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Your is a great place to start supporting Eastern Sierra conservation. But are you interested in learning about other ways that you can contribute?
Perhaps donating a small amount each month as a member of our Bristlecone Grove Monthly Giving Club is easier on your budget. Or maybe you have a computer or camera you’d like to donate in-kind? For some, throwing a party to introduce your friends to ESLT’s work is a fun way to help us connect with new supporters. And for many, giving through your will or estate plan allows you to leave a leave a lasting and meaningful legacy for future generations.
Below are some of the many ways that you can help advance our conservation work beyond your annual membership dues. Want to learn more? Contact us today or call us at (760) 873-4554!
Bristlecone Grove Monthly Giving Club
Bristlecone pines stand the test of time. And Bristlecone Donors are people like you who care deeply – they want conservation to stand the test of time, too.
Our Bristlecone Grove monthly giving club gives you an opportunity to support conservation all year long. As a monthly donor, you’ll magnify your impact on the future of our wild and productive lands. You’ll help make sure that the work we do together will last for generations. Learn more about our Bristlecone Grove Club!
Joining our Bristlecone Grove is simple and secure.
Tribute Gifts
Who inspires you to care? You can recognize the friends, relatives, and teachers who introduced you to the magic of nature and taught you the importance of conservation by making a gift in their honor or memory.
We call this type of gift a “tribute” – and with your tribute, we encourage you to also write a dedication, explaining why this person is special, or how they made a difference in your life. It’s a great way to say Thank You.
When you make a tribute gift, we send a handwritten card to the person you’ve honored or to their family, letting them know you dedicated your donation to them. (Don’t want us to share your tribute, or maybe you would rather remain anonymous? No problem. Just let us know your preference when you make your gift.)
Making a tribute donation online is simple and secure. We can also help you make your tribute gift over the phone – just reach out to Heather Freeman, ESLT Philanthropy Manager, at (760) 873-4554.
Your donation to Eastern Sierra Land Trust will conserve the lands, water, and wildlife you treasure. And by sending it with a dedication, you give thanks to the person whose love of the natural world helped shape who you are today.
“James Wilson, probably more than anyone I know, was the epitome of a sharing, caring soul. He loved the Eastern Sierra and contributed with great energy to its health in innumerable ways. James was dedicated and engaged in protecting and saving all things and places wild. This inspirational quote from James exemplifies the passion he felt and shared: ‘Give something back to the places that you love … Spend time cleaning or restoring a place you cherish. And, of course, take someone new with you!'”
“I make my monthly donation in the memory of my father, Bishop schoolteacher Jack Reeder, who spent as many of his days fishing on our Eastern Sierra lakes as he possibly could. My love of this region was learned over the course of many happy days sitting with him on the banks. He believed in preserving this place. So my gift to ESLT is a fitting way to honor his memory.”
“I make my donation in honor of my dad John Budd. Dad brought us to the Eastern Sierra many, many times to enjoy the hiking and camping in summer and skiing in winter. He inspired a love of nature, independent spirit as well as interdependence with all of life. I am so grateful that he fostered such a comfort of the great outdoors and a will to explore and conserve.”
“I make my donation in memory of my mother, Anne Phillips who always loved being active in the great outdoors. Whether camping, biking, or jumping in an ocean her enthusiasm was infectious to her four children. Thanks Mom, for always telling us to ‘go play outside!'”
“When I was a little girl, my Dad taught me that land can help your spirit soar. It can give peace, hope, and joy. Land brings people together – people like you and me. Today I work to save land, and I credit my father for helping me find this path. He helped shape me into the conservationist I am today.”
Give an ESLT Gift Membership
Looking for a meaningful gift for family and friends? Want to introduce them to our local conservation work, and encourage them to get involved?
Give the Gift of Conservation with an ESLT Gift Membership!
With a Gift Membership, you give a gift that lasts long into the future. It’s a gift for today and for generations to come. The recipient will receive a handwritten card from us letting them know about your generous gift, along with their regular ongoing membership benefits.
To give an ESLT Gift Membership, please call Heather Freeman, ESLT Philanthropy Manager at the ESLT office: (760) 873-4554.
Volunteer
Our amazing team of volunteers knows how to get the job done, and they aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Whether they live in the Eastern Sierra or only visit on occasion, our “Sierra Stewards” are on the front lines of local conservation – creating safer homes for wildlife, removing trash from our rivers and roadways, teaching local kids about the magic of nature, and lending a hand around the office to help accomplish our important conservation work.
Are you interested in donating your time and talents to help protect the Eastern Sierra’s land, water, and wildlife? Looking for a way to meet new people, learn new skills, and have fun while supporting local conservation? We’d love to work with you! We offer a wide variety of different volunteer opportunities.
Elaine Smyrski and Rita Bouchard volunteered with us out at Benton Ponds to transplant three-square tule plugs, and they must have figured that we could use some better equipment for the job. About two weeks later these shovels showed up at our office – and right off the bat, ESLT staff member Sus Danner (left) and former ESLT AmeriCorps Member Catherine Tao (right) were thrilled to put them to work. Thank you Elaine and Rita!
In-Kind Gifts
There are many ways that you can contribute to ESLT’s land conservation work beyond your annual membership dues, and one is by donating an in-kind gift. Office supplies, furniture, tools, electronic equipment, professional services, and many other types of in-kind donations can really help us out. We are extremely grateful to those who donate items or services that we can put to good use!
If you have a non-cash donation that you would like to contribute, or if you’re wondering what sort of in-kind gift would be most helpful for us, contact us today. ESLT will provide you with an IRS receipt to claim a tax deduction at the fair market value.
In past years, generous ESLT members Elaine and Doug Muchmore have hosted private garden concerts to benefit ESLT, taking place in their lovely backyard in La Jolla, CA.
Throw a Party for ESLT
Do you enjoy entertaining? Have friends who appreciate the Eastern Sierra but might not know about ESLT’s conservation work? Throwing a party to benefit ESLT is a great way to share your support with your friends, relatives, and neighbors. What’s more, you’ll be helping spread the word about the importance of our efforts to protect the Eastern Sierra for the future.
These gatherings can be as simple as pizza in your living room or BBQ on your patio. You can choose the guest list, and we’ll help get the word out by sending invitations and emails to those you’ve invited. Whether you live in the Eastern Sierra or beyond, at least one member of our team will be there to introduce newcomers to ESLT’s work and help make sure your event runs smoothly.
Hosting a party is a fun way to share your support of ESLT while also helping to conserve the Eastern Sierra’s lands, water, and wildlife. If you would like to help spread the word about our work with a party in your neighborhood, please reach out to Kay Ogden, ESLT Executive Director at (760) 873-4554.
Include ESLT in Your Will or Estate Plan
Have you wondered what you can do to ensure that the lands you love, the magic of the Eastern Sierra’s rugged peaks, the expansive meadows, are here for your kids and grandkids to enjoy? Perhaps you want to ensure that wildlife always have the home and habitat they need, or that local families can conserve and work the ranches that have been part of our community for generations.
By making a donation through your will or estate plan, you can conserve the Eastern Sierra you love long beyond your lifetime. We call these bequests “Legacy Gifts,” and for good reason: you’ll be leaving a lasting legacy – a legacy of permanent conservation.
Matching Gifts Through Your Company
Does your workplace support community giving? Many companies offer matching gift programs that will double the power of your donations!
This is an excellent way for you and your company to invest in the future of conservation here in the Eastern Sierra. Please ask your employer about their charitable giving programs – by doing so, you could make your gift to ESLT go twice as far.
Want to learn more? Our team is happy to answer your questions and provide any supporting documentation that your employer might need. Please contact us online today or call us at (760) 873-4554.
Donate Land or Real Estate
ESLT’s Black Lake Preserve, donated by Michelle Browner in 2014.
Do you own land in the Eastern Sierra that you want to see conserved for future generations? Or maybe you have residential, agricultural, or commercial real estate, and want to give it to a good cause? Donating property to Eastern Sierra Land Trust is a generous way to support our conservation work, and there are significant tax benefits as well.
If you are interested in donating property to Eastern Sierra Land Trust, call us at (760) 873-4554 or contact us online today. We also recommend that you consult with your attorney and tax advisor.
Donate Stock
By donating stocks or mutual fund shares, you can support local conservation and gain a substantial tax advantage for yourself in the process.
The benefits of donating appreciated securities are many. Instead of selling those securities and writing a check for the proceeds, a charitable giving fund may be a more efficient way to make a donation.
When appreciated securities are contributed to a charitable giving account, the full fair market value can be deducted without incurring any capital gains liability. (This is in contrast to selling the securities outright and then donating the cash, which would then incur a capital gain.) The lower tax bill means more of your money will go towards protecting the Eastern Sierra you love.
Charitable giving funds are usually professionally managed by mutual fund companies and are offered through most financial advisors. A donor can usually decide when and to whom donations should be made from their charitable giving fund (although the specific donation policy should be investigated for each fund). The donor is under no obligation or timeline to exhaust the funds or to keep giving to the same organization.
Another important point to consider is that, in a charitable giving fund, the money can be invested and could potentially grow over time, tax-free. This scenario could allow you to donate a greater total amount to ESLT than the current value of your stocks today.
We recommend that you consult a tax or financial advisor to learn whether this type of giving is best for your situation. We’re also happy to help connect you with an advisor in our area – contact us online or call us today (760) 873-4554.