Join MDLT’s Planned Giving Society, “The Desert Stars”
Please consider supporting the Mojave Desert Land Trust’s future through a provision in your estate plans. If you have already done so, kindly let us know so that we may enroll you in “The Desert Stars Society”.
Desert Stars will be acknowledged in our annual report and on our website. If you are interested in making a planned gift, we would be honored to work with you and your advisors to carry out your wishes. If you have already planned a bequest to MDLT, please let us know so that we can thank you and recognize you as a Desert Star. For more information, please email our Donor Relations Manager Kellie Flint at [email protected].
You are eligible to join The Desert Stars if you have arranged for one or more of the following planned gifts:
- Bequests & Wills
- Charitable Trusts
- Life Insurance
A planned gift to MDLT is a way to continue your support for desert conservation and preservation. Such a gift can provide tax advantages to you and your estate and leave a lasting impact for future generations. Planned giving is any gift that is not a current cash gift. Many planned gifts are simple bequests. Other types of gifts include real estate, stocks, IRA distributions, life insurance proceeds, and charitable lead and remainder trusts.
Bequests & Wills
One of the most popular and easiest planned gifts is the bequest. Many donors choose to make their ultimate gift through their will. If you already have a will, it is not necessary to rewrite your entire will to make a bequest to the Mojave Desert Land Trust. You can simply instruct your attorney to prepare a codicil (an amendment) to your current will. Below are several examples of bequests and their appropriate language.
- For a specific monetary amount:
“I give ___________dollars to The California Desert Land Conservancy dba the Mojave Desert Land Trust, a California nonprofit corporation, whose address is 60124 Twentynine Palms Highway, Joshua Tree, California.”
- For a percentage of your estate:
“I give ____________% of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate to The California Desert Land Conservancy dba the Mojave Desert Land Trust, a California nonprofit corporation, whose address is 60124 Twentynine Palms Highway, Joshua Tree, California.”
- For a contingent (alternative) bequest if your originally designated beneficiary does not survive you:
“If ____________(Name) is not living on the ninetieth day after the day of my death, I give all the rest of the property I own at my death to The California Desert Land Conservancy dba the Mojave Desert Land Trust, a California nonprofit corporation, whose address is 60124 Twentynine Palms Highway, Joshua Tree, California.”
A bequest can also specify how the gift is to be used, such as for general purposes, for land acquisitions, for the Friends of the Mojave Desert Seed Bank, for plant conservation, for educational outreach, or for research.
- If your bequest is unrestricted, consider adding the following sentence to your bequest:
“This bequest should be used at the discretion of the President and the Board of Trustees.”
- If you would like to designate a specific use for your bequest, consider adding the following provision to your bequest:
“The purpose of this bequest is to ____________ (Describe purpose). Should it not be possible to use this bequest as devised, they may be expended at the discretion of the President and the Board of Trustees.”
Of course, we cannot provide you with legal advice and these examples are provided for educational purposes only, to demonstrate how simple it is to designate Mojave Desert Land Trust as a beneficiary in your will. Please consult with a qualified attorney as to the best way to accurately and effectively document your testamentary wishes and thank you for considering a gift to Mojave Desert Land Trust.
Thank you for defending the desert!
Header photo: Conservation Lands Foundation.