Memorial Donation

There are more special ways than ever for you to help save our languages. A Tribute Gift or Memorial Donation for The Language Conservancy is a meaningful way to celebrate someone special.

Tribute Gifts

For that special person who’s hard to buy for, consider a tribute gift. These also make ideal last-minute gifts, and fit any occasion.

Tax-deductible Donation

Start by making a tax-deductible donation to The Language Conservancy to honor a friend or loved one. Or, perhaps you’d like to commemorate a holiday, birthday, wedding, anniversary, retirement, or other special milestone or occasion.

Notification Cards

Using our safe and secure online donation form, check the box next to “dedicate my donation in honor or in memory of someone.” You can choose to send an e-card or for TLC to mail your recipient a printed card.

Tribute Letters

We’ll send the person or persons you designate a tribute letter in the form of your choice. We’ll send you an acknowledgement letter that will serve as your tax receipt.

Secure Online Donation

Your secure online donation will help revitalize endangered languages in communities across the world. Your tribute gift will make a lasting impact on the lives of others—just as your honoree has done for you.

Memorial Donations

Thank you for considering The Language Conservancy as you plan a memorial gift. Through this option, family members and friends can provide a gift in recognition of a loved one. Gifts can include your own words or you can adapt a pre-written message, including:

  • May the peace which comes from the memories of love comfort you now and in the days ahead.
  • Our hearts are filled with sorrow.
  • We’re sharing your sorrow.
  • With deepest sympathy.
  • In loving memory.
  • With heartfelt condolences.
  • Fondest remembrances.

With the help of thoughtful language preservationists like you, we’ve helped protect over 30 languages, supporting over 650,000 indigenous people. Using innovative tools guided by scientifically-determined best methods, we’ve achieved and continue to achieve lasting results in the countries where we work.

In Memoriam

Make a donation in memory of someone who cared about languages and cultures, especially those in need of help and support.

Gift Acknowledgment

The Language Conservancy will send a handsome acknowledgement card on behalf of your loved one’s family via email or postal mail. The family is also notified of each gift made, without specifying the amount.

What Your Gift Makes Possible

Memorial Donations provide language-learning materials, supplies, and support for families and schools in need of the most basic materials.

Celebrate Life

Your donation serves as an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the life of a loved one while supporting our mission to help save endangered languages.

Bequests

Making a decision to include The Language Conservancy in your estate plans is a very personal choice. But it’s one of the easiest ways you can leave a lasting impact on our organization and the continuing survival of languages around the world.

We accept bequests in several forms, including cash, securities or personal property. Your bequest can be in the form of a stated dollar amount, specific property, a percentage of your estate, or a portion of or the entire residue. You can include in your will or living trust a number of bequest options to help instruct your family and friends on what to do with the assets you have accumulated in this life.

Under current law, your estate will receive a charitable deduction for your full donation to the fund at TLC—your heirs will not pay estate tax on these assets.

Benefits include:

  • Estate tax charitable deduction.
  • Lessen the burden of taxes on your family.
  • Leave a lasting legacy.

So How Do You Make a Bequest?

With the help of an advisor, you can include language in your will or trust specifying a gift to be made to TLC as part of your estate plan.

General Bequests

A general bequest provides that a specific amount of money, a percentage of your estate, or a certain piece of property be given to TLC at the time of your death. For most people, a gift of a percentage of the remaining estate after taxes and debts have been satisfied is the most appropriate use of a general bequest.
The following sample language illustrates how you might phrase a general bequest to TLC in your will or trust:

I give, devise and bequeath $_____, _____% or _____ [name specific asset] of my adjusted gross estate (as that term is defined in the federal estate tax laws) to The Language Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation (Tax ID# 20-3840826) with offices at 2620 N. Walnut St., Ste. 810, Bloomington, IN 47404. This gift shall be devoted to the general charitable purposes of The Language Conservancy as set forth in its governing instruments, as amended from time to time.

Residual Bequests

A residual bequest designates that the remainder or balance of your estate goes to The Language Conservancy—after your will or trust has made gifts of money or property to your loved ones.
The following sample language illustrates how you might phrase a residual bequest to charity in your will or trust:

After fulfilling all other specific provisions, I give, devise and bequeath ______% of the rest, residuary and remainder of my property, real, personal, or mixed; to The Language Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation (Tax ID# 20-3840826) with offices at 2620 N. Walnut St., Ste. 810, Bloomington, IN 47404 to be devoted to the general charitable purposes of the organization as set forth in its governing instruments, as amended from time to time.

Retirement Fund Gifts

A retirement asset, such as a Keogh plan, IRA, 401(k), 403(b), company retirement or profit sharing plan, makes an excellent bequest. If the retirement asset were given to your family, much of the value may be lost through estate and income taxes.

By designating a charity like TLC as the beneficiary of all or part of your retirement asset (using a beneficiary designation form provided by your custodian), the full value of the gift is transferred tax-free at your death and your estate receives an estate tax charitable deduction. To the extent it is practical, it is often better to make this kind of charitable bequest first.

Simply list The Language Conservancy as a full or partial beneficiary on the required form. The amount contributed can be in the form of a stated dollar amount or a percentage of the value of the account or policy.

Insurance Policies

The contribution of a life insurance policy or its proceeds may also enable you to make a major contribution to The Language Conservancy.

You may irrevocably name TLC as the owner of an existing, paid-up policy. The Conservancy then names itself as the beneficiary of the policy and the fund you designate will receive the death benefit upon your passing. You may be able to deduct a calculated value of the policy itself as a charitable gift.

If you decide to make a bequest to The Language Conservancy, please let us know by completing the TLC Gift Form. Thank you.

Planned Gifts

As an engaged and thoughtful individual, your values form an integral part of the legacy you leave. How do you plan to make a difference in the world today—and tomorrow?

If you’re looking for a flexible way to ensure that your principles and priorities are honored far into the future, The Language Conservancy provides a planned giving option that leaves your legacy in reliable and experienced hands.

Planned Giving partners donors, estate and tax planning professionals, and our Planned Giving staff to create a gift today that will benefit The Language Conservancy far into the future. A donor usually makes a contribution from his or her assets or estate rather than current income, and can receive current income and tax benefits.

When You Make a Planned Gift with TLC:

  • Your charitable objectives will be honored.
  • Your values and priorities are shared and respected.
  • Your gift will be used effectively.
  • Your planned gift will give you the most security, flexibility, and benefits possible.

TLC currently offers a Charitable Gift Annuity, an agreement between you and The Language Conservancy. In exchange for your irrevocable gift, The Language Conservancy pays a fixed dollar amount during your life and/or the life of a designated loved one. The amount you receive is determined by the size of your gift, your age and the age of your beneficiary. Your income is guaranteed, regardless of market fluctuation. A major portion of your income is a tax-exempt return of principal and the income may be deferred until a later time as part of your retirement plan. On top of that, you get the personal satisfaction from making a gift that will benefit you today and support the survival of languages tomorrow.

Workplace Giving

Workplace Giving is a simple and effective way for employees to support The Language Conservancy’s mission. No matter how small your contribution, your dollars help fund vital research, programs, and services, making a huge difference in the fight against the extinction of languages.

Corporate Giving Campaigns

Support The Language Conservancy through your company’s annual corporate giving campaign. It’s a convenient way to give your contribution through regular payroll deductions.

Combined Federal Campaign

Federal employees can donate to The Language Conservancy through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). Designate your contribution to The Language Conservancy, CFC ID #.

United Way

Does your workplace participate in a United Way campaign? If so, you can designate your pledge to The Language Conservancy through United Way’s Donor Choice Program. Simply follow the instructions on your pledge card, or write in our name and address. Contact your human resources department or your local United Way.

Matching Gifts

Many companies have matching gift programs that will double or even triple charitable contributions made by their employees. Find out if your company will match gifts to The Language Conservancy.

You can also ask your human resources department for a matching gift form and mail it to the address below.

Corporate Initiatives
The Language Conservancy
1720 N. Kinser Pike, #100
Bloomington, IN 47404

If you or your company would like to receive further information about including TLC in your workplace-giving program, email us at info@languageconservancy.org.

The Language Conservancy is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) institution. Donations made to TLC are tax-deductible within the limitations of U.S. federal income tax laws. Our tax identification number is 20-3840826.

Corporate & Foundation Giving

We appreciate all our Corporate and Foundation Partners. Their efforts and generosity have significantly enhanced The Language Conservancy.

Corporate & Foundation Gifts

Your business or foundation has an opportunity to change the lives of children, families, and communities. When you partner with The Language Conservancy, you help us provide world-class, language-rescue materials to endangered language populations—bringing hope to indigenous people around the world.

Philanthropic Foundations

The support that The Language Conservancy receives from nonprofit grant-making foundations provides a solid basis for achievement in every area of the Conservancy’s mission—research, education, and rescue of endangered languages.

To explore opportunities for matching a foundation’s programmatic interests with priority initiatives at The Language Conservancy, please contact us by phone at (812) 961-0140 or via e-mail at info@languageconservancy.org.

Corporate Support

Corporate gifts play an important role in the language support we provide to thousands of children, families, and communities each year. Corporate contributions represent an important source of support to meet an array of needs, including the adaptation of pedagogical templates for specific languages as well as funds for public education outreach.

A philanthropic partnership with The Language Conservancy provides businesses with the opportunity to support cutting-edge work to save languages around the globe, advance linguistic research, or fund other programs and initiatives that showcase your company’s commitment to saving irreplaceable indigenous languages.

There are many ways companies can build partnerships with The Language Conservancy. Depending on specific interests and goals, Conservancy development officers will work to develop a plan in one of the following areas or develop a customized option to suit your company’s needs. For example:

Cause Marketing

Our Cause Marketing program leverages retail and wholesale product sales to provide funding support for priority initiatives at The Language Conservancy that touch the lives of communities worldwide suffering language loss.

If your company is looking to invest in a charitable cause with a wide reach, lasting impact and high visibility, The Language Conservancy is it. By partnering with us for your cause marketing efforts, you build your business while helping threatened communities and languages. For information on licensing and branding, please contact us by phone at (812) 961-0140 or via e-mail at info@languageconservancy.org.

Event Sponsorship

Event and program sponsorship provides organizations with opportunities to market to targeted audiences and to increase recognition and involvement—while supporting The Language Conservancy.

Sponsorships range from educational outreach programs and lecture series to golf tournaments, black-tie galas, and community outreach programs. Sponsorships can be financial or in-kind product donations.

Workplace Giving

Do you have employees who are looking for a way to give back to the world? A partnership with The Language Conservancy may be the perfect opportunity for you and your employees to join forces to make a real impact on the health and well-being of languages and communities across the United States, Canada, and the world.

Through a Workplace-Giving Program, corporate leaders make a financial pledge and ask their employees to help fulfill it

Interested in Corporate Donations and Foundation Partnerships?
Please contact us by phone at 812-961-0140 or via e-mail at info@languageconservancy.org

Stocks, Bonds, & Mutual Funds

Given current trends, an estimated 50% of the world’s 7000 languages will become extinct or near-extinct in the next 100 years. We all need to do our part to save as many of these languages as we can to avoid the loss of the culture and ideas that these languages and their peoples bring to the world. Our Executive Director, Wilhelm Meya, makes the case for supporting indigenous language in this op-ed in this op-ed in The Financial Times on Lakota language preservation.

Financial support is a direct way to contribute to the cause of saving languages. One great way to give financial support is to donate to The Language Conservancy a gift of securities, including stocks, bonds, or mutual funds that have appreciated in value. Gifts of publicly traded securities provide you with a double tax benefit: you avoid capital-gains tax on appreciated securities and you receive a charitable income-tax deduction for the full fair-market value of the securities. On top of that, you know your money is going to a great cause!

Thank you for making your tax-deductible donation to The Language Conservancy.

Because electronic transfers are made without identifying the donor, please alert us in advance about the securities you plan to give. You can do so by emailing info@languageconservancy.org.

This will help us identify and shepherd your gift securely through the transfer process. Please include the following information:

Donor’s full name and complete address

Name and number of securities transferred

Date of the transfer

According to IRS regulations, the date of your gift corresponds to the date it arrives in our possession (for transfers from brokerage account to brokerage account). If you have any questions about giving stock, please contact Pete Witczak, Finance Director, at (812) 961-0140 for additional specifics.

LANGUAGE IS HEALING

Language is the lifeblood of culture and the core of identity. When Indigenous communities maintain or learn their languages, it positively impacts their wellbeing.