Planned Giving

The most common way to include Greenbelt in your estate planning is by making a charitable provision in your will or trust. This kind of charitable bequest can be a designated dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the residual amount remaining in your estate after all other obligations have been made. 

Sample language:
I bequeath to Essex County Greenbelt Association, a Massachusetts charitable corporation of Essex, Massachusetts, the sum of $__(or__%) of my residuary estate to be used for its general purposes. 

Our tax identification 501(c)3 number is: 04-2264297.

Consider leaving a legacy to land conservation by naming Essex County Greenbelt as a beneficiary of all or part of your qualified retirement plan assets, such as an IRA, 401(K), or 403(b). Unlike heirs, charitable beneficiaries do not have to pay any income or estate taxes for receiving these funds. A straightforward process that doesn’t require a will or lawyer: simply notify the custodian of your retirement funds that you wish to designate all or part of a specific fund to benefit Essex County Greenbelt.

Another easy option that doesn’t require a will or lawyer: legacy donors can designate Essex County Greenbelt as a beneficiary on financial accounts, including retirement plans, bank accounts, and life insurance policies. Simply contact your account provider to request a ‘Change of Beneficiary’ form, and add Essex County Greenbelt as you would a loved one, or alongside your current beneficiaries.

If you have a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), consider directing the sponsoring organization to allocate the principal of your fund to Essex County Greenbelt upon your passing, or to Greenbelt and other charities you support, in specified percentages.

Land with important conservation value may be donated to Essex County Greenbelt. If you’re considering this option, please contact Vanessa Johnson-Hall, Director of Land Conservation, at 978-768-7241 ext. 116.

Houses, buildings, and other developed real estate can be donated as “green trade” properties, with the proceeds from their sale supporting critical conservation efforts.

Retained life estate allows you to transfer ownership of your home or other property to Essex County Greenbelt while retaining the right to live there for the remainder of your life. This option offers income tax benefits and can simplify estate settlement and tax processes

A Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) can offer significant tax benefits along with financial flexibility. A gift annuity is a contract between a donor and a non-profit organization in which the organization agrees to pay a fixed income, usually for the life of the donor and/or spouse, but others can be named as the life beneficiaries. At the conclusion of the annuity, the amount equal to the difference between the original gift and the cost of providing the annuity is left to benefit the organization in perpetuity.

A charitable remainder trust is a tax-exempt irrevocable trust designed to reduce your individual taxable income. It first disburses income to the beneficiaries of the trust for a specified period of time and then donates the remainder of the trust to the designated charity, such as Essex County Greenbelt.

​​​​​​​A charitable lead trust enables the donor to make significant charitable contributions in the near term, then distribute the remainder interest to non-charitable beneficiaries who may benefit from significantly lowered gift and estate taxes.