Often, our friends tell us that the philanthropic gifts that give them the greatest satisfaction are the ones that address their own specific passions. What is the best way to direct your giving to make sure it is in line with your passions? Here are three strategies we hope you find useful:
1. You are motivated by our mission and want to support it. Many of our friends tell us they believe in the work we are doing – nurturing and sharing beautiful gardens and natural lands – and want to give to see that good work continue. If you share this general passion for what we do and want to see us build on that foundation for the future, you may want to consider an unrestricted gift.
Unrestricted giving is critical to our success. These gifts not only enable us to budget wisely to meet current needs, but they also give us the flexibility to dream and think broadly and creatively about the future as well as to strengthen and expand our mission.
2. A particular project or program has captured your imagination. Through careful planning, the Preserve has defined a set of projects that we are calling our Framework Plan. These projects span the entire Preserve, in each of the gardens, on the natural lands, as well as our horticulture, administrative, and facilities operations. Our priority projects span a five-year timeframe. Some of the projects will be funded internally but we will be reaching out to our supporters to match their passions to our projects.
If your passion is to provide support for a special project or program, a restricted gift for a designated purpose can make that happen. We welcome the opportunity to learn what speaks to your heart and your mind and help develop a plan to support those dreams.
3. You want your financial support to outlive you. With some basic planning it is possible to provide support for our work after your lifetime. You may choose to name us a beneficiary in a will, a trust, or a life insurance policy or other financial vehicles like a bank, brokerage, or retirement-plan account. Just like with your lifetime gifts, such gifts can be restricted or unrestricted and even directed to a new or existing project or program. We would be happy to discuss possibilities with you and your advisors.
Photo by Katherine Emery Photography
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