Planned Giving
Protect the Northwest Connecticut you love—for generations to come.
NCLC’s Legacy Society is a community of people like you who want to protect the forests, farms, lakes, and rivers that define Northwest Connecticut for generations to come. By working with your financial or tax advisor to include NCLC in your estate plan, you can help ensure that the lands and waters you love today remain protected long into the future.
How to Get Started
Making a planned gift is simple:
- Consult Your Advisors: Speak with your attorney or financial advisor to determine the best type of gift for you.
- Use Our Information: You will need NCLC’s legal name, address, and Tax ID number:
- Legal Name: Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
- Address: P.O. Box 821, Kent, CT 06757
- Tax ID: 06-6082034
- Let Us Know: Sharing your plans helps us ensure your wishes are honored and allows us to recognize your generosity.
Contact Us: We are here to help. Contact Director of Philanthropy Monica Roberto by phone at 860-927-1927 ext. 1505 or email.
If you would like to learn more about protecting your land through a real estate donation or a conservation easement, please contact Executive Director Catherine Rawson by email.
Gifts for the Future
Will and Trusts
With just a simple sentence in your will or living trust, you can create a lasting gift to Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy that helps protect the lands and waters that sustain this region for generations to come. This type of gift, known as a bequest, is flexible and can be updated at any time. Here are common gifted assets in wills and trusts:
- Investment accounts
- Real estate
- Vehicles
- Personal property
Beneficiary Designations
Designating NCLC as a beneficiary is one of the simplest ways to make a gift and can have a big impact. You can specify all or a percentage of the assets you want each beneficiary to receive. Often, it’s as easy as filling out a form. Here are common gifted assets for beneficiaries:
- IRA and Retirement Plans
- Life Insurance Policies
- Donor-Advised Funds
- Bank and Investment Accounts
Popular Gifts
GIFTS THAT PAY YOU BACK
In consultation with your financial planner or attorney initiating these documents, NCLC could be the beneficiary of:
- Charitable Gift Annuity: In exchange for a gift of cash or securities, you and/or a loved one receive fixed payments for life. A portion of this income may be tax-free, and you may also qualify for a charitable income tax deduction based on IRS guidelines.
- Charitable Remainder Trust: This is an irrevocable trust that provides income to you and/or your loved ones for life or for a set number of years, while also creating a future charitable gift. Depending on how the trust is structured, the income may be fixed or vary with the value of the trust assets. You may also receive an income tax deduction based on IRS guidelines, and at the end of the trust term, the remaining assets are distributed to NCLC.
- Charitable Lead Trusts: This type of trust allows you to make a charitable gift while retaining some control over the assets during your lifetime. This trust makes annual payments to a charity for a set number of years, after which the remaining assets are distributed to non-charitable beneficiaries that you choose, such as family members.
TAX SMART GIFTS YOU CAN MAKE TODAY
- Gifts of stocks, securities, and mutual funds: These gifts may help you avoid capital gains taxes while also qualifying for an income tax deduction if the assets have been held for more than one year.
- Qualified Charitable Distributions: If you are age 70½ or older, you can make a gift directly from your IRA to NCLC through a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). These gifts avoid income tax and may also count toward your required minimum distribution (RMD).
- Donor-Advised Funds: A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a flexible way to support NCLC and other charitable causes while receiving an immediate tax deduction. You can contribute to your fund over time and recommend grants when it is right for you.
- Real Estate: Gifts of real estate may help reduce capital gains and estate taxes while also simplifying estate plans and relieving future ownership and maintenance responsibilities.
NCLC Legacy Society Members
Constance Anderson
Julie Bailey
Robert Bailey
Marcia Legere Binns
Barbara Cantacuzino
James H. Coley
Christopher Craig
Mabel E. Crossman
Kim E. Duhan
Margery Feldberg
Valerie Friedman
Rita Ginsky
Susan Hansen
Peter Heald
Sarah Heald
Ruth Henderson
Amy Herrick
Marge Josephson
Joan Kunsch
Dennis Larkin
Diane Laviano
Beatrice Mangin
Richard McGoldrick
Edith Monroe Moe
Jim Millstein
Marcella Martin
Joyce Mowrey
Kirsten M. Peckerman
Elsa B. Richter
Alice Schneckenburger
Dr. Margaret Trika Smith-Burke
John Smyrski
Sophie Smyrski
The Henderson Charitable Trust
Nancy Astor White
Thomas White
Hiram Williams Jr.
Phyllis H. Wojan
Blended Gifts
FOR TODAY, IMMEDIATE GIFT OPTIONS:
FOR TOMORROW, DEFERRED GIFT OPTIONS:
- Annual gift. You can deduct cash donations up to 60% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) in a given year, provided you itemize deductions.
- Bequest (will or trust). Including NCLC in your will or trust allows you to reduce the taxable portion of your estate, potentially lowering or eliminating federal estate taxes.
- Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs). Individuals age 70½ or older can make tax-free gifts directly from an IRA to NCLC, which may also count toward RMD.
- Life insurance policies. Naming NCLC as a beneficiary or transferring ownership of a policy may provide income and estate tax benefits.
- Stock or securities donations. Tax benefits: Gifts of appreciated stocks or other securities may help you avoid capital gains taxes while also qualifying for an income tax deduction.
- Beneficiary designations. Naming NCLC as a beneficiary can help assets pass outside of probate and may reduce taxes on retirement accounts left to charity.
- Donor-advised funds (DAFs). Contributions to a DAF qualify for an immediate income tax deduction while allowing you to recommend grants to NCLC over time.
- Charitable gift annuities (CGAs). A charitable gift annuity provides fixed payments for life and may also offer income and estate tax benefits.