Planned Giving

Thornton Waldo Burgess, naturalist and conservationist, loved the beauty of nature and its living creatures so much that he wrote about them for 50 years. By the time he retired, he had written more than 170 books and 15,000 stories for daily columns in newspapers. You can help us continue his legacy and stewardship of Cape Cod for generations to come by making a donation or planned gift to the Thornton W. Burgess Society. A gift or donation to Green Briar provides important support for our education programs and exhibits and can help build an endowment to ensure the Society’s future as a premier educational institution.

You can make a one-time gift or you can pledge to make a larger gift by spreading the payments over several months or a year.

For questions or assistance in planning a meaningful gift, please contact Gene Schott at 508-888-6870 or via e-mail at gene@thorntonburgess.org

Ways to Support Annual Operating Expenses
The Annual Appeal provides funding for the Society’s basic operations and high quality programs. Your tax deductible contribution to the Annual Appeal helps so that the entire community can benefit from the many wonderful programs and exhibits the Society has to offer.

Gifts of Cash
Your cash contribution, besides providing immediate charitable funding, is eligible for an income tax deduction within the limits of the law. You have five years after the year of your gift to deduct any excess value not deducted in the year of your gift.

Gifts of Stock
The Burgess Society gladly accepts gifts of long term appreciated securities. These are also referred to as Gifts in Kind. With a gift of appreciated securities you can often avoid paying capital gains tax and at the same time you receive a substantial income tax charitable deduction.

Gifts of Life Insurance and Retirement Benefits
Your gifts of life insurance and IRAs are welcome and appreciated. Retirement benefits are an exceptional asset to use for your charitable giving. By naming the Thornton W. Burgess Society as a beneficiary of your retirement plan, the distributions to the organization will not be subject to income taxes.

Memorial Giving
You can make a charitable donation and remember a deceased loved one at the same time. A memorial gift is given in memory of a departed family member or friend and can take a variety of forms depending upon your wishes. Our brick walk campaign is an excellent way to make a memorial gift.

Estate Plan
Estate planning provides a unique opportunity to make a significant gift to support the Society. A bequest under your will is one way to ensure that your final wishes are carried out according to plan and your charitable giving continues after you are gone. With a will you can bequest a specified dollar amount, a specified percentage of your estate, or the residue of your estate. Charitable remainder trusts and lead trusts are also excellent ways to make charitable gifts. We recommend that you consult with your attorney and tax advisor when making such a planned charitable gift.

Sponsorship
Sponsoring an event, program, or exhibit shows that your business values connecting people with nature. The Burgess Society needs sponsors to support special events, lecture series, and programs at both its Burgess Museum and Green Briar Nature Center.

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