Introducing the Trail Angels Society

May 01, 2019
Don Weise
New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

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Introducing the Trail Angels Society
Sunrise at the Catskill's Giant Ledge. Photo by Marlee Goska.

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Join forces with the Trail Conference to ensure that the trails and natural areas we share are sustainable and accessible for all to enjoy for generations to come.

At the Trail Conference, we believe our volunteers and the donors who support them are Trail Angels. Our first 100 years of volunteering has been an important source of innovation and resilience for trails and parks in New York and New Jersey. To ensure skilled volunteers will be plentiful enough to protect these public lands and trails during our next 100 years, we need to be forward-thinking in the ways we seek funding to continue this vital work.

The idea of a Trail Angel Society was introduced in the previous issue of Trail Walker, and we received a lot of positive feedback on the concept. We’re pleased to announce that we are moving forward in the creation of this society to ensure that trails and natural areas in this region are sustainable and accessible for all to enjoy for generations to come.

The purpose of our Trail Angels Society will be to provide reliable income over the long term, which makes it ideal to be funded by planned gifts, such as a bequest or other provision in your estate plan that benefits the Trail Conference. To encourage gifts made in this way, we will launch a Trail Angels Society open to anyone who confirms that the Trail Conference will benefit from their estate plan.

We are also extremely excited to announce that a generous donor who believes in the importance and power of “paying it forward” has offered to ensure the Trail Conference benefits from the generosity of Trail Angels Society members both now and in the future. Every time a person confirms the Trail Conference has been named in their will or estate plan, the donor will write a $500 check to support our work today (see below). You will not only be paying forward your love for public lands and trails, you will also be making a big difference right now.

We are so grateful for the creativity and fortitude of our members and volunteers. It is what enables the Trail Conference to fulfill its mission, year after year, decade after decade, century after century. Join the Trail Angels Society by making a provision in your estate plan to benefit the Trail Conference and assure an immediate contribution to celebrate your generosity.

A Pledge Challenge for the Trail Conference

A generous donor has come to the Trail Conference with an exciting idea.

This donor will give a contribution of $500 to the Trail Conference right away when someone indicates that he or she has made a bequest or a provision in his or her estate plan that benefits the Trail Conference.

When you complete the bequest intention form (click here) and send it into us, our donor will write a check to the Trail Conference for $500 for each form we receive. The donor is creating an immediate incentive to encourage future bequest proceeds.

Your bequest intention form is non-binding; people can change their minds as their circumstances change. The form is to show that you are making plans now, but you have every right to change them later.

If you’ve made a provision in your estate plan that benefits the Trail Conference, use this form to let us know, even if you’ve told us previously, and we can benefit NOW from our generous donor. If you’re working on your estate plan and you intend to benefit the Trail Conference with a provision, use this form when you have finalized your plans and take advantage of this exciting Pledge Challenge.

One person who’s made a commitment said, “This is a great way for me to help the Trail Conference without costing me a penny now. The Trail Conference gets $500 today, and I leave a nice legacy later on.” For more information, contact Membership and Development Director Don Weise at [email protected] or 201.512.9348 x813.