We invite you to be part of Shenandoah’s future
Your love for Shenandoah can last forever. Arranging a charitable gift through your estate, retirement accounts, or other financial assets ensures that the Park you treasure today is protected and preserved for generations to come.
There are many ways to make a planned gift, each with potential benefits that vary based on your individual circumstances. Your attorney or financial advisor is your best resource for determining which approach is right for you and your family.
Bequest (Will or Living Trust)
Name SNPT in your will or trust. Simply ask your attorney to include bequest language designating SNPT as a full or partial beneficiary. One of the simplest and most flexible legacy gifts available.
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 300 Preston Ave. Suite 500, Charlottesville VA 22902 (Tax ID #20-8685310), to be used for general purposes.
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.
Beneficiary Designation
Name SNPT as a primary or secondary beneficiary of an IRA, 401(k), life insurance policy, or investment account. No attorney required and no changes to your will, just a simple form from your plan administrator.
Gifts or Bequests of Real estate or land
A gift of property—given now or through your estate—helps protect Shenandoah’s wildlife, trail access, forest, and viewsheds. Land or real estate donations may also be eligible for certain tax benefits, and your attorney or financial advisor can advise you.
Endowment
Establish or contribute to a permanently invested fund whose earnings support SNPT’s work in perpetuity. Contact us to learn how to create a named endowment (minimum investment $25,000) or contribute to an existing one. A single gift that gives forever.
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.
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.