The Legacy Circle Challenge

Legacy Circle members are those who have planned a gift to the Land Trust through their will, retirement account, or other provision. Door County Land Trust is proud to protect a legacy of land with these donors' legacy gifts.

When you include the Land Trust in your will or estate plans and join the Legacy Circle, $1,000 will be donated in your honor!

There’s no better time to begin your will or refresh your existing plans by including a charitable provision for Door County Land Trust. When you join the Land Trust’s Legacy Circle, $1,000 will be donated to the Land Acquisition Fund in your honor. This means your future commitment to saving land can help right now! To kick off the Land Trust’s Legacy Circle Challenge, three generous couples have created a challenge grant of $45,000 to help inspire the first 45 new Legacy Circle members.

Join this dedicated group of land protectors today!

Inform the Door County Land Trust of your Gift

Thank you for including the Door County Land Trust (DCLT) in your future gift planning. Once you have shared the details of your contribution, you will qualify as a member of the DCLT Legacy Circle. The generosity of the Legacy Circle membership, which as of July 2023 is currently 109 members and growing, will help protect Door County's exceptional lands and waters for generations to come. We are grateful to have you as a member.

Legacy Circle Booklet
Sample Bequest Provisions
Note of Intent – Printable Form

Name*
First Last
Address
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code
Email*
Phone*
Gift Details*
- Will
- Living Trust
- Retirement Plan Assets
- Charitable Remainder Trust
- Life Insurance Policy
- Donor-advised Fund
- Securities and/or appreciated assets
- Other:
Other
With the understanding that values are subject to change and that this planned gift is completely revocable, the approximate value of this future gift is:
This gift:
- Shall be used to benefit the DCLT’s highest and greatest needs
- Shall be used to support the Stewardship Endowment Fund, which ensures funds will always be available to fulfill the obligation of caring for the lands long into the future.
- Shall be used to support the Land Acquisition Fund, which provides the Land Trust with a ready source of dollars to respond to immediate opportunities to purchase and protect properties of high ecological and scenic value.
My/our provision names the “Door County Land Trust” as the beneficiary:
- yes
Information shared by our donors is always considered confidential and can be accessed only by DCLT Legacy Circle staff and select, relevant DCLT staff. If you have preferences or questions regarding the information you are sharing and how your gift will be acknowledged, please check this box:
- Please contact me/us to discuss my/our preferences regarding my/our gift information and acknowledgment
By checking this box, I agree to submit the information above by electronic means. I understand that the information provided in this form is not binding upon me or my estate as to the value of the provision herein described.*
- I agree
After you submit this form, you will have the option to print or save this document for your records.
CAPTCHA
Phone
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Gift Planning

Your Life, Your Plan

You’ve worked hard for what you have, so you care about your legacy. Gift planning integrates your charitable gift into your overall financial, tax, and estate planning to maximize benefits both to you and to the Door County Land Trust. With so many giving options, please consult with your attorney or tax advisor about the various tax benefits and issues that apply to help facilitate these discussions and answer any questions you may have. Depending on the arrangements you choose, you can:

Reduce your income taxes
Avoid capital-gains tax
Increase your spendable income
Retain payments for life

No matter the size of your gift, we can help you create a legacy that lasts forever. Ask us how. For more information contact Cinnamon Rossman, Director of Charitable Giving.

Gifts by Will or Bequest Provision of Cash

Following are some examples of bequests:

Specific bequests make a gift of a specific dollar amount or specific assets, such as securities, real estate, or personal property.

Residuary bequests give all or a portion of the rest, residue, and remainder of your estate after payment of expenses and any specific amounts designated to other beneficiaries.

Contingent bequests result in a gift to the Door County Land Trust only in the event of the death of other beneficiaries or the fulfillment of certain conditions described in your estate plans.

If you're working with an estate attorney or writing your own will, our 'Sample Bequest Provisions' include the details you will need to direct your charitable gift to Door County Land Trust.

Through various types of bequests to the Door County Land Trust, you may secure an estate-tax charitable deduction for the value of your gift while providing much-needed support for our mission for years to come.

Whatever form of bequest you choose, this gift would not be subject to federal estate taxes and therefore may significantly reduce the tax burden of the estate. The value of the bequest may be deducted when the taxable estate is determined, and there is no limit on the deduction amount.

With so many giving options, please consult with your attorney or tax advisor about the various tax benefits and issues that apply to your personal situation.

To discuss making a bequest or to receive assistance in drafting language, please contact us.

Other Types of Planned Gifts

Bequeathing Real Estate or Other Assets by Will

As an alternative to bequeathing a gift of money in your will or trust, you may prefer to include a percentage of your estate, a specific asset, a work of art, or a piece of real estate that you wish to give to the organization. If you choose to make bequests other than money, we encourage you to work with Door County Land Trust staff to assure we are able to fulfill your legacy intentions.

Gifts from Retirement Plans

List DCLT as a beneficiary of your account
Make DCLT a contingent beneficiary
Give from your IRA

Leave a percentage or the entire amount of your retirement account to the Land Trust. By naming the Land Trust as the beneficiary you avoid estate and income taxes on all amounts passing to the Land Trust. In many cases, a beneficiary of a retirement account would receive less than forty percent of the amount after tax, while the Door County Land Trust would receive the entire amount.

Charitable Trusts

There are generally two types of charitable trusts – a Charitable Remainder Trust and a Charitable Lead Trust. With the Charitable Remainder Trust, DCLT receives the remaining assets after your lifetime or term of years. The Charitable Lead Trust distributes the designated gift to DCLT first, with the remainder going to individuals of your choosing. Contact us directly to discuss the details of your planned gift.

Life Income Gifts

Door County Land Trust can work with you and your financial planner to create a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust that allows you to receive income during your lifetime, with the remainder providing the DCLT with vital, long-term resources.

Charitable Gift Annuity

Charitable Gift Annuities provide a way to protect Door County's lands and waters now—and receive dependable payments for life—in exchange for a gift of at least $10,000 in cash or appreciated securities to the Door County Land Trust. The rate of the payments is determined by age and number of annuitants (one or two).

Immediate-payment gift annuity
Deferred-payment gift annuity

Charitable Remainder Trusts

This type of trust is most appropriate when you want to leave assets to a charitable organization or support a cause you care about after you pass but still need income from the assets while you are alive. You would not want to choose a charitable remainder trust if you'd like the charity to receive an immediate benefit.

Charitable remainder unitrust
Charitable remainder annuity trust

The accreditation seal was awarded to the Door County Land Trust for meeting the highest national standards for excellence and conservation permanence.

Mailing Address:
PO BOX 65, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Office located at 217 N Fourth Ave., Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: (920) 746-1359

The Door County Land Trust is a local, non-profit 501(c)3 organization working to protect Door County’s exceptional lands and waters forever. The Land Trust has protected more than 9,400 acres thanks to contributions of support from members.

Door County Land Trust nature preserves are open to the public at no charge for hiking, cross-country skiing, wildlife observation, some forms of hunting, and other low-impact, non-motorized recreational activities.

The Door County Land Trust sincerely thanks the following businesses for their support! Please thank them for helping protect Door County's exceptional lands and waters forever when you patronize their businesses.