02-174-CLC News Fall 2002 - Columbia Land Conservancy

Endowment Campaign
Fall 2002
Campaign’s Success Leads to
Brighter Future for Conservation
The Columbia Land Conservancy is pleased to announce the recent completion of our
operating endowment campaign, which will help us protect the rural open spaces
important to the people of Columbia County.
Three years ago, Jonathan
Schor presented us with a
challenge: if we secured
$600,000 toward our operating
endowment, Jon would
contribute $900,000 to the
Conservancy in the form of
an irrevocable charitable
remainder trust. Thanks to
the generous support of 53
donors, we reached our goal of
$600,000 and thus met the
$900,000 challenge.
A strong endowment is
critical to any small nonprofit,
allowing it to weather tough
times and flourish when economic
conditions are strong.
However, when you are talking about land, a whole additional
component comes into play. If we do not step up
the pace of conservation, the rural landscapes we all love
and cherish will steadily vanish.
Development pressure in Columbia County rose almost
30% from 1990 to 2000, and now is reportedly breaking
all records. The proceeds from our endowment will be
instrumental in helping us expand our conservation work
and help more people protect their land. It will enable us
to share the wonders of the natural world with the next
generation and foster a sense of good stewardship.
We are continuing to take action to conserve our
working farms, forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitats.
This year, we will be completing more projects than ever
before in our 16-year history: a 200% increase over 2001!
CONSERVANCY NEWS
In addition, our educational programs are surpassing all
expectations—with children and adults from around the
region participating in owl prowls, coyote howls, astronomy
sessions, river walks, and botany and forestry workshops.
More than 2,000 people so far have taken advantage
of these free programs this year.
A strong endowment will also allow the Conservancy
to dedicate additional staff time to working with local
communities and conservation groups, helping them to
create public conservation areas for the public to enjoy.
Due to the success of our endowment campaign, we
can now be assured that the open spaces, woodlands, and
farms of Columbia County continue to define this spectacular
region.
Tony Colyer-Pendás
8
Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) can be a great way to avoid paying capital gains tax on highly
appreciated assets, increase the donor’s income as paid by those appreciated assets, and allow people to
benefit a nonprofit during or after their lifetime (depending on how it is structured).
A CRT gives the donor an immediate income tax deduction for the value of the “remainder interest” and
provides a steady stream of income for a fixed term of years or the lifetime of the income beneficiaries. The
nonprofit benefits at the termination of the CRT when it is dissolved and the principal is distributed to the
organization.
The Columbia Land Conservancy’s ability to establish public conservation areas, protect working farmland,
conserve wetlands and forestlands, and provide educational programs to thousands of people every year
depends on the generosity of our donors. CRTs can make a big difference in our efforts down the road, laying
the ground work for conservation in the future.
Please contact Judy Anderson at the Conservancy (518) 392-5252 if you have any questions about CRTs or
would like to consider a planned gift to the Columbia Land Conservancy. ❧