Information about Oil & Gas Mineral Donations
Crystal clear water in one our country’s National Parks. A resource that most people agree should have protection and adequate stewardship.
A common oil and gas well storage tank site in West Texas. We believe the groundwater under this site, the air surrounding it, and the crops next to it also need protection.
Donated Mineral Interests help us achieve our goals.
Many non-profit organizations own mineral interests, typically given to them by Donors as a gift. However, few of these organizations are active stewards of their interests, and use whatever cash is generated to fund their other non-profit programs. ERGF feels that, however noble their programs may be, these organizations are missing a huge opportunity.
The backbone of ERGF is the ownership, and effective stewardship, of mineral and royalty interests. By owning and controlling mineral interests, we are better able to ensure that the minerals are produced responsibly, with adequate environmental protections.
Maybe you inherited mineral rights, and don’t feel comfortable selling them to some corporation, but you are also not quite comfortable holding them. Please consider donating to ERGF as an alternative. Our goal is not to profit, or just sit back and collect royalties to fund other programs. Our goal is to be a steward over those minerals.
How the Process Works
Step 1: Determine if you want to report the donation on your taxes for a charitable donation. An independent appraisal is required per IRS rules. We cannot provide or pay for the appraisal, but can point you in the direction of groups that do this type of work. If you do not want to report the donation, skip to Step 2.
Step 2: A Deed will be prepared for you, conveying the mineral rights to ERGF. The Deed must be signed in front of a Notary.
Step 3: Mail the original Deed to us, and we will send it on to the County to be recorded in their public records. We typically pay for the cost of recording, but any assistance in offsetting the cost is appreciated. Once recorded, the donation is complete!
Additional Information
Your gift of mineral rights may be tax deductible, as allowed by law. However, you may want to discuss it with a tax professional, as some situations are unique.
We accept the following types of interests, and all play an important part in our organization:
Mineral and/or Royalty Interests
Overriding Royalty Interest
Interests in land
Term Interests (Any of the above interests, but limited in duration to a certain term of years).
We cannot accept leasehold interests or working interests. These interests typically bear the cost of developing the minerals, and also bear the cost of any other financial or environmental liability.