Merck Forest Legacy Giving: The Caretakers Circle
Founded by George Merck in 1950 and steered for decades by his family ‘s vision of land as a public trust, Merck Forest & Farmland Center is Vermont’s oldest place-based environmental organization. Legacy Giving is an act of long-term stewardship enabling us to sustain this vision and build an even stronger foundation for our work in the years to come.
Join the Caretakers Circle
The Caretakers Circle honors those individuals who support Merck Forest through bequests, beneficiary designations, donor advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and other planned gifts.
-
Caretakers Circle recognition in quarterly Ridgeline magazine
-
Invitations to top-level briefings and behind-the-scenes looks at projects and programs
-
Invitations to special events, e.g. Twilight on the Mountain a celebration of community
-
The satisfaction of knowing you are contributing to the health and well-being of a forest of global significance, and sustaining one of Vermont’s leading environmental nonprofits.
To join The Caretakers Circle or for more information and to begin a conversation, please contact Tom O’Handley, Senior Director of Development, at tom@merckforest.org or 917-930-6877.
Looking Forward
While Art Norton and Karen Noyce served beginning in 1975 as our “first caretakers,” the tradition hearkens back to indigenous peoples and forward with the work yet to be done in concert with the land. Our hope is The Caretakers Circle will create a legacy to celebrate this work, past, present, and possible, such that we can keep the “gate open” for centuries to come.
Ways to Make a Legacy Gift
Bequests
Include Merck Forest in your will or living trust. The simplest way to leave a lasting impact.
Retirement Plan or Life Insurance Beneficiary
Name Merck Forest as a beneficiary of a 401(k), IRA, pension, or life insurance policy.
Charitable
Trusts
Establish income-producing arrangements that also support Merck Forest’s long-term mission.
Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Legacy
Recommend that remaining DAF assets benefit Merck Forest.
Gifts of Land or Conservation Easements
Support ecological preservation and sustainable land use through real estate and conservation legacies.
We welcome conversations about complex or customized giving arrangements.
If you have already included Merck Forest in your estate plans, please let us know. We would be honored to welcome you into The Caretakers Circle.
Frequent Asked Questions
Contact
To explore your legacy at Merck Forest, please contact:
Tom O’Handley
Senior Director of Development
Merck Forest & Farmland Center
Email: tom@merckforest.org
Phone: 802-394-7836 work l 917-930-6877 cell
Mail: Merck Forest & Farmland Center, PO Box 86, Rupert, VT 05768
If you’ve already made a planned gift or are considering one, please complete this Letter of Commitment so we can follow up and be sure to add you to The Caretakers Circle.
