Creating A Lasting Legacy—Bequests to Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

You can create a lasting conservation legacy that will impact western Pennsylvania for generations to come. By giving to WPC through your will or trust, you can greatly contribute to our ability to save the special places we all care about, like the 1,700-acre tract in Elk and Jefferson Counties, or the 227-acre tract in Bedford County that we acquired for protection just last year. Your bequest also makes it possible for WPC to continue its important work with communities: last year alone we provided technical assistance to over 100 grassroots conservation organizations across western Pennsylvania spanning 30 counties.

After you’ve provided for your loved ones, you can dedicate a specific amount, a property, or all or a percentage of what remains of your estate to WPC. There is no limit to the size of the charitable gift that you may deduct for gift and estate tax purposes. Your lawyer or financial planner can help you with the specifics, but this method is generally very straightforward and, since a will or trust is a private document, it allows you a great deal of flexibility while remaining confidential.

What’s more, donations to WPC don’t have to come in big packages. Folks of all economic and social backgrounds have named WPC in their wills or revocable trusts, leaving amounts often ranging from a few thousand to many hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s easy to do and will have a lasting impact for many years to come.

Stuart and Helen McMurray were one such couple who made the decision to name WPC in their wills. As is sometimes the case, we were not made aware of their generosity until their passing. But the McMurrays surely had a warm spot in their hearts for western Pennsylvania, even though they had resided in Arizona for the past 20 years. They were very private people who were keenly aware of conservation issues, especially those in western Pennsylvania. Though we will never know precisely why the McMurrays chose to bequeath a very generous portion of their estate to WPC, they were aware of WPC’s mission and track record in protecting western Pennsylvania, and chose the simplest and most direct method to help advance conservation—a bequest to WPC.

And the McMurrays were not alone in choosing to remember WPC in their estate plans. Dozens of others have taken the simple steps necessary to creating a lasting legacy. Because of their foresight, WPC can continue to save many of the special natural and cultural places we all care about in western Pennsylvania. We’re grateful to the many who have chosen to remember WPC in their wills. With their help we have been able to advance many important conservation projects.

People who tell us they have made legacy provisions for WPC become members of the Conservancy’s Heritage Circle and are invited to special recognition events. As always, we encourage you to consult your financial planner, but now is the time to act! Remember that your gift—no matter how you choose to make it—makes our work possible. For additional infomation on these or other ways of helping WPC, contact Moira A. Aulbach at 412-586-2396 or via e-mail at maulbach@paconserve.org.

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