‘Tis the Season of Giving so Give a Gift that Gives

The North Branch of the Chicago River at LaBagh Woods.

This holiday season, Friends has plenty of options to delight the friend of the river in your life with the perfect gift and help make the river healthier and more accessible for people and wildlife.

  • Symbolically Adopt an Animal of the River System

You can symbolically adopt a catfish, osprey, or painted turtle. The Chicago and Calumet Rivers are teeming with an amazing diversity of animals, all of which are important to our local ecosystem and deserve our respect and protection. All wildlife adoptions come with certificates and other fun items celebrating these remarkable native species.

  • Gift a Membership

In addition, a gift membership of any size for a friend or loved one provides Friends with the operating support that affects all of our programs and initiatives and sustains our mission all year long. Membership is accompanied by fun benefits including discounts on paddling events and free admission to our Bridgehouse Museum. Field trip and wildlife adoptions contain these benefits as well. Simply click the “Gift Membership” box on our donation form and include the recipient’s information so our staff can notify them.

  • Make a Tax Deductible Gift to Friends with your IRA

If you are 70 ½ or older, please consider a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) as your convenient, tax-free option to make a gift to Friends of the Chicago River this year or in years to come. Using QCD is an excellent strategy for managing your required minimum distributions (RMD) from an IRA while also supporting charitable causes. You may transfer up to $105,000 per year directly through your IRA or other qualified charitable distribution programs. Please contact Friends’ Director of Development, Annie Hanrahan, with any questions about giving this year, at ahanrahan@chicagoriver.org.

Know its Value

Any contribution you can make will be meaningful to our mission and vision. The river is healthier today than it was yesterday, and this time next year it will be even healthier thanks to the generosity of supporters like you. Thank you for considering us during this season of giving.