Ways to Donate

Download our giving guide here.

Give to Climate Democracy

Your gift. Your community. A future that holds.

Climate change isn't only an environmental problem. It's a democracy problem. Often, decisions are made without local voices at the table. That results in lost trust, and the tools to develop a response go missing right when they are needed most.

The Climate Democracy Initiative rebuilds those tools. Your gift funds the training, programs, and partnerships that support intergenerational voices in rural and small communitites. Together, we support local voices shaping decisions that affect their own lives — from the classroom to the county commission.

CDI is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Your gift is tax-deductible. (EIN: 92-0943342)

Give once. Give monthly. Give in someone's honor. Use the form to give by DAF, credit or debit card, or choose another way to give from the options below.

Give Through a Donor-Advised Fund

Your DAF makes giving fast. Recommend a grant to CDI in three clicks through your DAF sponsor's online portal — Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, your community foundation, or any other DAF host.

Please direct DAF grants to:

Climate Democracy Initiative

EIN: 92-0943342

The Alliance Center

1536 Wynkoop Street, Suite #427

Denver, CO 80202

Let us know your gift is coming. If you'd like us to look out for it and acknowledge it quickly, email development@climatedemocracyinitiative.org with your DAF sponsor's name.

Giving by Check

Stocks & Appreciated Assets

A gift of appreciated stock, securities, real estate, or other property held more than a year is one of the most efficient ways to support our work. You deduct the full fair market value, avoid the capital gains you'd owe on a sale, and CDI puts every dollar to work — because nothing is lost to taxes along the way.

Short-term holdings welcome, too. The deduction rules differ for assets held a year or less, but we'll walk you through what it means for your situation — and your gift helps just as much.

We'll make it simple. Email development@climatedemocracyinitiative.org for our transfer guide, or connect us with your broker or advisor and we'll handle the logistics from there.

Gifts From Retirement Accounts

Your retirement accounts can do more than secure your own future — they can secure a future for the young people learning to lead right now.

Give now from your IRA. If you're 70½ or older, a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) moves funds directly from your IRA to CDI — tax-free to you, and counting toward your required minimum distribution once those begin. In 2026, you may give up to $111,000 as a QCD. It's one of the most efficient lifetime gifts available to a retirement account holder.

Give later by beneficiary designation. Name CDI as a full or partial beneficiary of your IRA, 401(k), 403(b), or other retirement account. It's a simple, revocable way to leave a lasting legacy — and often the most tax-wise asset to leave to charity, because retirement funds reach CDI intact instead of being eroded by the income taxes your heirs would owe. A beneficiary form from your plan administrator is all it takes.

We'll make it simple. Email development@climatedemocracyinitiative.org and we'll send the paperwork your custodian or plan administrator needs — or coordinate directly with them on your behalf.

Planned Giving

For donors interested in receiving lifetime income in exchange for a charitable gift, a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) or Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) may be the right fit. In exchange for an irrevocable transfer of cash, securities, or other appreciated assets, you or a loved one receives reliable income for life — and what remains supports CDI's mission.

A unique 2026 opportunity. Donors 70½ and older may now fund a CGA or CRT with up to $55,000 directly from their IRA — once in a lifetime, tax-free. It's one of the most compelling planned giving opportunities the IRS has offered in years.

We work with trusted partners. CGAs and CRTs involve careful actuarial and legal structuring. CDI partners with qualified planned giving organizations to ensure your gift is structured correctly, your income stream is secure, and your intentions are honored.

Let's start the conversation. Email development@climatedemocracyinitiative.org — no pressure, no obligation.

Legacy Giving

A gift in your will or trust is one of the most enduring ways to support CDI — and often one of the simplest. A single paragraph, prepared with your attorney, can leave a specific amount, a percentage of your estate, or what remains after your loved ones are provided for. Whatever shape it takes, your legacy becomes permanent support for youth leadership, rural voice, and climate work built to last.

Sample bequest language for your attorney:

"I give to the Climate Democracy Initiative, a 501(c)(3) public charity located in Denver, Colorado (EIN: 92-0943342), the sum of $___ [or ___% of my estate, or the residue of my estate] to be used for its general charitable purposes."

Let's start the conversation. Legacy planning is personal. Email development@climatedemocracyinitiative.org for a confidential, no-pressure conversation — whether you've worked with an estate attorney for decades or you're just starting to think it through.