The Richard O. Ristine Heritage Society
The Heritage Society recognizes donors who have shared in the mission of the Leelanau Conservancy by making a gift through a will, bequest, trust, annuity, insurance or other planned or deferred gift. Over 100 individuals and couples have notified the Conservancy that they have made such a commitment. The Society is named after Richard O. (Dick) Ristine, who served as Chairman and then Honorary Chairman for many years.
As land prices fluctuate and critical areas of the Peninsula confront difficult choices, the Conservancy faces many conservation opportunities and challenges. As the legal steward of the lands it protects, the Conservancy must ensure adequate management and protection of the lands in its care… forever.
The current work of Conservancy friends, staff, volunteers and donors will benefit many generations to come – that is one of the great rewards of our efforts. Through wills, bequests, and other estate planning, Heritage Society members ensure their support will not end after their lifetimes.
While supporting the Conservancy’s future, planned gifts can also serve the donor in important ways. For instance, a deferred gift can help minimize the tax liability of heirs. Some estate planning instruments can even create secure, annual income for donors right now, during their lifetimes. As one Heritage Society member likes to say, “It’s a win-win-win: for us, for our family, and for the Conservancy.”
Please follow these links for information about planned gifts:
Where there’s a will, there’s a way to make a bequest to the Leelanau Conservancy. A bequest is a provision in your Last Will and Testament in which a gift or property is transferred from your estate to a charitable organization. Bequests are easily accomplished. You can even add a simple codicil to an existing will.
As always, we advise you to seek independent financial and legal advice as you consider significant gifts. If would like more information about including the Conservancy in your financial plans and becoming a member of the Richard O. Ristine Heritage Society, please contact Anne Shoup, Director of Charitable Giving, by email at ashoup@leelanauconservancy.org or by calling 231-256-9665.
Read why our members decide to make planned gifts to the Leelanau Conservancy.
“Leelanau has been important part of my life since childhood, and the work that the Conservancy has done to protect the peninsula means a lot to me. In discussing how we could include the Leelanau Conservancy in our estate plans, Ann and I settled on naming the organization as the beneficiary of my IRA. First, it was extremely easy to do! I just filled out a “change of beneficiary” form online. Second, the change will eliminate significant taxes. And finally, IRAs are complicated assets for your heirs to receive, from a tax standpoint if nothing else. This solution addressed all those concerns, while enabling us to support the Conservancy’s great work.” ~Warren Watkins.
“We decided that a charitable gift annuity was a very effective way to support an organization about which we care a great deal, while doing something smart for our retirement planning. With today’s uncertain financial picture, we welcome a regular income, and have the satisfaction of knowing that at our passing, the body of the annuity goes to the Conservancy. In this way, we will have made a lasting impact on our favorite organization.” ~ Enid and Rick Grauer
“Jeff and I knew that we wanted to help keep Leelanau ‘the land that we love’ and that we could do much more through our estate than we could do in cash or stocks while we were alive. We’re first generation Leelanau folks, but now there are three generations who love this special place. We wanted to set an example to them for how to care for the land we all love and to help make certain that their memories of Leelanau are like ours. It seems important to share that link across time—and it made a gift to the Conservancy a gift to them, too.”~Susan Green
“The IRS has created some generous gift options for charitable organizations, one of which is a charitable gift annuity. As long-time supporters of the Leelanau Conservancy, we found that making such a gift was a safe way to leverage our money for our joint lifetimes. We receive a check twice a year, including a very generous, effective annuity rate of 9.3%.” ~ Gil and Annette Deibel
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