When most people think about supporting their favorite nonprofit organization, the first thought is to make a donation online or write a check. Those gifts are incredibly important – and at Turtle Island Restoration Network, we are grateful for every single one of them. But many supporters are surprised to learn there are other ways to give that can make an even greater impact for the causes they care about!

Whether you’re passionate about protecting sea turtles, preserving coastal habitats, reducing plastic pollution, or ensuring future generations inherit healthy oceans, there are many non-traditional giving options that can help you support conservation.

Give More Through Appreciated Stocks and Investments

If you’ve owned stocks, mutual funds, or other investments that have grown in value, donating them directly to your favorite nonprofit can be one of the most tax-efficient ways to give.

Rather than selling the asset and donating the proceeds, many donors choose to transfer the asset directly. This approach may help reduce capital gains taxes while allowing you to make a larger charitable gift than you might have made with cash alone.

Imagine turning the growth of an investment portfolio into support for sea turtle rescue efforts, community beach cleanups, environmental education programs, or advocacy campaigns that protect marine wildlife and coastal ecosystems. It’s a powerful way to transform financial growth into lasting environmental impact. Check out our webpage about donating stocks, for more information.

Leave a Legacy for the Oceans

Many of our supporters tell us they care deeply about the world they will leave behind for their children and grandchildren. Planned giving offers a meaningful way to turn that vision into action.

A legacy gift can be as simple as including a nonprofit in your will or naming an organization as a beneficiary of a retirement account or life insurance policy. These gifts don’t require extraordinary wealth. In fact, many planned gifts come from ordinary people who simply want their values to live on.

For marine conservation organizations, legacy gifts help ensure that future generations can experience thriving coastlines, healthy oceans, and abundant wildlife. Long after we’re gone, these gifts continue protecting the places and species we love.

Check out our online tools, to help you take the first steps to plan an estate gift or donate through your retirement account.

Make the Most of Workplace Giving

You may already have an opportunity to increase your impact – through your employer!

Many companies offer matching gift programs, meaning they will match charitable donations made by employees. Others provide payroll giving programs that allow you to make regular contributions directly from your paycheck.

If your employer offers a match, a gift that supports sea turtle conservation today could effectively double in value with just a few minutes of paperwork. Just ask your Human Resources or Management Departments if they have a matching gift program, and double your donation’s impact!

Consider a Donor-Advised Fund

Donor-advised funds (DAFs) have become an increasingly popular way for individuals and families to organize their charitable giving.

A DAF allows you to contribute assets, receive an immediate tax benefit, and recommend grants to the nonprofits you care about over time. Many conservation organizations, including Turtle Island Restoration Network, receive critical support through donor-advised fund grants each year.

For donors who want flexibility while maintaining a long-term commitment to ocean conservation, DAFs can be an excellent option. Check out this page for more information about DAFs.

Every Gift Helps Create a Healthier Future

At the end of the day, there is no single way to make a difference. Whether you give through a monthly donation, a gift of stock, a donor-advised fund, an employer match, or a legacy commitment, your generosity helps power meaningful conservation work.

Every rescued sea turtle, every pound of trash removed from a beach, every student inspired through environmental education, and every native plant propagated for habitat restoration work is possible because people choose to invest in a healthier future for our planet.

If you’re interested in exploring any of these giving options, please feel free to reach out to me, TIRN’s Development Manager, Eleni Riccio at ericcio@seaturtles.org. Together, we can find a giving strategy that works for you – and helps ensure that our oceans and marine wildlife continue to thrive for generations to come!

Our latest Charity Navigator rating recognizes not only what we do, but how we operate transparently, efficiently, and with accountability to you, our supporters. TIRN is thrilled to spotlight its continued achievement of a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator, the highest possible score of 100% from America’s largest and most trusted independent charity evaluator!

TIRN’s Four-Star rating is based on the annual 990 filed with the IRS. It reflects the organization’s excellence across multiple key areas:

• Accountability & Finance financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
• Culture & Community culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
• Leadership & Adaptability leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization’s mission.

Achieving a 100% score and sustaining this level of performance means donors can give with confidence knowing your support is being used ethically and effectively to protect the world’s oceans and marine life.

For decades, TIRN has been at the forefront of global marine conservation by safeguarding endangered sea turtles, restoring salmon habitats, and advocating for stronger environmental protections. This top Charity Navigator rating signals that TIRN not only does important work, but does it well by:

• Maintaining a healthy program expense ratio, directing a significant share of its budget to mission-critical efforts.
• Operating the board with strong independent oversight. 
• Bolstering transparency. 

This credibility matters deeply when donors are choosing where to invest their support.

Earning Charity Navigator’s Four-Star rating consistently since 2016  isn’t just an honor, it’s a public endorsement that TIRN’s financial health and governance meet the highest standards among U.S. charities. Only a select group of nonprofits achieve this level of recognition, making TIRN stand out even more for integrity in addition to impact.

This rating allows donors to know their generosity goes where it matters most: to protecting endangered species, restoring habitats, empowering communities, and defending our oceans.

Turtle Island Restoration Network continues to attain excellence, integrity, and unwavering passion with the help of staff, volunteers, interns and you!