollars for its general purposes."

Gifts of Life Insurance

By naming EFF the owner and beneficiary of an existing policy, you receive a tax deduction for the cash surrender value. You may also decide to make EFF the beneficiary of a life insurance policy. If you make gifts to EFF in the amount of the policy's premiums, you can take a charitable income tax deduction (provided EFF is not obligated to use the payments to cover the policy's premium).

Retirement Plans

You can name EFF as a beneficiary of an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), 401 (k) Plan, 403 (b) Plan, Qualified Pension Plan, or Qualified Profit-Sharing Plan. Transferring these assets to a family member at the death of the plan participant may trigger two potential federal taxes: estate tax and income tax. When a beneficiary is someone other than a spouse, the combination of these taxes could consume most of the assets intended for transfer. Since EFF is a tax-exempt organization, we do not have to pay taxes on the income from the plan. Your plan administrator can provide you with a beneficiary form.

Financial Accounts

By including EFF as a beneficiary of a bank account, brokerage account, mutual fund account, or an asset such as a certificate of deposit (CD), you can provide a legacy gift to support our work. Your estate would receive a charitable deduction equal to the amount of the gift. Simply fill out a beneficiary designation form obtained from the institution holding your account.

Specific language for a bequest

Organization name: Electronic Frontier Foundation
Address: 815 Eddy Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
Tax identification number: 04-3091431
Organization type: Nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status
Legal Language: Electronic Frontier Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, organized and existing under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and with the principal business address of 815 Eddy Street, San Francisco, CA 94109.

For more information on legacy giving to EFF, please contact Allison Morris at allison@eff.org.

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Online Purchases: eBay, No Starch Press

Benefit EFF with your online transactions.

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Organizational Membership

Donations from businesses and other organizations allow EFF to address challenges to digital freedom wherever we are needed most. While EFF does not endorse private companies or their products, we're grateful for their contributions in support of our digital rights work. Learn more about organizational membership here.

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Stock Donations

A gift of appreciated stock generally offers a twofold tax savings. First, you avoid paying any capital gains tax on the increase in the value of the stock. Second, you receive a charitable income tax deduction for the fair market value of the stock on the date it is transferred. Make sure you have owned the stock for a "long-term" period (more than 12 months) to qualify for these tax advantages. Gifts of appreciated stock are fully deductible--up to a maximum of 30% of your adjusted gross income. Please check with your accountant or tax advisor regarding your particular tax status.

To facilitate the transfer of securities, please use the following information:

• Brokerage Firm: Morgan Stanley
• Account Name: Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Contact: Douglas Ingham: 650-926-7621
• E-mail: Douglas.J.Ingham@morganstanley.com
• EFF Account #: 233-055606-950
• DTC #: 0015
• Tax ID #: 04-3091431

Please let us know in advance if you are transmitting securities via DTC by contacting EFF's Donor Relations Manager Daniel de Zeeuw at ddz@eff.org. You may also find it convenient to email him a copy of the letter of authorization from your broker.

Your support of EFF enables us to continue the fight to defend digital freedom for all. Thank you!

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Volunteer: Donate Your Time

EFF relies on financial support from supporters like you, but you can also engage with digital rights issues by becoming a volunteer or spreading the word with the Electronic Frontier Alliance.

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