African Wildlife Foundation Make Africa Your Heir

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Make Africa Your Heir
Zebra
Wild dogs
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Wildebeest
Elephants
Leave a Legacy Gift to
African Wildlife Foundation

This booklet is intended as a reference for individuals and families
considering a legacy gift to the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF).
Your generous gifts will help ensure AWF has the resources to
continue its ground breaking fieldwork in species protection, land
conservation, capacity-building and education, and conservation
enterprise.
We at AWF stand ready to assist donors and their advisors in
matching their financial planning needs with AWF’s philanthropic
priorities. For more information, please contact:
African Wildlife Foundation
Office of Legacy Giving
1400 Sixteenth Street, NW, Suite 120
Washington, DC 20036 USA
Tax ID #: 52-0781390
Telephone: (202) 939-3333
Toll free: (888) 494-5354
Fax: (202) 939-3332
Email: legacygifts@awf.org
Cover Photo: Daryl & Sharna Balfour
Web site: www.awf.org/legacy
The information in this publication is not intended as financial or legal
advice. Please consult your advisers as you consider a legacy gift.

How to make a Legacy Gift to
African Wildlife Foundation
Table of Contents
Bequests—Remembering AWF in Your Will
Retirement Plan Assets—A Tax Efficient Gift
Life Insurance—Make AWF a Beneficiary
of Your Policy
Charitable Lead Trusts—Pass More to
Your Heirs by Helping AWF First
Retained Life Estate—An Option that Lets You
Have it Both Ways
Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust—A Gift
to AWF with Predictable Benefits to You
Charitable Remainder Unitrust—A Gift with
Built-in Flexibility
Choose A Gift Option RIGHT FOR YOU
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AWF’s Kilimanjaro Society!
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3

BEQUESTS
Remembering African Wildlife Foundation
in Your Will
One of the simplest ways to make a gift to the African Wildlife
Foundation (AWF) is through your Will. Bequests can be
made in the form of a specific gift of cash or property, or as
a percentage of an estate. Your bequest might fall into one of
the following categories:
Specific Bequest: You name AWF as a direct
beneficiary of a specific amount of money or a
specific percentage of your estate.
I hereby give $___ (or describe the specific property you intend
to bequeath - stocks, bonds, etc.- or designate a percentage,
e.g. 20%, of your estate or of an asset) to the African Wildlife
Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable corporation incorporated
in the District of Columbia and presently having offices at
1400 Sixteenth Street, NW, Suite 120, Washington, DC
20036, USA.
Tax ID #:52-0781390
Residuary Bequest: You can designate AWF to
receive all or a portion of the remainder of your estate
once all specific bequests have been satisfied.
After all specific bequests, devises, and expenses have been
taken care of, I hereby give the residuary (or __%) of my estate
to the African Wildlife Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable
corporation incorporated in the District of Columbia and
presently having offices at 1400 Sixteenth Street, NW, Suite
120, Washington, DC 20036, USA.
Contingent Bequest: You can name AWF as the
contingent beneficiary to receive assets in case your
named individual beneficiaries do not survive you.
If (insert name) does not survive me, I hereby give the rest,
residue and remainder of my estate to the African Wildlife
Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable corporation incorporated
in the District of Columbia and presently having offices at
1400 Sixteenth Street, NW, Suite 120, Washington, DC
20036, USA.
4 Always consult your advisors regarding philanthropic gifts.

5
Please Let Us Know
If you are planning to make AWF a beneficiary
of your estate, we encourage you to let us
know. We would like to express our appreciation
for your legacy gift and welcome you to the
Kilimanjaro Society, an exclusive group of our
most dedicated supporters. Should you prefer,
we will also honor your request to remain
anonymous.
We can work with you and your financial
advisers to ensure your bequest is planned and
administered properly.
lion billy-dodson
© Billy Dodson

“There is no place on Earth like the continent
of Africa. I can’t imagine a world devoid of the
diversity of magnificent species which live there.
Years ago when I contemplated my estate plans,
the decision to include AWF in my will was easy
as I know from personal experience that the
organization is an innovator in crafting initiatives
that will shape an enduring future for Africa’s
wildlife and wild lands.”
—Craig R. Sholley
AWF VP for Philanthropy and Marketing
Kilimanjaro Society Member since 2006
RETIREMENT PLAN ASSETS
The Tax—Efficient Gift
Did you know that you can designate the African Wildlife
Foundation as beneficiary of your retirement account? It’s one
way to make a wonderful gift in support of conservation in
Africa, while at the same time avoiding income and/or estate
taxes for yourself and your heirs.
Retirement plan funds—IRAs, 401(K) plans, Keogh plans and
others—are subject to estate taxes, as well as income taxes
when left to your heirs. In many cases, the combination of
estate and income taxes can reduce the value of the retirement
savings by as much as 65 percent. Careful planning can
minimize, or even eliminate, the taxes due on retirement plan
assets during life and death.
You may find it most tax efficient to name the African Wildlife
Foundation as the beneficiary of all or part of your retirement
account, leaving other, less heavily taxed assets to heirs.
Retirement plan assets are distributed outside of probate and
are entirely free from federal estate and income taxes when the
African Wildlife Foundation is named as a beneficiary.
6 Always consult your advisors regarding philanthropic gifts.

© Craig R. Sholley
Benefits
Naming AWF as the primary beneficiary avoids income
and/or estate taxes.
Giving AWF a specific amount before giving the
remainder to family allows partial savings.
Naming AWF as the contingent beneficiary allows for
greater flexibility.
Donating retirement plan assets could be the most costeffective
gift you can make.
To implement your wishes, simply advise your retirement
plan administrator(s) of your decision and sign the
required form(s). For an IRA or Keogh plan you administer
personally, notify the custodian in writing, and keep a copy
with your valuable papers. Here’s how you might list us on
your retirement plan beneficiary form:
African Wildlife Foundation,
1400 Sixteenth Street, NW, Suite 120,
Washington, DC 20036, USA
Tax ID #: 52-0781390
Always consult your advisors regarding philanthropic gifts.
7

© Craig R. Sholley
LIFE INSURANCE
Make AWF a Beneficiary of Your Policy
Did you know you could make AWF a beneficiary of one or
more life insurance policies? Perhaps many years ago you
obtained one or more policies and you no longer need them.
Or perhaps you’re looking for a way to make a substantial
contribution in support of AWF and our conservation work in
Africa.
Benefits
Naming AWF as beneficiary but keeping ownership
allows for greater flexibility.
Naming AWF as contingent beneficiary grants your
family security.
Estate taxes are reduced because proceeds are
removed from your estate.
You can also use life insurance to replace the value of a
different gift. For example, you could donate stock to AWF
because of the tax advantages and purchase life insurance to
benefit your heirs in the amount they would have received had
you left them stock.
8
Always consult your advisors regarding philanthropic gifts.

“The wildlife and people of Africa have had a
part of my heart since I was a child. I know the
dedication and integrity of AWF will outlast the
decades and, through them, I can play a small part
in saving the incredible species that are a part of us
and our spirits and belong in our world.”
—Barbara Perry
Kilimanjaro Society Member since 2009
CHARITABLE LEAD TRUSTS
Make a Charitable Gift(s) to AWF and Pass More
to Your Heirs
Creating a charitable lead trust is one way to pass assets to
your family with significant estate tax savings while at the
same time making a gift to AWF.
After the African Wildlife Foundation receives income from
assets in the trust for a period of years the principal goes to
your family, with estate or gift taxes usually reduced or even
eliminated.
Benefits
The trust can be funded during your lifetime or
through your Will.
You support AWF’s mission through annual
income payouts.
You can reduce your taxable estate and potential
gift taxes.
Assets can be kept in the family.
The lead trust is an exceptional way to transfer assets to your
children or other heirs at minimal tax cost. This is ideal if you
are willing to forgo investment income on an asset but don’t
want to force your heirs to surrender the principal. With a lead
trust, you carry out your philanthropic plans over the coming
years and save taxes.
Always consult your advisors regarding philanthropic gifts. 9

In 2006, charitable bequests in the United States
totaled almost $23 billion.
In the next 50 years, it’s estimated that more
than $41 trillion will be transferred to the next
generation, and a substantial percentage of that,
likely between $6.6 trillion to $27.4 trillion, will
be donated to charity.
Giving a charitable gift from your estate may
offer a number of benefits. It allows you to make
a meaningful gift to the charity or charities of
your choice, perhaps even bigger than you may
have thought possible.
Legacy gifts may also reduce the amount of
taxable assets passed to heirs, create income tax
savings, and help to avoid capital gains tax.
© Billy Dodson

© Billy Dodson
RETAINED LIFE ESTATE
Donate Your Home While You Continue Living In It
Suppose you like the tax advantages that a charitable gift of
real estate would offer, but you want to continue living in your
personal residence for your lifetime. Did you know you can do
both? This solution is called the retained life estate.
By deeding your home (ie., vacation home, condominium, or
farm) to AWF, you will receive an income tax deduction the
year you make the gift. You will continue to have responsibility
for maintenance, insurance and property taxes on the real
estate. Then, after you or your spouse have passed away, your
home becomes the property of AWF.
Should you decide to move out of your home before your
retained life estate ends, you can donate your remaining right
to live in your home to AWF and earn another income tax
deduction.
By making the gift, you may reduce future estate taxes and
probate costs.
Benefits
Use the residence for your life and/or another
person’s life.
Receive income tax savings through a charitable deduction
for a portion of your home’s value.
Reduce estate taxes.
Make a gift of only partial interest in the property and
receive tax advantages.
Always consult your advisors regarding philanthropic gifts.
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CHARITABLE REMAINDER
ANNUITY TRUST
A Gift to Us With Predictable Benefits to You
Perhaps you’re looking to get rid of certain assets or poorperforming
investments in the stock and bond markets, while
at the same time providing for yourself and/or your heirs as
well as the African Wildlife Foundation. A charitable remainder
annuity trust allows you to do all three and potentially avoid
capital gains tax on any appreciated securities.
A charitable remainder annuity trust is a gift plan that allows
you to provide a fixed dollar amount to yourself or others
for your lifetime(s). With this plan you can choose multiple
annuitants as well as one or more charitable beneficiaries.
Instead of giving your gift directly to AWF, with an annuity
trust you irrevocably transfer assets, usually cash or securities,
to a trustee of your choice (for example, a bank trust
department). The income payments are fixed, based on the
starting valuation. After your or another named beneficiary’s
lifetime and the lifetime of the survivor beneficiary (if desired),
the remainder of the trust goes to AWF to support our mission.
Benefits
Receive a fixed dollar income paid annually, semiannually,
quarterly, or monthly.
Obtain a charitable deduction.
Increase your income from a low-yield asset.
Gain freedom from investment management.
Avoid up-front capital gains tax on long-term
appreciated assets used to fund the trust.
12 Always consult your advisors regarding philanthropic gifts.

© Billy Dodson
CHARITABLE REMAINDER
UNITRUST
A Gift With Built-in Flexibility
A charitable remainder unitrust, similar to a charitable
remainder annuity trust, is a trust in which the donor transfers
certain assets to the trust which will in turn pay an annual
income to one or more beneficiaries for their lives or for a term
of years (not to exceed 20). However, the unitrust differs
from an annuity trust in that the donor receives as income a
fixed percentage of the value of the trust assets, determined
annually.
If the unitrust’s value increases from one year to the next,
its payout also increases proportionately. Likewise, if the
unitrust’s value decreases, the amount it distributes also
decreases. For this reason, it may be to your advantage to
choose a relatively low payout percentage so that the unitrust
assets can grow, which in turn will allow the unitrust’s yearly
payments to grow.
Thus, the charitable remainder unitrust can act as a hedge
against inflation, while opening the door to tax savings, as well
as making a significant contribution to AWF.
Benefits
Receive lifetime income (often greater than the yield on
contributed assets).
Obtain a sizeable income tax charitable deduction.
Avoid up-front capital gains tax if you donate long-term
appreciated securities.
Make a significant gift to one or more
charitable organizations.
Always consult your advisors regarding philanthropic gifts.
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Choose The Gift Option That
YOUR
GIFT
Bequest
Gift of
Retirement
Account
Gift of Life
Insurance
YOUR
GOAL
Defer a gift
until after your
lifetime.
Avoid the twofold
taxation on
IRA’s or other
employee-benefit
plans.
Make a large
gift with little
cost to yourself.
HOW TO
MAKE
THE GIFT
Name AWF
in your Will
(designate a
specific amount,
a percentage, or
a share of the
residue).
Name AWF as
the beneficiary
of all or part of
your retirement
account assets
after your
lifetime.
Name AWF as
a beneficiary
of all or part
of your life
insurance
policy.
YOUR
BENEFITS
Your legacy gift
is exempt from
federal estate
tax.
You maintain
control of your
assets for your
lifetime.
Allows you to
make the gift
from the most
highly taxed
assets leaving
better assets
for family.
You maintain
control of your
assets for your
lifetime.
Asset is
removed from
your taxable
estate.
You maintain
control over
your assets for
your lifetime.
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Matches Your Goals
Charitable
Lead Trust
Gift of
Retained Life
Estate
Charitable
Remainder
Annuity Trust
Charitable
Remainder
Unitrust
Reduce gift
and estate
taxes on assets
you pass
to children or
grandchildren.
Donate your
permanent
or secondary
residence
to AWF but
continue to live
in it or use it.
Secure a
fixed income
for life.
Secure a
variable and
often increased
income for
life and create
a hedge against
inflation.
Create a
charitable
trust that
pays fixed
or variable
income to
AWF for a
specific term
of years while
the principal
is retained for
heirs.
Designate
ownership of
your home to
AWF,but retain
occupancy.
Create a
trust that
pays income
annually
with cash or
securities; the
principal is
retained for
AWF.
Create a
trust that
pays income
annually
with cash or
securities or
real estate;
the principal
is retained for
AWF’s use.
Reduces
your taxable
estate.
Your family
keeps the
property
often with
reduced gift
taxes.
Valuable
charitable
income tax
deductions.
Lifetime use of
residence.
Fixed
income
for life.
Immediate
income tax
charitable
deduction.
Variable
income for
life based on
a percentage
of the trust’s
annual value.
Immediate
income tax
charitable
deduction.
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Kilimanjaro
© Daryl & Sharna Balfour
Meet AWF’s
KILIMANJARO SOCIETY
Thank you for considering a legacy gift to African Wildlife
Foundation. When you remember AWF in your Will or other
estate plans, you demonstrate a special commitment to
meaningful, long-term protection of Africa’s extraordinary
wildlife and wild lands. For this reason, AWF acknowledges its
legacy givers as members of our esteemed Kilimanjaro Society.
Established in 1998, the Kilimanjaro Society comprises a
unique group of supporters who have chosen to extend their
caring for Africa’s elephants, mountain gorillas, lions, rhinos,
and other inhabitants of the continent’s forests, savannas, and
woodlands beyond their lifetime.
With their permission, members of AWF’s Kilimanjaro Society
are recognized in the annual report and occasionally in AWF
publications.
AWF is also respectful of its supporter’s privacy and will readily
recognize a gift as ‘anonymous’ at the request of the donor.
16
Always consult your advisors regarding philanthropic gifts.

“AWF seems to be the best hope for success with
its proven record, particularly as it involved Africans
themselves in the conservation process.”
—Kenneth Kreinheder
Kilimanjaro Society Member since 2000
Members of the Kilimanjaro Society enjoy:
A complimentary subscription to Africa Geographic, a
quarterly magazine highlighting AWF’s conservation work
in Africa as well as wildlife news from around the African
continent.
A copy of AWF’s Annual Report, published once a year.
Updates three times a year from AWF’s CEO, Letters
from Africa, about our conservation and community
development work in Africa.
Invitations to AWF events and member safaris, and an
opportunity to meet with Washington and Africa-based
staff when they’re in your area.
Always consult your advisors regarding philanthropic gifts.
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African Wildlife Foundation
Established in 1961, African Wildlife Foundation is
the leading international conservation organization
focused solely on Africa. We believe that protecting
Africa’s wildlife and wild landscapes is the key to
the future prosperity of Africa and its people. For 50
years we have worked together with the people of
Africa to ensure Africa’s extraordinary wildlife, diverse
landscapes, and vibrant cultures endure forever.
(888) 494-5354
www.awf.org/legacy
Tax ID #: 52-0781390
AWF is proud to be part of an elite 1% of charities
that have received Charity Navigator’s coveted
4-star rating for at least ten consecutive years.
Administrative 6%
Fundraising 8%
Programs 86%
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© AWF

1400 Sixteenth Street, NW, Suite 120
Washington, DC, 20036 USA
Toll free: (888) 494-5354
Web site: www.awf.org/legacy