Funding the Future of Conservation
Designate FNPS as your account benficiary
Including FNPS today in your estate planning can help safeguard Florida’s native plants for generations to come.
What is a beneficiary designation?
A beneficiary designation is a simple way to direct assets — like retirement accounts, life insurance policies, or bank funds — to the people or organizations you care about, without updating your will. By naming the Florida Native Plant Society as a beneficiary, you can create a lasting impact on Florida’s native plant communities while keeping full control of your assets during your lifetime.
What is
?
We’ve partnered with FreeWill — a free, easy-to-use online tool — to help you include FNPS as part of your legacy. It only takes 20 minutes or less, and you don’t need an attorney to get started.
Just as a small gesture today can lead to a lasting and significant impact, your legacy can help Florida’s native plant communities thrive for generations. By naming the Florida Native Plant Society as a beneficiary through FreeWill, you ensure the wild places you love will always have a future.
A simple will today, a thriving wild Florida tomorrow.
Step-by-Step Guide for Preparing Your Gift
1
Prepare
Consult with your estate planner and explain that you'd like to include a gift to FNPS in your estate plan.
2
Designate
Include “Florida Native Plant Society” as a beneficiary of your account(s).
3
Inform
Inform the executor of your will of your wishes.
4
Notify
Notify FNPS of your future gift with FreeWill so we can ensure your wishes are honored.
Types of Planned Gifts
1. Bequests
A gift made through your will or trust — you can leave a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or a particular asset to FNPS.
2. Beneficiary Designations
Name FNPS as a beneficiary of your retirement account, life insurance policy, or bank account.
3. Gifts of Stocks or Securities
Transfer appreciated assets to avoid capital gains tax and support conservation.
4. Charitable Trusts
Create a trust that pays you (or someone you choose) income for life or for a set number of years. After that, the remainder of the trust goes to a charity like FNPS.
Benefits
Simple & Flexible
Naming the Florida Native Plant Society as a beneficiary is one of the easiest ways to create a lasting legacy, and you can adjust your designations at any time without the need for a lawyer.
Cost-Free Giving
Designating a beneficiary allows you to make a meaningful gift without impacting your finances today, preserving your resources for your lifetime while planning for the future.
Ensure Conservation Lives On
Your gift will help protect Florida’s native plant communities and wild landscapes for future generations, ensuring the places you love continue to thrive.
When longtime FNPS supporter included the Florida Native Plant Society in her will in 2020, she hoped her legacy would help protect and restore Florida’s wild beauty long after she was gone. What she couldn’t have known was that her generous planned gift would arrive at just the right time — just at the start of an economic storm testing nonprofits across the country.
Thanks to this Anonymous donor's gift, FNPS has the security and strength to continue its mission through the next three years, even as funding landscapes shift. Her foresight means ongoing support for native plant conservation, habitat restoration, and science-based advocacy, ensuring that FNPS can remain a steady voice for Florida’s wild places — no matter what challenges arise.
Because of her lasting commitment, future generations will inherit a Florida where native plants still thrive.
Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes
Executive Director, FNPS
With a planned gift, you can create a lasting legacy — ensuring the causes you care about are protected for future generations, without impacting your finances today.
FAQ - Beneficiary Designation
Q: What is a planned gift?
A planned gift is a future donation you arrange today — often through your will, trust, retirement account, or other estate planning tools — to support the causes you care about beyond your lifetime.
Q: I’ve heard of naming a charity in my will, but what is a beneficiary designation?
A beneficiary designation allows you to name the Florida Native Plant Society as a recipient of assets like retirement accounts, life insurance policies, or bank accounts — without updating your will. This simple and flexible option can be changed at any time and helps ensure your legacy protects Florida’s native plant communities for years to come.
Q: Do I need to work with an attorney to designate a beneficiary?
No, you do not need an attorney. You can request a beneficiary designation form directly from your account holder, such as your bank, insurance company, or retirement plan administrator. If you prefer, you can also use FreeWill to guide you through the process for free.
Q: What are the benefits of designating FNPS as a beneficiary?
Beneficiary designations are easy to arrange, cost nothing today, and allow your gift to pass directly to FNPS — often without going through probate. It’s a meaningful way to help safeguard Florida’s native plant communities while keeping your plans flexible and your assets fully available during your lifetime.
Q: Do I have to be wealthy to make a planned gift?
Not at all! Planned gifts of any size make a powerful difference. Whether it’s a small percentage of your estate or a specific amount, every commitment helps ensure the future of Florida’s native ecosystems.
Q: Can I change my planned gift if my circumstances change?
Yes! A planned gift is flexible and can be updated at any time as your needs and wishes evolve.
Q: What types of assets can I give?
You can leave a gift of cash, securities, real estate, retirement funds, life insurance, or other assets through your estate plan.
Q: How do I get started?
We’ve partnered with
FreeWill — a free, secure online tool — to help you create or update your will and include the Florida Native Plant Society in your plans. It only takes about 20 minutes!
Q: Is my donation anonymous?
If you wish, yes. Indicate in your will whether to share your name with the nonprofit or to make your gift anonymously.
Q: How will my Planned Giving gift support FNPS?
When you include the Florida Native Plant Society in your estate plans, your gift helps ensure that Florida’s native plants and natural habitats are protected for future generations. Your support will strengthen FNPS’s ability to:
- Conserve native plant species through science-based research, habitat restoration, and land stewardship
- Educate communities about the importance of native plants and inspire future conservation leaders
- Advocate for sound environmental policies that protect biodiversity and preserve Florida’s natural heritage
Your legacy gift ensures FNPS has the stability and strength to meet both today’s conservation needs and tomorrow’s challenges — creating a lasting impact for Florida’s wild places.
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Disclaimer: Estate and financial planning may implicate both state and federal laws, and estate planning needs will differ based on personal circumstance and applicable law. The Florida Native Plant Society is not a law firm and its services are not substitutes for an attorney’s advice. The information here is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide, and should not be construed as providing legal or tax advice. This information is general in nature and is not intended to serve as the primary or sole basis for investment or tax-planning decisions.
