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Thank you for being a hero for the Verde River!
You can protect the Verde River and its threatened wildlife today! Your donation sustains river flows, restores habitat for wildlife, and creates vibrant communities for the river. You make our work possible.
Privacy of Donors. Friends respects the privacy of individual donors and, except where disclosure is required by law, will not sell or otherwise make available the names and contact information of donors without providing them an opportunity at least once a year to opt out of the use of their names.
Gifts in Honor or Memory
Remember a birthday, let a family member know a loved one is missed, or send get-well wishes so a friend can get back out on the river. Make a gift in honor or memory of someone special. If you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution in honor or memory of someone, please send a check payable to “Friends of the Verde River” and note your instructions. We are pleased to notify the honoree or a family member of your remembrance if you provide a name and address. We do not share the amount of your gift. If you itemize your income tax, your gift is considered a tax-deductible contribution.
Friends of the Verde River
P.O. Box 2535
Cottonwood, AZ 86326
If you would like to make a contribution by credit card, please use the above form, and email us (kegnm@verderiver.org) your instructions.
Support Our Mission
Friends of the Verde River has three mission focuses:
- Sustaining Flows
- Restoring Habitat
- Promoting Community Stewardship
All three are integrated and are vital for the health and future of the Verde River. In the simplest analysis:
Sustaining Flows preserves water supply throughout the 192-miles of the Verde River and almost 400-miles of tributary streams in the Verde watershed. One of the biggest threats facing flowing rivers is groundwater pumping. We are addressing this problem in several ways, a prime example being the Verde River Exchange. Businesses and ranches that use significant amounts of groundwater offset their usage through purchasing water offset credits. You can see a list of our partners in the Verde River Exchange.
Friends of the Verde River is joined in its efforts in Sustaining Flows by our partners The Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, and other regional and national organizations and agencies. Individual donors like you are vital to expanding our efforts in Sustaining Flows.
The Restoring Habitat program helps make sure wildlife have healthy homes. Healthy habitats offer food and shelter for all kinds of animals, including migratory birds. We remove and replace non-native nuisance plants with native vegetation, build up the land to reduce erosion, and track the quality of water in the Verde River. Restoring Habitat is an ongoing effort shared by a coalition of agencies and landowners called the Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition.
There are so many ways to help with Restoring Habitat. Volunteer for a cleanup day, join a community bioblitz, or direct your financial support to Restoring Habitat.
Promoting Community Stewardship inspires people like you to take care of our rivers and streams. We promote River Friendly Living! We are active members of our communities, contributing a river perspective to policies and actions. We help to teach people about our natural landscapes and ecology, for example, through events like the Verde Valley Birding & Nature Festival. Our State of the Verde Watershed Conference brings together people who love the Verde to learn about and take actions that make a difference. Your donation helps us to steward these natural resources for the future.
In addition to these three mission areas, in 2020 Friends of the Verde River released the first Verde Watershed Report Card. This analysis determined that in the combined areas of water, habitat, and community, the Verde Watershed earned a C+ grade. Much of our work today is focused on raising scores in areas such as upland habitat health and river flow. This Report Card is an ongoing project, which will track status and trends in the health of the river. Your donation ensures that we can continue issuing report cards and improving grades.
Plan to Leave a Legacy
Some people want to see their gift used today. Others plan for the future. Generous individuals support both today and tomorrow for the nonprofits they cherish. For those eager to ensure the future of Friends of the Verde River, here are some simple ways to support us:
Sycamore Society
The Sycamore Society is our legacy program, open to people like you who commit to document a gift for Friends of the Verde River through their will, trust, beneficiary designation, or other estate planning document, or who make a significant current gift of cash, stock, or Qualified Charitable Distribution from an IRA. To learn more about the Sycamore Society, download the brochure. To apply, click here.
Leaving a Legacy through your Will or Trust
Many of our friends choose this method for a variety of reasons:
- Allows you to maintain control of your future gift and use it, if needed, for unforeseen expenses.
- It is a simple matter to have an existing document amended to include Friends of the Verde River.
- After family and loved ones are provided for, many people naturally continue to support the organizations that have been meaningful to them.
Your gift may be a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder after all other provisions are specified. Consult your estate attorney for proper language or you can use the suggested language below.
Sample Language
For an unrestricted gift that allows Friends of the Verde River to determine how to use the funds based on the most pressing needs, you can use the following language for your will and/or trust:
“I give to Friends of the Verde River (EIN 45-2927355), a nonprofit corporation currently located at 115 S. Main Street, Cottonwood, Arizona 86326, or its successor in interest, [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] to be used for its general charitable purposes.”
To designate your provision for a particular purpose one of our mission focuses (Sustaining Flows, Restoring Habitat, or Promoting Community Stewardship or other program):
“I give to Friends of the Verde River (EIN 45-2927355), a nonprofit corporation currently located at 115 S. Main Street, Cottonwood, Arizona 86326, or its successor in interest, [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property]. This gift should be used for [ state purpose) if and so long as Friends of the Verde River determines that the need exists. If Friends of the Verde River shall determine at the outset or at a later time that the need does not exist, or no longer exists or for some reason it is not possible (or prudent) to administer my gift as originally intended, then Friends of the Verde River may, in its sole and uncontrolled discretion, direct the use of my bequest for a purpose related as closely as possible to that stated above.”
If you have named Friends of the Verde River in your will or trust, please let us know so we can ensure that your gift is used according to your wishes. Notifying us of your plans enables us to plan for the use of your future gift. However, if you prefer to remain anonymous, we will keep your name and gift in strict confidence.
Please contact Katherine Sirimarco, Fundraising and Communications Coordinator at 928-641-6013 or email katherines@verderiver.org for more information.
Beneficiary Designations
Another way to leave a legacy gift is to designate Friends of the Verde River as your beneficiary through:
- IRAs and retirement plans
- Life insurance policies
- Commercial annuities
- Brokerage and bank accounts
To name Friends of the Verde River as a beneficiary, request a change-of-beneficiary form from your policy administrator, or complete the form on your provider’s website. Make your desired changes and return the form to establish your gift.
With your legacy commitment, you are invited to become a Charter Member of the Sycamore Society, a group of donors whose commitments will allow the Verde River to thrive for years to come. For more information about the Sycamore Society, please contact Katherine Sirimarco at 928-641-6013 or katherines@verderiver.org for more information.
Other Ways to Support Your Charitable Goals
There are almost as many reasons to give – and ways to give! – as there are donors. Giving makes people happy and research shows giving is beneficial to health. Most givers want to give intelligently. In addition to helping a worthy organization like Friends of the Verde River, they want to be smart about their giving.
Because of changes in the tax law in late 2017, many of our donors no longer itemize – or they don’t itemize their taxes every year.
Donors Who Do Not Itemize Income Tax
Above the Line Charitable Deduction
For 2021 income tax, donors who make a charitable gift of at least $300 for single tax filers or $600 for married filers may deduct that contribution without itemizing. Friends of the Verde River would be honored to receive that gift from you. This gift was established in 2020’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Qualified Charitable Distribution from Individual Retirement Account
Donors who are at least age 72 (or were 70.5 or older on December 31, 2019) and have an individual Retirement Account will need to take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from that account in 2021.
Donors may choose to give all or part of their RMD to Friends of the Verde River up to $100,000.
If the IRA custodian is directed to send the distribution directly to FVR, the donor makes a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). A QCD does not get an income tax deduction BUT the donor does not have to pay income tax on the amount of the QCD.
Donors Who Itemize Income Tax
If you are in the approximately 10% of Americans who are still able to itemize their income tax, these are some charitable contributions you may want to consider:
Cash Contribution Netting Up to 100% Deduction of Adjusted Gross Income
The CARES Act changed the contribution limits for cash gifts only (initially for 2020 and now extended for 2021). Formerly, a donor could deduct a gift of cash to a qualified organization like Friends of the Verde River up to 60% of adjusted gross income. For 2021, those cash gifts are deductible up to 100% of AGI.
Gifts of Stock or Other Appreciated Assets
If you itemize your taxes and hold a portfolio of appreciated stock, your tax advisor may recommend you make your charitable contributions with stock instead of cash. By donating appreciated stock to Friends of the Verde River, you avoid paying capital gains tax. Friends can liquidate the stock without any tax consequences and put your gift to immediate use.
There are many ways to be smart about your giving. Your first stop, of course, is your attorney or financial advisor. Once the decision has been made to make a gift of an asset to Friends of the Verde River, we will be delighted to partner with you in making sure your gift has the most impact.
None of the scenarios described should be considered anything other than informational and educational. You should always be sure to consult your own professional advisors before making any permanent gift of an asset.
Donor Advised Fund
Donors who have a donor advised fund may request a grant distribution to Friends of the Verde River with the assurance that we are a qualified 501(c)(3) charitable organization, EIN 45-2927355.
If your fund is with Fidelity, Schwab, or BNY Mellon, please click on the widget below and follow the links to your own fund.
If your donor advised fund is with a different organization, please contact that organization directly for their process in requesting a grant for Friends of the Verde River.
Please contact Katherine Sirimarco (katherines@verderiver.org, 928-641-6013) to discuss how your gift can help further our mission.
Your gift supports sustaining a healthy verde river, with flowing water, natural wild places for plants and animals, and vibrant communities.
Friends of the Verde River works collaboratively for a healthy, flowing Verde River system. Friends envisions a healthy, flowing Verde River and tributaries that support our natural environment, vibrant communities, and quality of life for future generations.
