Become a member of The Little Forks Conservancy and help protect the places we love for future generations. Membership gifts are essential in enabling us to continue our land acquisition, conservation easement and stewardship programs. Members of the Conservancy receive our quarterly newsletter and invitations to field trips and other special events. All donations are tax deductible.
To become a member, simply fill out the membership form and mail it to us. If you would like additional information, please contact us.
The Conservancy established the River Society to recognize the support of many members who have been either consistent and/or substantial donors to the Conservancy.
The River Society recognizes all contributions to the Conservancy, including gifts to our dedicated funds and donations of land or conservation easements in addition to annual unrestricted gifts. The River Society consists of the following donor recognition levels, which highlight the importance of our river systems in mid-Michigan:
The Conservancy currently maintains four dedicated funds – an operations fund, an endowment fund, a land acquisition fund and a defense fund. Each of these funds has a defined purpose allowing donors different options for assisting the Conservancy in our mission.
If you would like to restrict your gift to one of the funds, please indicate such on the memo of the check or with a short note. Gifts received without special instructions are used for the general operating expenses of the Conservancy.
Membership contributions, grants and endowment earnings are placed into this fund and used for the day-to-day programs and operations of The Little Forks Conservancy. These gifts are generally provided as unrestricted contributions.
The Conservancy has an established endowed fund at the Midland Area Community Foundation. The Little Forks Conservancy Endowment Fund will be used to hold contributions that are permanently restricted to using only the earnings to support the work of the Conservancy. The Conservancy is limited to receiving no more than 5% of the fund balance as an unrestricted grant each year. Donations to the Community Foundation for this fund qualify for the State of Michigan Tax Credit. To learn more about the limits on such gifts, contact the Midland Area Community Foundation.
Donations to this fund are used for the purchase of land or conservation easements and the costs associated with completing these projects such as surveys, appraisals and legal fees. By building this fund, the Conservancy will be able to act immediately when properties that meet our conservation standards are placed on the market.
The Conservancy has established a fund to be used solely for the defense of our interests in land created either by ownership or through a conservation easement. The Conservancy must be able to defend against a future violation or challenge to each conservation easement we receive.
There are many vehicles available to donors who would like to support land conservation through planned giving. Contact us or your financial advisor to learn how to include The Little Forks Conservancy in your plans.
If a landowner wishes to maintain full control over the land during his or her lifetime, but assure that it is protected after their death, a property can be bequeathed to The Little Forks Conservancy by will. The gift must be accepted by the Conservancy; therefore, it is important to make sure that the property meets our criteria for acceptance.
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