Legacy giving can be a great way to fulfill your philanthropic goals, giving future generations the joy of running, biking, or hiking the many trails around the Salida area. But don’t take it from us… below, long time SMT contributors Mark and Brenda offer this testimony to why they included SMT in their legacy planning:
The word “legacy” brings to mind family fortunes handed down over generations or, at the very least, bazillions of dollars to be disbursed to charities. That’s sure not us!
Be that as it may, we recently updated our wills and, as always, came up against that hard question … who or what will inherit when we die? Rather than writing in the name of some generic national group, we decided that our hearts lay closer to home.
Salida Mountain Trails has welcomed us from the beginning, willing to let us contribute and help as we can. The very inclusiveness of the group has been heartwarming – Brenda often rides a trike and this has been completely accepted without a hint of condescension. The feeling of doing something worthwhile toward the goal of public joy infuses everything we have done for Salida Mountain Trails, especially the Trail Steward program.
Yes, it can be difficult to make monetary donations while you are still alive. After all, it is impossible to know how long you will live and what unexpected financial emergencies may arise. Upon your death, however, money will no longer be important to you, but it can still be significant to others.
We encourage you to remember SMT the next time you update your wills. If you don’t yet have a will, now is the time! Free online templates for Colorado wills are available. Bequests can be worded as a set dollar amount, as a percentage of the residual, or for a specific item such as a stock holding. It is also possible to write in Salida Mountain Trails as a direct beneficiary for some things, such as for your retirement account.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to think that you might someday help Salida Mountain Trails to build a new trail or purchase a key parcel of land?
You could be directly responsible for increasing the number of smiles in our area … what an excellent gift!
Join us in becoming a Legacy Giver!
Brenda and Mark Wiard
To designate SMT as a beneficiary, use this information:
Salida Mountain Trails
PO Box 612
Salida, CO 81201
Tax ID: 46-2608985 501c(3) non profit