Monterey Bay Aquarium

As a SHOP: Discover unique gifts…

Shopping at the Aquarium: The mission of the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the ocean. A portion of your purchase supports the Aquarium’s mission and its vital ocean conservation programs.Discover our unique collection of: * toys * apparel * books * gifts * jewelry, and * more.

Shop at any of our locations:

• The Aquarium Store (First floor)
• Ocean Discovery Store (First floor)
• The Store in the Open Sea (Second Floor)
• The Aquarium Store at 585 Cannery Row (located two blocks from the Aquarium)

Shop at our online store: Fully stocked with * toys * apparel * books * gifts * jewelry, and * reusable or recycled items so you can shop and support the Aquarium at the same time. Merchandise is cataloged within these collections: * Apparel * Accessories * Books * Kids & Games * Home, and * Gifts.

Sustainability: Experience the magic of the deep blue and shop with confidence, knowing that your purchase supports a healthier ocean through our responsible sourcing and eco-conscious products.

Support Monterey Bay Aquarium… by simply purchasing your specialty merchandise here:

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/dining-and-shopping

As an EATERY: Food for thought…

Dining at the Aquarium:  A range of food an beverage options are available in the café. Our Cafe will be open for dine-in meals during your visit. Place your order and pay for your meal using your mobile device, a Cafe kiosk, or with one of our staff members. Seating is available to patrons of the Cafe in the dining area. No outside food or drink may be consumed inside the Aquarium, except for guests with medical conditions that require access to food. Refillable water bottles are allowed. 

Support Monterey Bay Aquarium… By simply dining here:

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/dining-and-shopping

Be a DONOR: Show that you care…

Help us protect ocean life for future generations. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has inspired people young and old with the beauty and wonder of the ocean. Memberships support our exhibits, research and urgent conservation work.

Membership

Members help protect our ocean. As a nonprofit organization, we’re working to tackle the critical issues affecting our ocean today. Your membership support enables us to carry out this urgent work. Together, we can help protect the ocean for generations to come. Gift memberships are encouraged. Membership at specified levels are offered: * Ocean Advocate * Family * Individual * Senior * Student, and, * Gift Membership. Business Membership Levels and Additiomnal Benefits: * Business Leader * Business Benefactor * Business Steward * Business Patron, and * Business Contributor.

• Legacy Giving: Make a big impact with a future gift. When you include the Monterey Bay Aquarium in your estate plan, your generosity provides exhibits, education, research and conservation programs to inspire conservation of the ocean. Thank you for ensuring that the Aquarium can protect our ocean well into the future.
• Wills or Living Trusts: You want to leave money to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in your will. You also want the flexibility to change your will in the event that life circumstances change. You can do both. In as little as one sentence, you can complete your gift. This type of donation to the Aquarium in your will or living trust helps ensure that we continue our mission for years to come.
• Beneficiary Designations: Not everyone wants to commit to making a gift in their wills or estates. Some prefer the increased flexibility that a beneficiary designation provides by using:
  • IRAs and retirement plans
  • Life insurance policies
  • Donor advised funds
  • Commercial annuities

  It is very simple to name the Monterey Bay Aquarium as a beneficiary. Start by requesting a change-of-beneficiary form from your policy administrator or download the form from your provider’s website. Make your desired changes and return the form to establish your gift.

• Charitable Remainder Trust: If you have built a sizable estate and also are looking for ways to receive reliable payments, consider a charitable remainder trust. This type of trust provides you or other named individuals income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20 years from assets you give to the trust you create. At the end of the trust term, the balance in the trust goes to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.These types of gifts may offer you tax benefits and the option for income. There are two ways to receive payments and each has its own benefits:The annuity trust pays you, each year, the same dollar amount you choose at the start. Your payments stay the same, regardless of fluctuations in trust investments. The unitrust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. The amount of your payments is redetermined annually. If the value of the trust increases, so do your payments. If the value decreases, however, so will your payments.
• Memorials and Tribute Gifts: Honor someone special with a gift in their name. If you have a loved one who has been impacted by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, establishing a memorial or tribute gift is a meaningful way to honor them or celebrate a special occasion, such as a birthday, while supporting our mission. Your memorial or tribute gift will extend the legacy of your loved one and will make a difference.
• Real Estate: Transforming realty to gift reality Want to make a gift to the Monterey Bay Aquarium without touching your bank account? Consider giving us real estate, such as a personal residence, vacation home, farm, commercial property or undeveloped land. Such a generous gift helps us continue our work for years to come. And a gift of real estate also helps you. When you give the Monterey Bay Aquarium appreciated property you have held longer than one year, you qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction and you may minimize or eliminate capital gains tax. And you no longer have to deal with that property’s maintenance costs, property taxes or insurance. Another benefit: You don’t have to hassle with selling the real estate. You can deed the property directly to the Aquarium or ask your attorney to add a few sentences in your will or trust agreement.
• Endowed Gifts: Your gift can last forever. An endowment gift to the Monterey Bay Aquarium today provides a brighter picture for our future. When you make a donation to an endowment, you give a gift with both immediate and long-term benefits.Endowment donations are invested. A portion of the annual income from the investment is used to address immediate needs at the Aquarium. The remaining funds are reinvested to ensure indefinite support.
• Donor Advised Funds: Simplify your giving. A donor advised fund (DAF), which is like a charitable savings account, gives you the flexibility to recommend how much and how often money is granted to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and other qualified charities. You can recommend a grant or recurring grants now to make an immediate impact or use your fund as a tool for future charitable gifts.
• Charitable Lead Trusts: Protect your assets. If you want to make an impact now at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and also provide for your family later, consider setting up a charitable lead trust. You transfer cash or other assets to a trust that makes payments to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for a period of time. When the term is up, the remaining trust passes to your family or other beneficiaries you select. There are two ways that charitable lead trusts make payments to the Aquarium: A charitable lead annuity trust pays a fixed amount each year to the Aquarium and is more attractive when interest rates are low. A charitable lead unitrust pays a variable amount each year to the Aquarium based on the value of the assets in the trust. With a unitrust, if the trust’s assets go up in value, for example, the payments to the Aquarium go up as well.
• Appreciated Securities: A tax-savvy way to benefit from growing assets. Securities and mutual funds that have increased in value and been held for more than one year are popular assets to use when making a gift to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Making a gift of securities or mutual funds offers you the chance to support our work while realizing important benefits for yourself. When you donate appreciated securities or mutual funds in support of our mission, you can reduce or even eliminate federal capital gains taxes on the transfer. You may also be entitled to a federal income tax charitable deduction based on the fair market value of the securities at the time of the transfer. Securities are most often used to support our work in the form of: * An outright gift. When you donate securities to the Aquarium, you receive the same income tax savings that you would if you wrote a check, but with the added benefit of eliminating capital gains taxes on the transfer, which can be as high as 20 percent. * A transfer on death (TOD) account. * By placing a TOD designation on your brokerage or investment account, that account will be paid to one or more persons or charities after your lifetime.Additional ways to fund your gift:
  • A gift in your will or living trust.
  • A donor advised fund.
  • A memorial gift.
  • An endowed gift.
  • A charitable remainder trust.A charitable lead trust.
• Gifts of Stock: Giving in the form of appreciated securities is easy — and you may receive an immediate tax deduction and savings on capital gains taxes.
• Memorial and Honor Giving: Make a gift in honor of a friend, relative, or colleague for a special occasion such as a birthday, anniversary, wedding, or holiday. Gifts can be made in specified suggested amounts or in any amount that you choose.
• Business Donor: Make a business contribution to help the ocean. Your contributions, memberships and matching gifts provide invaluable support for our mission.
• Volunteer: Share our mission to inspire conservation of the ocean and help visitors from around the world explore the wonders of Monterey Bay and beyond. We empower you with the training and tools you need to become an advocate for a healthy ocean and a happier planet. We need your help — and so does the ocean!

Support Monterey Bay Aquarium… by simply  joining, giving, or volunteering here:

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/join-give/ways-to-give