Legacy giving
Your Legacy Can Light the Way for Generations.
Photo Credit: UN CTCN Photographer: Miranda Rikki Tasker
A Legacy That Brings Light and Life
Every day, the power of the sun helps families cook safely, protect forests, and breathe clean air. By including Solar Cookers International (SCI) in your will, you ensure that light keeps changing lives long after your own story is written.
Since 1987, SCI has turned sunlight into safety, health, and opportunities for communities around the world. Your legacy can help children grow up free from smoke, empower women with time and security, and preserve the environment for generations to come.
What better legacy than knowing your compassion continues to nourish life — powered by the sun.
Photo Credit:
UN CTCN Photographer: Miranda Rikki Tasker
Why leave a legacy gift?
A legacy gift is more than a financial decision. It’s a reflection of your values and your belief in a better future.
No matter your age, background, or level of wealth, you can make a lasting impact through planned giving. Your gift helps provide:
- Clean, renewable energy for vulnerable communities
- Healthier homes and safer cooking practices
- Protection for forests and natural resources
- Opportunity and dignity for families worldwide
Legacy giving also offers:
- A simple way to make a lifelong difference
- Potential tax benefits for you and your heirs
- The peace of mind that your values will live on through meaningful action
Ways to leave a legacy
There are several flexible and meaningful ways to include SCI in your long-term plans.
Gifts in your will
or trust
Including Solar Cookers International in your will or trust allows you to support our mission while maintaining full control of your estate.
You may choose to leave:
- A specific dollar amount
- A percentage of your estate
- A particular asset (such as property or stock)
Suggested Language for Your Will or Trust
“I give, devise, and bequeath to Solar Cookers International, a nonprofit corporation located in Sacramento, California, Federal Tax ID #68-0153141, ___ percent (%) of my estate (or the sum of $_____, or the property described herein) for its general purposes.”
This language may be adapted with your attorney to fit your individual situation.
Read how SCI Board Member Monica made her legacy gift
Gifts through
retirement assets
Naming SCI as a beneficiary of your retirement assets is one of the most tax-efficient ways to give.
You may designate SCI as a full or partial beneficiary of:
- IRA, 401(k), or 403(b)
- Pension plans
- Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
- Donor Advised Funds (DAF)
- Brokerage, savings, or money market accounts with transfer-on-death (TOD) or payment-on-death (POD) designations
Because SCI is a nonprofit organization, these gifts are generally not subject to income or estate tax, allowing more of your assets to directly support clean cooking initiatives.
How to Name SCI as a Beneficiary
Request a beneficiary designation form from your plan provider and use the following information:
To name SCI on your form, please use the following information:
Solar Cookers International
2400 22nd Street, Suite 210
Sacramento, CA 95818
Tax ID: 68-0153141
Relationship: 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization
Gifts of life
insurance
Life insurance can be a powerful and accessible way to create a future gift.
You can name SCI as:
- Primary beneficiary (receives benefits directly), or
- A Contingent beneficiary (receives benefits only if other beneficiaries are no longer living).
When you name SCI as owner or beneficiary:
- The benefits pass to SCI free of federal estate tax.
- You may be eligible for tax savings.
- Continued premium payments you make after donation are tax-deductible.
SCI is unable to pay premiums directly. However, you may maintain ownership and update beneficiaries at any time.
Some supporters also choose to establish a new, affordable policy that grows into a meaningful future contribution.
Other planned
giving options
You may also support SCI through advanced giving strategies such as:
- Charitable gift annuities
- Charitable remainder trusts
- Charitable lead trusts
These options can provide income during your lifetime, potential tax benefits, and long-term support for SCI’s mission.
We recommend discussing these options with a qualified financial or legal advisor.
Important information
This information is not intended as legal or financial advice. We encourage you to consult with your attorney, financial planner, or tax advisor to determine the best approach for your personal situation.
If you would like guidance, our team is here to help.
Once you have included SCI in your plans, we would be honored to thank you and welcome you into our Legacy Circle.
Contact us
We’re happy to guide you through
your legacy planning process.
Email us at info@solarcookers.org,
or call +1 (916) 455-4499.
Explore more
- Follow this link for answers to commonly asked questions
- To learn more about other ways to include SCI in your estate plans, please see:
- Read about our Legacy Circle supporters
Support solar cooking initiatives
Help bring clean, safe solar cooking to families around the world.