Create a Legacy with a Gift through Your Will or Living Trust

Create Your Legacy with a Planned Gift

When you leave a gift through your will or living trust to Sheridan Community Land Trust, your love for Sheridan County continues forever. Your legacy can create transformative opportunities to help local families conserve working lands, open space, clean water and places where wildlife thrives. Your legacy can preserve and tell more stories about our past today, so they are not forgotten tomorrow. Your legacy can create new ways for people to connect to nature and the outdoors. Your legacy and do all those things and so much more. And we are happy to help you create exactly what you want your legacy to be.

The primary benefit of a planned gift is that it gives you the use of the assets during your life and upon death allows a charitable purpose which can reduce estate taxes. Most planned gifts are revocable. They may be restricted for specific purposes or projects. We at the Sheridan Community Land Trust are not tax or financial advisers so please consult with your own adviser. However, we would love to visit about your intention.

Upon completing your legacy gift, we will be honored to enroll you in Sheridan Community Land Trust’s Legacy Circle. Legacy Circle members are recognized in our publications. Anonymity is always an option.

We are a 501(c)3 organization.

SCLT Tax ID: 20-4385635.

Giving Through Your Will

In as little as one sentence, you can create your legacy. This type of donation to SCLT in your will or living trust helps ensure that we continue our mission for years to come.

“I give to the Sheridan Community Land Trust, a nonprofit corporation currently located at Sheridan, WY, or its successor thereto, ______________ [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”

Additional example language to donate via your will

“I hereby give Sheridan Community Land Trust, a nonprofit organization located in Sheridan, Wyoming, with a business mailing address of P.O. Box 7185, Sheridan, WY 82801, and with a tax identification number of 20-4385635, the sum of _______ dollars [or describe other gifts or assets] for its general purposes and use at the discretion of the Sheridan Community Land Trust Board of Directors.”

The suggested wording for leaving all or a part of the balance of the estate after debts, burial costs, probate expenses, and specific bequests have been satisfied may be as follows:

“I give, devise, and bequeath to Sheridan Community Land Trust, a nonprofit organization located in Sheridan, Wyoming, with a business mailing address of P.O. Box 7185, Sheridan, WY 82801, and with a tax identification number of 20-4385635, all (or ___%) of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate, to be used for its general purposes.”

What can you donate via your will

You have options when deciding how to plan your giving. Here are the common donations that Sheridan Community Land Trust can accept:

• Cash
• Land (rural or urban)
• Homes
• Appreciated assets (i.e. stock investments)
• A portion of your retirement fund or life insurance policy
• A specific amount of money from your estate, a percentage of your estate, or even the residual part of your estate after you have taken care of loved ones.

It is important that you meet with us while planning your giving – and while your will is still in preparation – so that we can discuss your intentions and determine whether we can meet them. This is especially important when considering giving non-cash gifts.

If you intend to bequeath a conservation easement, we need to verify that accepting the easement conforms to our policies and discuss what restrictions you want to see placed on the land. We will then draft the easement for you and your attorney to review.

We also recommend that you consult your attorney or financial planner as you think about your planned giving to Sheridan Community Land Trust.

Giving Through Your Living Trust

In most situations your living trust will need to be amended to include the language below or similar.

“I give to the Sheridan Community Land Trust, a nonprofit corporation currently located at Sheridan, WY, or its successor thereto, ______________ [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”

OR

“I hereby give Sheridan Community Land Trust, a nonprofit organization located in Sheridan, Wyoming, with a business mailing address of P.O. Box 7185, Sheridan, WY 82801, and with a tax identification number of 20-4385635, the sum of _______ dollars [or describe other gifts or assets] for its general purposes and use at the discretion of the Sheridan Community Land Trust Board of Directors.”

Or, the suggested wording for leaving all or a part of the balance of the estate after debts, burial costs, probate expenses, and specific bequests have been satisfied may be as follows:

“I give, devise, and bequeath to Sheridan Community Land Trust, a nonprofit organization located in Sheridan, Wyoming, with a business mailing address of P.O. Box 7185, Sheridan, WY 82801, and with a tax identification number of 20-4385635, all (or ___%) of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate, to be used for its general purposes.”

Why people choose to make a bequest

• It is not payable until you pass away, so it will not affect your assets or cash flow during your lifetime.
• It is revocable. You can change the provisions in your will or trust at any time.
• It is private. Your will is not filed nor made public until your death.

If you prefer to make a gift dedicated to one aspect or project of Sheridan Community Land Trust, we will be happy to speak with you about giving a restricted gift.

Tax benefit

Depending on the size of your estate, and if it is subject to estate taxes, your gift to Sheridan Community Land Trust could help lower your taxable estate. To receive tax benefits during your lifetime, your gift must be in the form of cash, stock, or your life estate. You won’t receive tax benefits during your lifetime if you make a gift via your will.

Legacy Circle

Once you have created your legacy, please let us know. If you wish, SCLT will recognize you in our publications as a Legacy Circle member. Who knows what other legacies you will inspire others to create by simply sharing that you’ve chose to create yours ?