Leave a Legacy
Planned & Estate Giving at the California Surf Museum
By including the California Surf Museum in your estate plans, you help support the long-term care of surf culture and the values it represents. Planned giving is a meaningful way to align your personal legacy with cultural stewardship, education, and public access. Honoring the past, caring for the present, and shaping the future of surf culture.
Why Leave a Legacy
Leaving a legacy is an act of care—for culture, for community, and for continuity. At the California Surf Museum, stewardship means responsibly caring for surf history so it can be understood, studied, and appreciated well into the future. Legacy gifts provide essential long-term support for this work, allowing the Museum to plan responsibly and care for surf culture with intention.
Collections
The Museum’s collection includes surfboards, photographs, films, ephemera, and personal histories that document surfing’s evolution and its connection to coastal life. Stewardship ensures these objects are preserved, researched, and interpreted with integrity.
Conservation
Many surf artifacts were created for use in demanding coastal environments, not permanence. Conservation allows the Museum to stabilize fragile materials, preserve original craftsmanship, and slow deterioration—respecting both the objects and the people who made them.
Archives
Archives safeguard voices, images, and records that might otherwise be lost. Through careful management, the Museum preserves not only surf history, but the lived experiences and creative expression of surf communities across generations.
Ways to Leave a Legacy
There are many ways to include the California Surf Museum in your philanthropic and estate plans. You may choose the option that best reflects your personal circumstances, financial goals, and long-term intentions. You can bequeath a gift in your will, trust, through your IRA, and a variety of other ways.
For more information about making an estate gift, including to request sample bequest language or to let us know that you are including California Surf Museum in your estate planning, please reach out to us at legacy@surfmuseum.org.
Most Common Ways to Leave a Legacy
Many supporters choose one of the following straightforward and flexible options when including the California Surf Museum in their estate plans:
- Bequests in a Will or Trust
A future gift designated through your will or living trust, subject to acceptance in accordance with the Museum’s Gift Acceptance Policy.
- Retirement Assets (IRA and Qualified Plans)
Naming the Museum as a beneficiary of retirement accounts, including IRAs and other qualified plans.
- Donor-Advised Funds
Recommending a grant to the Museum during your lifetime or through a successor advisor designation.
- Stocks and Securities
Gifts of publicly traded securities made during life or as part of an estate plan.
Additional Ways to Leave a Legacy
The Museum also welcomes support through a variety of other giving vehicles, including:
- Cash Bequests
A specific dollar amount designated to the Museum through your estate.
- Life Insurance
Naming the Museum as a beneficiary of a policy or transferring ownership, where appropriate.
- Charitable Gift Annuities
Providing fixed payments for life to one or two individuals, with the remainder benefiting the Museum, subject to minimums and state regulations.
- Charitable Remainder Trusts
Providing income to designated beneficiaries for a period of time, with the remaining assets distributed to the Museum.
- Real Estate
Gifts of real property, accepted subject to review and approval in accordance with the Museum’s Gift Acceptance Policy.
- Retained Life Estates
Donating a residence while retaining the right to use the property for your lifetime.
- Memorials and Tributes
Gifts made in memory of or in honor of an individual.
- Corporate Partnerships
Planned or deferred gifts made in accordance with corporate policies.
- Workplace Giving
Employer-sponsored giving programs used in conjunction with retirement or estate planning.
- Cryptocurrency (Digital Assets)
Gifts of digital assets, evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
These options may offer financial or estate-planning considerations depending on your individual situation. We encourage you to consult with your legal or financial advisor.
Suggested Bequest Wording
The following language may be helpful when working with your attorney or estate planner:
“I give and bequeath to the California Surf Museum, a nonprofit organization located in Oceanside, California, the sum of $________ (or ___% of my estate / the remainder of my estate), to be used in support of its mission and the long-term stewardship of surf culture.”
We encourage you to consult with your legal or financial advisor to ensure your plans reflect your personal circumstances and intentions.
The California Surf Museum Legacy Circle
A recognition community honoring those who ensure the long-term stewardship of surf culture.
The California Surf Museum Legacy Circle recognizes individuals and families who have chosen to include the Museum in their estate plans. Members share a commitment to preserving surf culture and supporting the Museum’s role as a steward of coastal history, creativity, and community.
Informing the Museum of your plans is entirely voluntary, but doing so helps us plan responsibly for the future. Recognition is guided by each donor’s wishes, and all conversations are handled with care and confidentiality.
A Shared Commitment
“Surf culture is built by people, places, and shared experience. Including the California Surf Museum in my estate plans felt like a way to honor the creativity and community that shaped my life, while helping ensure those stories are cared for responsibly.”
– Legacy Supporter
“I want future generations to understand surfing not just as a sport, but as a culture rooted in respect—for the ocean, for craftsmanship, and for one another. Planned giving allows me to support that understanding for years to come.”
– Legacy Supporter
Contact Us
If you have questions or would like additional information, we are happy to assist you or work with your professional advisors.
California Surf Museum
312 Pier View Way
Oceanside, CA 92054
legacy@surfmuseum.org
