Creating extraordinary opportunities for the future.
The future of Shenandoah National Park will be built on today’s planned and deferred gifts. Together with our most loyal donors, we will be able to ensure that one our national treasures is protected and preserved for many generations to come.
Did you know there are creative ways to support Shenandoah National Park Trust? Ways in which Shenandoah National Park, you, and your loved ones all benefit at the same time?
Such giving techniques are called “planned gifts” because with thoughtful planning, you create win-win solutions for you and us, the Shenandoah National Park Trust.
Shenandoah Legacy Society
An Invitation to Join.
Members of the Shenandoah Legacy Society have expressed their commitment to Shenandoah National Park through a very special and important form of financial support.
These donors have named the Trust as the ultimate beneficiary of a planned gift, one that will continue to bring an abundance of opportunities to Shenandoah National Park Trust.
Call the Trust at (434) 293-2728 or email info@snptrust.org to discuss your planned gift.
Gifts Anyone Can Afford
There’s a simple, straightforward way to avoid income tax and potential estate tax on your retirement plan, while making a significant gift to Shenandoah National Park Trust.
Stock Gifts
Make a larger impact by donating long-term appreciated securities, including private or traded stocks, bonds, and mutual funds! Compared with donating cash or selling your appreciated securities and contributing the after-tax proceeds, you might be able to increase your gift & tax donation with a stock gift. Check out this step-by-step guide.
Wills or Bequest
A gift through your will or trust is one of the most popular and flexible ways that you can support Shenandoah National Park. This can include Donor Advised Funds (DAFs).
Here is an example of some simple bequest language to include in your will:
I hereby give, devise and bequeath _________ ($DOLLARS) to Shenandoah National Park Trust a non-profit organization located 1750 Allied St. Suite C, Charlottesville VA 22903 (Tax ID #20-8685310), to be used for general purposes.
Make significant impact on the conservation of Shenandoah with a gift of Real Estate
An asset you’ve had for generations can be a gift for generations to come. By donating all or part of your property to the Shenandoah National Park Trust, you may be able to reduce your capital gains tax, receive an income tax deduction & a VA tax credit —and you may even be able to continue to use or live on the property.
Best of all, your gift is vital in protecting Shenandoah National Park’s plant and animal species, trail access, tree canopy, viewsheds, and more.
Faith in the Future: Patti McGill Peterson
As a former president of two colleges founded in the 1800s, Peterson knew that endowments could ensure the long-term survival of institutions and bolster faith in their work. Peterson took a deliberate approach to founding her endowment to the Trust, and she’s still weighing how she’d like to direct the funds to be used in the future.
The central question that guided her: “If you really believe in something, and you think that it is important, how do you make it last longer than you?”
Preserving History: Dorothy Canter
“Shenandoah National Park is one of the crown jewels of America’s National Park System. Both its amazing natural resources and the complicated history of the people who have lived, worked, and visited the mountains need to be preserved and interpreted to tell the uniquely American story and encourage future generations to become its stewards. The Shenandoah National Park Trust works closely with the National Park Service to preserve and enhance the park. That is why I am a regular donor to the Trust and will be making a legacy gift.”
The Legacy of Land: Keith Cain
In 2022, park neighbors in Sperryville alerted the Trust to the impending sale of 23 acres along Shenandoah’s boundary in hopes that the land could be protected and remain undeveloped, preserving woodland and access to Sam’s Ridge Trail. Keith Cain decided to buy the land and donate it to the Trust.
For Keith, donating land meant more than protecting the park – it was also a way to turn a memory into a legacy. “My father really loved Shenandoah National Park, as do I,” he said. “I’m doing it, but it’s about him.”
Keith’s donation is a unique blend of a Planned, Memorial, and Land gift, representing a significant commitment to protecting, enhancing, and preserving Shenandoah for this and future generations. “Land is forever,” he concluded. “This was a permanent way for me to leave an on-going gift.”
Read the full story in our 2023 Summer Newsletter.