Ways to Give
Ready to help protect our air, land, water, wildlife, and people from the forces of climate change, pollution, and corporate greed?
From courtroom battles to hard-hitting campaigns that protect our climate, health, wildlife, and communities, we are fighting for the planet—and you can make a difference by funding urgent, direct advocacy.
“The urgency we feel is greater—climate change is a huge piece of that. NRDC is about making change, making communities sustainable, and environmental justice. We feel that the environment is a top priority.”
Marj Lundy and James Godshalk, Illinois, NRDC donors for more than 30 years
Gift Memberships & Tribute Gifts
Gift Membership
Give a gift membership to a friend or family member to celebrate a special occasion.
In-Honor Gifts
Honor someone special with a future gift in their name.
Memory Gifts
Make a donation to NRDC in memory of a friend or loved one.
Planned Giving: Make the Earth Your Heir
Beneficiary Designations
Some prefer the increased flexibility that a beneficiary designation provides by using IRAs and retirement plans, life insurance policies, and commercial annuities.
Charitable Gift Annuities
There's a way for you to support NRDC’s work and feel confident that you have dependable income in your retirement years.
Charitable Remainder Trusts
If you’ve built a sizable estate and are also looking for ways to receive reliable payments, consider this kind of donation.
Donor-Advised Funds
Like a charitable savings account, DAFs give you the flexibility to recommend how much and how often money is granted to NRDC and other qualified charities.
Endowed Gifts
When you make a donation to our endowment, you give a gift with both immediate and long-term benefits.
Gifts of Stock
The full value of your gift is tax-deductible, provided it has been held for at least one year and there is no obligation to pay any capital gains tax on the appreciated value.
IRA Charitable Rollovers
Make a difference today and save on taxes. It’s possible when you support NRDC through your IRA.
Wills & Trusts
You want to leave money to NRDC in your will. You also want the flexibility to change your will in the event that life circumstances change. You can do both.
More Planned Giving Options
Still not sure which one is right for you? We'll help point you down the right path here.
“I’ve been a member of NRDC for more than two decades. During my 40 years as a Unitarian Universalist minister, one of the key principles I taught was respect for the interdependent web of existence. This belief is what led me to join NRDC in court in 2015 to testify on behalf of the monarch butterfly, which is imperiled by the widespread use of the herbicide glyphosate.”
Neal Ferris, New Hampshire
EarthShare: Workplace Giving
Donating with an automatic payroll deduction is a simple way to support NRDC. EarthShare manages environmental giving campaigns in workplaces for environmental and conservation charities. By contributing to NRDC through EarthShare, you may pledge that a small amount of each paycheck be automatically deducted to support NRDC's mission of protecting public health and the environment. What's more, EarthShare provides the option of giving a single gift that is distributed among all of its members, covering the widest variety of environmental and conservation issues. The choice is yours.
More Ways to Give
To find out if your company participates in EarthShare, or to add an environmental option to your company’s workplace giving campaign, please call NRDC at 212-727-4432.
Join a Leadership Group
“NRDC is leading innovative and impactful initiatives to educate and inspire people to act on climate change. For example, the Rewrite the Future initiative is using the power of stories in the entertainment industry to increase cultural understanding of this global threat. This is critical to spurring people from awareness to taking the needed collective action.”
Barbara Karplus and Rod Womer, Woka Foundation
With a gift of $500 to $999, join the Friends of NRDC and receive a complimentary copy of War of the Whales by Joshua Horwitz, the gripping story of NRDC’s fight to protect whales from deadly U.S. Navy sonar. You will also receive a subscription to Nature’s Voice and more.
Be a part of our Council of 1,000 with a yearly donation of $1,000 to $4,999, and we will send you a copy of Polar Obsession by acclaimed wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen, invitations to regional events and special webinars, and more.
Become a member of the President’s Circle with an annual gift of $5,000 or more, and you will receive access to confidential issue briefings and progress reports, invitations to special events with NRDC’s president, a complimentary copy of Edge of the Earth, Corner of the Sky by acclaimed nature photographer Art Wolfe, and much more.
The GLC is a community of NRDC's supporters and advocates who share our goal of developing and promoting solutions that protect the health and well-being of people, communities, and nature. Members work together with NRDC's lawyers, scientists, policy experts, and communications specialists to develop sound strategies and advocate in the halls of Congress. To learn more, contact GLC@NRDC.org.
Sales/Events Proceeds
We are honored that businesses and individuals wish to donate to NRDC. If you would like to donate, we ask that you follow a couple of guidelines:
As we do not have the staff resources to review each business and vendor that contacts us about donations, we cannot allow any business or individual to imply a formal affiliation with NRDC. Our Board of Trustees requests that you include the following disclaimer on any webpage, printed material, or e-mail message that mentions "Natural Resources Defense Council" or "NRDC" as the recipient of a donation: “[Insert name] is not affiliated in any manner with NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) or any of its programs, projects, or websites."
If you'd like to link to NRDC's website from any webpage, printed material, or e-mail message that mentions "Natural Resources Defense Council" or "NRDC," we ask that you use the following language or something similar in addition to the disclaimer listed above: "For more information about [environmental protection][specific issue], please go to www.nrdc.org [or specific link] and find out how to get involved."
Certain types of sales promotions may be considered “commercial co-ventures.” A commercial co-venture exists when an entity or a person sells a product or service and advertises to the public that the sale will benefit a charity (e.g., NRDC). These types of promotions may trigger various state legal requirements (e.g., the need for a specific contract with the beneficiary charity or registration/filing with a state). NRDC cannot accept donations from a commercial co-venture unless all applicable requirements have been met. Anyone who wishes to donate proceeds from sales should consult with legal counsel and should contact NRDC well in advance of the start date of the promotion in order to determine if NRDC will be able to accept the donation.
Please note that NRDC will not seek nor accept contributions from corporations in the following categories: agribusiness, appliances, automobiles, chemicals, defense, forest products, fossil fuels, mining and minerals, tobacco, utilities, or waste.
NRDC owns certain trademarks, including our name and logo, which may not be used without NRDC’s written permission. If you would like to use one of these trademarks, please contact us at nrdcinfo@nrdc.org.
If you still have questions about the donation of proceeds from events or sales, or about corporate contributions, please contact us at membership@nrdc.org.
Questions? We're here to help!
For membership inquiries or to update your information, please contact the NRDC Membership department.
NRDC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, incorporated under the laws of the State of New York in 1970. The top watchdog groups for charitable organizations annually recognize our commitment to transparency and efficiency, with a four-star rating on Charity Navigator and an A- grade on Charity Watch.
