If you want to support the natural world, but cannot make a gift today, you can still leave a legacy of protected lands and waters by including Ducks Unlimited in your estate plan. Making a charitable estate gift is easy to do. What's more, you retain control of your assets during your lifetime. Charitable estate gifts also may provide beneficial tax savings.

Scott Brown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania took the simple steps to leave Ducks Unlimited in his will because he wanted to make a gift that reflected his deeply-felt values and desire to conserve nature. Like Scott, when you make a gift through your estate to Ducks Unlimited and let us know about your gift, you become a member of the Feather Society - a special group of visionary supporters who have chosen to stand up for the future of waterfowl and the natural world.

"Including Ducks Unlimited in my will was a practical action, born out of a desire to leave something behind that reflected my values and wish to preserve the waterfowling experience. I have many special memories over the past thirty years training my dogs in rivers of Pennsylvania and waterfowl hunting on the eastern shore. I've loved nature for as long as I can remember and those early experiences outdoors developed into a lifelong passion. Even today, spending time with my dogs and being outside are still some of my favorite things to do."

Scott became a member of Ducks Unlimited years ago because he had seen firsthand the effects projects initiated and managed by Ducks Unlimited and the drastic improvement in the overall waterfowling experience over the past ten years on the eastern sea board.

"In my opinion, compared to twenty years ago, the waterfowling experience has only continued to improve. I limit out, I've had the honor of harvesting banded birds, and the conditions for waterfowl have definitely improved from DU's conservation efforts."

"I made a charitable bequest to Ducks Unlimited because I want whatever I accumulate in life to go in a positive direction with the highest return for my investment. Ducks Unlimited really reflects my intentions in life and I know they will carry out those intentions into the future. For me, supporting Ducks Unlimited and conserving nature is natural way of saying thank you for the great resource I'm enjoying and has kept me healthy and strong."

To make a gift of any kind to Ducks Unlimited is an act of generosity. To make a long-term gift - one derived from the work of a lifetime - is to make a commitment beyond measure. Many of our members have included Ducks Unlimited in their wills and estate plans but haven't had the opportunity to tell us. If your plans include an estate gift to Ducks Unlimited that will one day help leave a legacy for our natural world, please let us know. We would like to thank you for your generous commitment and welcome you to the Feather Society.

Future support from friends like Scott Brown and you ensure we can sustain the important conservation work we do today for many years to come. And by sharing your intentions we can keep you informed about our mission to protect the lands and waters you care about across the continent. Please contact Jon Rich, national director of gift planning at jrich@ducks.org or call 901-758-3763.