DONATE
STOCKS.

Donating appreciated stock is often the most tax-efficient gift you can make. Sell shares that have grown in value and you may owe capital gains tax; donate them directly to the Marine Megafauna Foundation and, in most cases, you don’t — and you may still deduct the full market value. The same shares protect more ocean, at a lower cost to you, than a cash gift of equal size.

The Marine Megafauna Foundation is a US 501(c)(3) charitable organization (EIN 46-0645082) with Platinum-level transparency on Candid (GuideStar). Contributions are tax-deductible under US law.

Why donate stock instead of cash?

• You may avoid capital gains tax on securities you’ve held for more than a year. On stock that has doubled in value, that saving alone can be substantial.
• You may deduct the full fair market value of the shares on the date of the gift, not just what you originally paid.
• The ocean gets more. Because no tax comes out along the way, the full value of the shares goes to conservation.

Tax treatment depends on your situation — please confirm the details with your financial advisor.

How to donate stock to MMF

1. Email us at [email protected] and we’ll send you our brokerage transfer (DTC) instructions.
2. Instruct your broker to transfer the shares. This is usually a short form on your broker’s website or a quick phone call.
3. Receive your tax receipt. Once the transfer settles, we’ll send a receipt recording the securities and their value for your records. Please do let us know the gift is coming — transfers sometimes arrive without the donor’s name attached, and we want to thank the right person.

What your gift funds

Our scientists led the research behind the whale shark’s Endangered listing on the IUCN Red List, described new species of manta ray, and run some of the longest continuous studies of ocean giants anywhere:

• Protecting marine species and helping their recovery — we’ve led work that saw whale sharks and both manta ray species protected under international and national legislation.
• Strengthening marine protected areas — we work with MPA managers to design, expand, and monitor protected areas in the places these animals actually use.
• Tackling ocean plastics and other human threats — we study how threats affect endangered species and work directly on solutions.
• Building sustainable fisheries — practical, equitable ways for fishers to avoid accidentally catching threatened wildlife.
• Growing marine ecotourism — livelihoods that make a living whale shark worth more than a landed one.
• Supporting coastal communities — we’ve taught over 1,000 young people to swim, and created training and employment pathways in diving and ecotourism.

“It’s time to act together. We need ocean lovers to take tangible steps to protect the animals we all care about. Join us in the fight to save these ocean giants.”

DR. SIMON PIERCE Co-founder of the Marine Megafauna Foundation

Other tax-smart ways to give

• Donor-advised funds (DAFs): you can recommend a grant to the Marine Megafauna Foundation (EIN 46-0645082) through your DAF provider.
• IRA qualified charitable distributions: if you’re 70½ or older, a gift made directly from your IRA can count toward your required minimum distribution without adding to your taxable income.
• Legacy giving: include MMF in your will or as a beneficiary of a retirement account or life insurance policy.
• Cryptocurrency and one-time or monthly donations.

Questions about any of these? [email protected] — a real person reads it.

This page is general information, not tax advice. Please consult your financial advisor about your own situation.