Make a Bequest

A will is the easiest and most effective means to ensure that you fully provide for your family and that your assets are distributed as you wish. Gifts by will, or bequests, both large and small, are very important to The Land Conservancy of McHenry County. A bequest through your will provides much needed support for land preservation in McHenry County. Here is a story from two TLC members who chose to leave the organization in their wills.

You may bequeath a gift to TLC in the form of a dollar amount, a specific property, a percentage of your estate, or what remains after your loved ones have been provided for. Bequests to The Land Conservancy of McHenry County are entirely free from federal estate tax, and there is no limit on the amount you can leave to TLC in your will. 100% of all donations (in dollars) to TLC support land preservation in McHenry County. To make a bequest to TLC, the following language may be helpful to your lawyer: “I give, devise, and bequest to The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, with a mailing address of PO Box 352, Woodstock, IL 60098, and a Tax Identification # of 36-3727476, the sum of $_____ (or “the rest, residue and remainder of my estate”) to be used for land preservation.” You may wish to dedicate your bequest to one or more of TLC’s dedicated funds:

Long-term Land Management Fund  These funds generate income each year that TLC uses to manage the properties we own. At the present time, this account has about $450,000, and the current goal is to have $1 million. This principal would generate about $40,000 a year (average, over time) to be used to take care of the 500 acres of land that TLC owns.

Legal Defense Fund  These funds generate some annual income that helps cover the costs of annual monitoring for the properties TLC owns. The principle can only be accessed to cover legal costs related to defense of any of the conservation easements that TLC holds. This fund currently stands at just over $500,000.

Third Generation Oak Fund  This fund is used to cover out-of-pocket costs related to Project Quercus, including planting oaks and helping people take care of their oaks. To designate your gift, simply specify the fund in your will.

For additional information email Lisa Haderlein or call 815-337-9502 x 103. Should you include TLC in your will, please let us know so that we may thank you during your lifetime!