By Sarah Grace Pretzer, Major and Planned Gifts Officer
Sometimes the gift comes as a complete surprise.
It might be a letter from an attorney, or a contact from an investment company, notifying Crow Canyon Archaeological Center that an individual has passed and has left a gift to support our work.
More often, individuals and couples reach out and inform us directly that they have included Crow Canyon in their estate plans, and they let us know that, years down the road, we can expect a gift to benefit our work.
August is National Make a Will Month, and it’s a good time to be reminded of the importance of drafting or updating your will to make sure your final wishes are implemented as you intended. In fact, it’s important to have your estate plan in order at almost every stage of life! According to the national organization AARP, “Everyone should have the opportunity to understand the benefits of creating a will and the impact it can have on their loved ones. Having a will can ensure that your loved ones are well taken care of and your assets are distributed according to your wishes.”
Wouldn’t you like to make a provision in your will to make a lasting impact on an organization you love?
Creating a legacy at Crow Canyon
When you make the decision to include Crow Canyon in your will, you help to ensure the long-term future of this institution you deeply care about. You become a member of the Crow Canyon Legacy Society, a special group of people who have invested in Crow Canyon’s future with a planned gift. Your generosity works as a catalyst for positive change and inspires others to get involved and make a difference.
Many Crow Canyon supporters have already indicated their intention to create a legacy gift. They make their gifts for many reasons. Who are some of these people?
– The individual from Ohio who participated in a lengthy outdoors program with us in the Four Corners nearly 20 years ago. He had such an amazing experience that he wants to pay it forward, to make sure others can have the same experience, and he has determined that this is the best way he can make a significant gift, because he is retired and on a fixed income.
– The couple from Denver who are simply relieved at having their affairs in order. They know that their assets will be divided among their children, grandchildren, and three charities they care about, one of them Crow Canyon Archaeological Center.
– Texas is home to another Legacy Society member. “It is of vital importance that the work of Crow Canyon be carried on,” she says. “I believe that archaeologists, anthropologists, researchers, and general learners have a moral responsibility to preserve, respect, and protect the sacred sites of Native Americans. Crow Canyon’s work is sensitive to all the cultural issues involved in this endeavor.” We are inspired by her future generosity.
– I will never forget the couple who recently informed us of their plans for a future gift, after years of enjoying our weekly “Discover Archaeology” webinar series and learning more about our unique mission. Having met with them to discuss their gift, I can tell you about the absolute joy they feel in having shared their plans with us and in knowing that their gift will ultimately benefit generations of program participants at Crow Canyon.
A will, yes . . . but wait, there’s more!
Did you know that you can make a planned gift to Crow Canyon without visiting an attorney? Even though it’s National Make a Will Month, you should know that there are other easy ways to include Crow Canyon in your estate plan. It’s simple to make Crow Canyon Archaeological Center a beneficiary of a retirement account, IRA, checking or savings account, life insurance, a brokerage account, and more.
How do I get started?
Share your plans with Crow Canyon’s Advancement Office so we can recognize your generosity and ensure that the language used in your estate plan will accurately carry out your wishes.
If you’d like to have a confidential conversation to discuss this process and talk about the different options for including Crow Canyon in your estate plan, please contact Sarah Grace Pretzer at spretzer@crowcanyon.org or 970-560-7545. We also recommend that you seek the advice of your financial or legal advisor when creating a will or trust.
Thank you for caring about Crow Canyon. Whether you’ve traveled with us, conducted research with us, watched our weekly webinars, sent your elementary school student or college student to the Four Corners to learn with us, or had your perspective changed by seeing through the cultural lens of our Indigenous partners, we thank you for your support of Crow Canyon. You make it possible for us to perform groundbreaking archaeological research. You help us cultivate critical thinking among learners of all ages. You help us to blend components of western science and Indigenous ways of framing and answering questions. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is an exemplary research, education, and cultural organization because of friends like you. Thank you.