We suggest including the following language:

“I give to Sesame Workshop a not-for-profit institution incorporated by the laws of the State of New York, having as its principal address 1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023, federal tax ID #13-2655731. [the sum of $______ or _____% of my estate or residuary estate] to be used for its general purposes.”

To include Sesame Workshop as a beneficiary of your IRA, retirement, or life insurance policy, use these easy steps:

Contact your retirement plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution for a change-of-beneficiary form. Decide what percentage (1 to 100) you would like Sesame Workshop to receive and name us, along with the percentage you chose, on the beneficiary form.

Please list us as:

Legal Name: Sesame Workshop
Address: 1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
Federal Tax ID #:  13-2655731

If you are 70½ years old or older, you can make a gift from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) directly to a qualified organization such as Sesame Workshop without having to pay income taxes on the donation (up to $100,000 per individual). This is known as an IRA charitable rollover (also known as a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD for short.) 

And if you are 73 or older, your gift may count towards your “required minimum distribution” (RMD) for the year in which your check is issued, and would be excluded from your taxable income.

Check out some of the benefits of contributing from your IRA:

• Your gift will be put to use today, allowing you to support Sesame Workshop and see the difference your donation is making now.
• You pay no income taxes on the gift. The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so you benefit even if you do not itemize your deductions.
• If you have not yet taken your required minimum distribution for the year, your IRA charitable rollover gift can satisfy all or part of that requirement.
• Since the gift doesn’t count as income, it can reduce your annual income level. This may help lower your Medicare premiums and decrease the amount of Social Security that is subject to tax.

To arrange a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA, follow these easy steps:

Contact the financial institution where your IRA is held and instruct them to send all or a portion of your Required Minimum Distribution to Sesame Workshop, federal tax #: 13-2655731.

Ask that they send the check directly to Sesame Workshop: 1900 Broadway, New York, NY,10023, federal tax ID # 13-2655731. It only counts as a QCD or RMD if the check goes from the financial institution directly to a charity. 

Let us know, so we can properly acknowledge your gift. Return the enclosed form, or email us (majorgifts@sesame.org), or call us (212-875-6941).

Even if you decide not to make a distribution this year, you can always designate Sesame Workshop as the beneficiary of all or a percentage of your IRA and it will pass to Sesame Workshop tax-free after your lifetime.

To make a gift of stock, instruct your broker to transfer your shares to:
Charles Schwab & Co, Inc. DTC No.: 0164, Code 40; account number 9273-8897
For the Benefit of: Sesame Street Workshop, 13-2655731

Make sure that you inform us of the number and name of the stock you are transferring so we can provide you with a tax acknowledgement letter. Email us at stockgifts@sesame.org or call us at 212-875-6941.

For questions about your stock transfer, contact Robert Gahres at robert.gahres@schwab.com