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Leave a Legacy Program

Make The Colorado Trail Part of Your Legacy

The Colorado Trail

You’ve hiked it or biked it
You’ve ridden your horse on it
You’ve worked on it
You’ve volunteered in the office
You’ve contributed to its maintenance
You know how special the Trail is

Help keep the Trail for future generations. Make The Colorado Trail Part of Your Legacy.

Leave a Legacy Gift

You can help ensure the Trail will still be here when you are gone by simply including The Colorado Trail Foundation in your will or living trust. Whether your gift is large or small, it will help keep the Trail for future generations.

Your financial advisor, lawyer or accountant can help you set up a charitable gift for the Trail. Legacy gifts to The Colorado Trail Foundation can be in the form of cash, stocks, bonds, proceeds of insurance policies, or the sale of property. Another way is to name the CTF as beneficiary of an insurance policy, IRA or pension plan.

Leaving a legacy gift to The Colorado Trail Foundation, of course, does not preclude your leaving gifts to your family or other charitable organizations. You can do both. And the amount or form of your gift needs never to be known by The Colorado Trail Foundation until your will or trust becomes effective upon your demise.

You’ll Join a Special Circle of Friends

When you make a legacy gift you will join a special group we call our Circle of Friends. These are folks from all walks of life who have in common a love for The Colorado Trail and who have made legacy gift commitments to keep the Trail in perpetuity.

The Colorado Trail Foundation Relies on You

The volunteer efforts and monetary support of people who love the majesty of Colorado helped Gudy Gaskill, the mother of The Colorado Trail, realize her dream of a 500-mile, high-mountain trail stretching from Denver to Durango. Her dream will live on to inspire future generations through the help of the Circle of Friends. We invite you to join the Circle of Friends with a legacy gift.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Leave a Legacy Program

Note: The information herein is not intended to be legal or tax advice. It is always advisable to consult with qualified personnel such as an estate planner, accountant, or attorney when drafting your will. Such advice will help ensure that your wishes for family, loved ones, The Colorado Trail Foundation (CTF), and others are properly documented for execution.

What kinds of donations will The Colorado Trail Foundation accept?

Cash, stocks, bonds, proceeds of insurance policies, proceeds from the sale of personal property such as an automobile or land. You may name The CTF as beneficiary of a life insurance policy, a pension plan or an IRA. We discourage bequests that require liquidation by the Foundation. The Colorado Trail Foundation Board of Directors asks that requests other than specific bequests of cash and publicly traded securities be submitted for approval.

How should my charitable contribution be worded in my will?

An attorney can assist you with the wording. The wording will vary depending on the form or type of your gift.

Do I have to specify a certain amount in my will for the donation to The Colorado Trail Foundation?

Not at all, you may name a percentage amount of your estate, rather than a specific dollar amount. Or you can choose to give the proceeds from the sale of specific assets.

What if I don’t know how much will be in my estate and I want my family to be provided for before The Colorado Trail Foundation?

You may indicate what is known as a “Residuary Bequest” in your will. This type of bequest ensures that family, loved ones and expenses are paid out first and the remainder is donated per your wishes.

Can I direct my donation to either the General Operating Fund or the Gudy Gaskill Endowment Fund?

Yes. If you desire to be specific, you may simply state in your will that your donation to The CTF is designated to the General Operating Fund (monies used to support The CTF in its mission of improving and preserving the Trail) OR the Gudy Gaskill Endowment Fund (a restricted endowment, the investment income on which will be used to support Trail maintenance). Such designation is not required. Undesignated funds will be placed in the General Operating Fund.

I do not have a will. Can The Colorado Trail Foundation provide this service or recommend someone to whom I should go for estate planning advice?

No, The CTF does not provide estate planning, nor can we recommend a person or firm to do so.

Do I have to notify the Foundation that it has been named in my will? If I want to notify the Foundation that it has been named in my will, how do I do so?

Donors may:

Choose not to share information about their bequests; OR
Notify The CTF of their intent to make a planned gift, either by completing the Legacy brochure or notifying The CTF in a similar manner. This information, as well as the party The CTF should contact upon your death, should be sent to The CTF (address and contact below); OR
Provide The CTF with a confidential copy of that section of their will naming The CTF as a beneficiary. This copy should be mailed to The CTF (address and contact below);

You should also provide your executor, attorney, family, or friend the contact information for The CTF. If updated contact information for The CTF is necessary, it can be found here at this website.

Is my donation confidential?

Yes, the only parties that are aware of your designated gift are those that have access to your will. Your Leave a Legacy gift and enrollment in The CTF’s Leave a Legacy Program will remain confidential unless you indicate otherwise. Only the staff handling the information will be aware of your indication that The CTF has been named in your will.

Will the Foundation know the amount of my donation?

Only if you wish to advise them of such will the staff handling the Leave a Legacy Program
know the amount of the donation prior to its receipt.

Contact Information

The Colorado Trail Foundation
Attn: Bill Manning, Managing Director
Suite 210, 710 Tenth Street
Golden, Colorado 80401-5843
(303) 384-3729
E-mail: bill@ColoradoTrail.org