We are currently accepting donations to fund the 2026 owl banding project. Please join us in our efforts to continue this important research!
Other ways to give
Donor-advised Funds
Give Through Your Donor-Advised Fund
Supporting the Friends of Whitefish Point with a gift from your donor-advised fund (DAF) is simple and impactful. A DAF allows you to combine the tax benefits of giving with the flexibility to support the causes you care about most. If you have a DAF with Fidelity, Benevity, Schwab, Vanguard, or another provider, you can recommend a gift to Friends of Whitefish Point through our affiliate organization Lake Michigan Bird Observatory.
How to make a gift from your DAF:
1) Log in to your donor-advised fund account.
2) Search for: Lake Michigan Bird Observatory our affiliate organization, Tax ID/EIN: 82-2924873
**MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: For the benefit of Friends of Whitefish Point
3) Submit your recommendation. Your generosity will help the owl banding research and education programs to continue for many years to come.
4) If possible, please let us know about your gift so that we can make sure that everything comes through and so that we can send you a proper thank you.
Give through your IRA
Support the owl research and education programs—directly from your IRA.
Older adults can lower their income taxes by giving directly to charity from their retirement accounts through a tax rule that allows people age 70½ and older to donate from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) without counting that money as income.
Usually, money taken out of an IRA is taxed. That includes money given to family or to charity. But if the gift meets special rules, called a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), it does not count as income, so it is not taxed.
To qualify, the donor must be at least 70½ years old. The gift must go straight from the IRA to a charity like the Friends of Whitefish Point. Donors cannot get anything in return, like a meal or gift, and the most a person can give this way in 2025 is $108,000. More information can be found at the IRS website.
Benefits of an IRA gift:
- Your gift counts toward your required minimum distribution (RMD) (if applicable).
- You avoid paying income tax on the amount transferred.
- You make a meaningful impact on the small non-profit organizations you value.
How to make your IRA gift:
1) Contact your IRA administrator and request a qualified charitable distribution to:
Friends of Whitefish Point via
Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
EIN: 82-2924873
PO Box 487
Port Washington, WI 53074
**Please make sure to indicate that the distribution is for “Friends of Whitefish Point”. Contact us with any questions at: fowpoffice AT gmail DOT com.
If possible, please let us know about your gift so that we can make sure that everything comes through and so that we can send you a proper thank you.
Employer Matching
Each year, $4-7 billion US dollars are left unclaimed in employer matching gift programs. More than 26 million people work for companies that offer matching gifts.
Does your employer offer matching funds for charitable gifts? Put those funds to work for owl research and education!
After giving, you’ll need to follow the steps specified by your employer to complete the matching gift. Search for our affiliate organization, Lake Michigan Bird Observatory using the Tax ID/EIN: 82-2924873. Finally, consider letting us know about your gift so we can keep an eye out for the check. Typically these matching gifts take up to a month to arrive, so it is helpful to know if something is in progress.
Tribute Gifts (in honor or in memory)
It always feels special when people think of supporting the Friends of Whitefish Point as a tribute to someone important in their life. When you donate online, you can optionally choose to designate your gift in honor or in memory of someone special. You can also choose to send a check in memorium. Please include details of who you are designating your gift in honor of, and send to:
Friends of Whitefish Point
PO Box 92
Paradise, MI 49768