Ways to Give

The easiest way to give is to donate online today. You can donate once or set up a recurring donation that you can cancel at any time. If you prefer to give by mail, we welcome your gifts at this address:

Vermont Land Trust
8 Bailey Avenue
Montpelier, VT 06602

Naming VLT as a beneficiary on your financial accounts—such as retirement plans, bank accounts, and life insurance policies— costs nothing and doesn’t require a will or lawyer.

You add us as a beneficiary the same way you would add a loved one—or you can add us in addition to loved ones. All you need to do is contact your account provider and request a “Change of Beneficiary” form (you might find this on the provider’s website).

If you have stocks that have increased in value, you can help lower your taxes by donating those stocks to the Vermont Land Trust. You may be able to take an income tax deduction and you won’t have to pay capital gains tax.

Follow the instructions below to donate stocks or contact Jane with any questions.

Step 1: Give your financial broker this information to donate stocks

Our brokerage account is with Charles Schwab. Here are the details you’ll need:

FAO Vermont Land Trust
ACCOUNT # 8122-8724
DTC # 0164

Step 2: Let us know!

Please let us know who you are so we can thank you. If you or your broker doesn’t tell us about the gift, we won’t know who gave it (names are not included in the wire transfer to our broker).

Tell Jane about your stock gift! 

You can leave money or other assets in your will to charities. It’s an easy way to support the Vermont Land Trust that costs nothing during your lifetime. Often, people can make a much larger gift in their will than they could from their income. Plus, should you change your mind, you can update the terms of your gift at any time.

If you are 70½ or older, you can donate to the Vermont Land Trust directly from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) without it being considered a taxable withdrawal. And if you are over 72, the gift can count toward your required minimum distribution. Here’s what you need to do to get started:

Option 1: Donate online:

Some IRA providers will let you donate to us through an online form on their website. You’ll need this information to complete your donation:

• Our legal name: Vermont Land Trust, Inc.
• Our mailing address: 8 Bailey Avenue, Montpelier, VT 05602
• Our federal tax ID number: 03-0264836

The key thing to remember is that IRA donations need to come to VLT directly from your IRA provider, otherwise they will be counted as taxable distributions to you.

Option 2: Donate by mail:

See if your IRA provider offers an mail-in form. If you have any questions about this, or need help, please reach out to us!

Charitable gift annuities, remainder trusts and lead trusts all offer significant tax benefits along with financial flexibility. For example, you can receive income from the initial gift for the rest of your life or get it back after a set period.

A charitable gift annuity requires a minimum gift of $15,000 and charitable lead or remainder trusts usually don’t make sense unless the gift is at least $100,000. If you are interested, we encourage you to reach out to Christa and your financial advisor to see what option would work best for you.

Giving your land or home to the Vermont Land Trust is among the most generous legacies you can leave. While donated farms or large forest blocks can support our mission directly, we also accept houses and smaller properties that we can sell and use the proceeds for our future work.

Do you own farmland or forestland that you want to see protected for generations to come? Over 700 landowners have worked with us to protect land through a donated conservation easement. This generous decision often costs money, but it can also result in significant tax savings.

Our expert staff can help you determine if this option is right for you and your land. If you decide to conserve your land, we will guide you through the whole process.

Did you know that you can donate a vehicle to support conservation? Whether it’s an old clunker or a car you no longer need, you may be able to receive a tax deduction for its value. We partner with CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services) to process vehicle donations. After the vehicle is sold, you will receive the proper tax paperwork and we will receive a part of the proceeds.