Ways to give

The 1000 Friends of Oregon Legacy Circle offers a unique opportunity to bring your philanthropic passions to life now and for years to come. By naming 1000 Friends of Oregon as a beneficiary of your will, trust, insurance policy, or retirement account, or by establishing a life-income gift, you will become a member of the Legacy Circle. This special group is recognized in publications and events throughout the year. For more information, contact us at (503) 497‑1000 or donations@friends.org.

You can give yourself and your loved ones peace of mind by creating a will. It’s easier than you may think and you can even use FreeWill, a free online service that will help you create your will using simple, online help tools. 

If you have already included 1000 Friends of Oregon in your plans, please let us know so we can include you in special events for our Legacy Circle members. 

You can give yourself and your loved ones peace of mind by creating a will. It’s easier than you may think and you can even use FreeWill, a free online service that will help you create your will using simple, online help tools. 

If you have already included 1000 Friends of Oregon in your plans, please let us know so we can include you in special events for our Legacy Circle members. 

Complete our Legacy Circle form

Scroll down for sample language you can use to include 1000 Friends in your will and to learn more about other types of planned gifts. 

"Every day, the laws protecting Oregon’s public spaces and working lands are threatened by relentless pressure from those who would profit from bad development. I support 1000 Friends of Oregon because they are the only statewide organization helping Oregonians to fight these special interests at every turn, and I am including 1000 Friends in my estate plans so that they – and the Oregon I love – will continue long after I’ve departed."  —Greg Macpherson, Legacy Circle member

Most popular ways to create a legacy

Wills and revocable trusts    The easiest way to make an impact

A simple, flexible, and versatile way to support our work is to make a gift in your will or trust. A charitable gift can name a specific item, an amount of money, or a percentage of your estate. You can use the sample language below if you wish to name 1000 Friends of Oregon in your will:

Residual bequest: A popular choice for charitable bequests because it ensures that loved ones receive their distribution before any distribution to charity.
"I devise the residue of my estate, after the satisfaction of all specific bequests and the payment of all taxes and other costs attending my death, to 1000 Friends of Oregon, a not-for profit corporation, TAX I.D.93-0642086, with principal offices currently located at 340 SE 6th Ave Portland, OR 97214."

General/fixed dollar bequest: A stated sum of money, usually cash, to a beneficiary.
"I bequeath the sum of $____ dollars to 1000 Friends of Oregon, a not-for profit corporation, TAX I.D.93-0642086, with principal offices currently located at 340 SE 6th Ave Portland, OR 97214."

Percentage bequest: Enables your bequests to grow as your assets grow.
"I bequeath to 1000 Friends of Oregon, a not-for profit corporation, TAX I.D.93-0642086, with principal offices currently located at 340 SE 6th Ave Portland, OR 97214 an amount equal to ______ percent of the net value of my estate as finally determined for federal estate tax purposes."

Contingent bequest: Assumes you want to leave your entire estate to family and friends. However, in the event that you outlive any of your beneficiaries, it provides an opportunity to designate 1000 Friends of Oregon to receive that portion of the estate.
"In the event that (name of the beneficiary) does not survive me, I designate 1000 Friends of Oregon, a not-for profit corporation, TAX I.D.93-0642086, with principal offices currently located at 340 SE 6th Ave Portland, OR 97214 as the devisee of this bequest of (see above for language specific to different types of bequests.)"

Beneficiary designations    Continue supporting our work after your lifetime

Passionate about supporting 1000 Friends of Oregon? It’s easy to do with a beneficiary designation. Just name 1000 Friends as a beneficiary of your retirement plans and life-insurance policies. You can name a specific dollar amount or a percentage of the account. 

Do you have an IRA, 401(k), life-insurance policy, or any other non-probate assets not included in your will? Naming us as a beneficiary of one or more of them is another way to establish your legacy with us. FreeWill can also help you plan for all of your non-probate assets. 

Beneficiary designation forms can also usually be accessed online through your providers, which allows you to update your designations over time without needing to change your will or trust.

Charitable remainder trusts    Discover a gift that is truly win-win

If you have built up a sizable estate and are also looking for ways to receive reliable payments, you should consider a charitable remainder trust. Benefits of a charitable remainder trust include an immediate charitable income tax deduction, lifetime payments of income, and possible deferral of capital gain recognition. There are two ways to receive payments with charitable remainder trusts. The annuity trust pays you, each year, the same dollar amount you choose at the start. Your payments stay the same, regardless of fluctuations in trust investments. The unitrust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets as measured each year. With a unitrust, if the value of the trust increases, so do your payments. If the value decreases, however, so will your payments. At the termination of the charitable remainder trust, all of the remaining assets will be distributed to 1000 Friends of Oregon to support our work.

Charitable lead trusts    Provide for your family’s future while supporting charity

Do you want to benefit from the tax savings that result from supporting 1000 Friends of Oregon, yet you don’t want to give up any assets that you’d like your family to receive someday? You can have it both ways with a charitable lead trust. There are two ways charitable lead trusts make payments. A charitable lead annuity trust pays a fixed amount each year to 1000 Friends of Oregon and is more attractive when interest rates are low. A charitable lead unitrust pays a variable amount each year based on the value of the assets in the trust. With a unitrust, if the trust’s assets go up in value, for example, the payments to 1000 Friends of Oregon go up as well. At the termination of the charitable lead trust, the assets remaining in the trust may be distributed back to your family members.

1. Contact (503) 497-1000 or donations@friends.org to have a personal conversation about how your planned gifts can make a difference for Oregon and for 1000 Friends.
2. Seek the advice of your financial or legal advisor – we’re happy to make a referral.
3. Be sure to use our legal name, physical mailing address, and federal tax ID on any estate-planning documents:
   1. Legal Name: 1000 Friends of Oregon  
   2. Address: 340 SE 6th Ave Portland, OR 97214
   3. Federal Tax ID Number: 93-0642086
4. Make it official! Please notify us if you have already arranged for a bequest or other planned gift by submitting our Legacy Circle form. We would love to be able to recognize your support!