Build Your Conservation Legacy
Your legacy can be a conservation multiplier—accelerating land protection, outdoor nature engagement, and habitat restoration far beyond what annual giving alone could achieve.
Leave a Bequest
Build your conservation legacy with a planned gift.
Gift of Land
Make a transformational gift for future generations.
Protect Nature
Fund sustainable nature stewardship, restoration, and permanent protection.
Simple & Flexible
You’re in control. Your gift can change as your life or situation evolves.
Meaningful Legacy
Clean water, abundant wildlife & natural lands for future generations.
Bequest: A Simple Step with Lasting Impact
Leaving a bequest in your will or trust is one of the most flexible and powerful ways to ensure your legacy supports the future of conservation in Minnesota. It doesn’t affect your finances today—and you can adjust your plans at any time. You can designate a:
- Specific dollar amount
- Percentage of your estate
- Specific asset (such as land, a retirement account, or securities)
- Residual bequest after other needs are met
Protected wild lands for our children and grandchildren.
“We believe that the greatest legacy we can leave our children and grandchildren is protected wild lands.
That is the reason that we are leaving a part of our estate to the Minnesota Land Trust.”
— Tom Anderson & Nancy Conger, legacy supporters
You may be surprised to learn how far even a modest bequest can go…
$10,000
Helps permanently protect a cherished camp or nature center.
$25,000
Supports a year of stewardship visits throughout Minnesota.
$50,000
Helps restore vital wetlands that migrating birds need.
The Transformational Power of a Gift of Land
A gift of land through a donation or retained life estate can be a meaningful expression of your values.
And if you’ve already protected your property through a voluntary conservation easement, donating it extends your conservation impact even further.
Interested in this option? Let’s talk before you decide to gift land or real estate. To begin the conversation, reach out to Beth Westerback, Associate Director of Development at 651-917-6297 or bwesterback@mnland.org.
First the property was protected, now it helps power even more conservation across Minnesota.
In 2009, David and Leslie Gardner permanently protected 31 acres of forests, wetlands, and grasslands in what is now a heavily developed part of Ramsey County.
They also planned ahead and generously donated their property through a retained life estate. After they were done living there, the home was sold. Today, the proceeds support stewardship of protected lands across Minnesota.
Other Ways to Leave a Legacy
- Beneficiary Designations: Name the Land Trust as a beneficiary of your retirement accounts, life insurance, or donor-advised fund (DAF).
- Charitable Gift Annuities & Trusts: Create a legacy while receiving income and potential tax benefits.
- Non-Cash Assets: Consider gifts of stock, securities, qualified charitable distribution (QCD), gifts from a donor-advised fund (DAF), or other appreciated assets. Learn more about these options.
Ready to Get Started?
By planning now, you create something enduring for future generations. Call or email Beth Westerback, Associate Director of Development, to start a friendly, no-pressure conversation about your wishes and options: 651-917-6297 or bwesterback@mnland.org.
Have you already included us in your plans? Please let us know so we can thank you and honor your commitment.
This organization’s legal name is “Minnesota Land Trust.” The Minnesota Land Trust is a non-profit corporation, organized under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Our federal identification number is 41-1713652.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is correct at the time of publication and is provided for informational purposes only; it is not a substitute for legal, tax, or financial planning advice. Please consult a professional trained in trusts and estates when considering any of these planned giving options. Some of the options listed may enable a charitable tax deduction depending upon the current tax laws. Please consult with a professional tax advisor.
