Planned Giving

Leave a Legacy for Future Generations

A legacy gift to Carpenter Nature Center is more than a donation—it’s a lasting commitment to preserving nature and educating future generations.

By including Carpenter in your planned giving, you help sustain our mission of environmental education and habitat conservation, ensuring that the beauty of the St. Croix Valley remains protected for those who come after us. Whether through a bequest, trust, real estate donation, or other planned giving options, your support can provide tax benefits while making a meaningful impact.

Explore the options available and discover how your generosity can help safeguard wetlands, prairies, forests, and wildlife along the Wild & Scenic St. Croix River—preserving this special place for generations to come.

Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, and our E.I.N. # is 23-7275337. Our legal name is the Thomas E. & Edna D. Carpenter Foundation.

Planned Giving Opportunities

Tom & Edna Carpenter’s dream was to preserve their beautiful property along the Wild & Scenic St. Croix River in its natural state into perpetuity for all to enjoy. Al & Laurie Hein’s legacy gift of 98 acres of land enabled the Nature Center to establish a second campus in Wisconsin, protecting more habitat and connecting more people with the natural world.

A charitable bequest from your estate to Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center continues beyond our time and benefits those who walk after us. With the help of a financial advisor, you can include language in your will or trust specifying a gift be made to family, friends or Carpenter Nature Center as part of your estate plan.

Types of Bequests

  • A Specific Bequest is an outright gift of a specific asset such as real estate, a car, other property or a gift for a specific dollar amount. For example, you may wish to leave your home or $10,000 to Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center.
  • A Percentage Bequest is a gift that leaves a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center.
  • A Residual Bequest is a gift of either all or a portion of what remains in your estate after all expenses, debts and taxes have been paid and all general and specific bequests have been honored. If you do not make arrangements for your residuary estate, any asset not mentioned specifically in the will is treated as if you died without a will. For example, you may wish to leave 30% of the residue of your estate to Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center.
  • A Contingent Bequest is made to charity only if the purpose of the primary bequest cannot be met. For example, you could leave specific property, such as a vacation home, to a relative, but the bequest language could provide that if the relative is not alive at the time of your death, the vacation home will go to Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center.

Bequest Language

In order to make a bequest, you should speak with your attorney and/or financial advisor. They can help you include a bequest to Carpenter Nature Center in your estate plan. We have provided some basic bequest language to assist you.

1. Specific Bequest
If you are considering making an outright bequest to Carpenter Nature Center, we recommend the following language:

  • Bequest of a Specific Dollar AmountI hereby give, devise and bequeath $_________  to the Thomas E. & Edna D. Carpenter Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 12805 St. Croix Trail S, Hastings, MN, 55033, Federal Tax ID #23-7275337, for the Foundation’s s general use and purpose.Bequest of Specific Personal Property

    I hereby give, devise and bequeath DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to the Thomas E. & Edna D. Carpenter Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 12805 St. Croix Trail S, Hastings, MN, 55033, Federal Tax ID #23-7275337, for the Foundation’s s general use and purpose.

    Bequest of Specific Real Estate

    I hereby give, devise and bequeath all of the right, title and interest in and to the real estate located at ADDRESS OR DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to the Thomas E. & Edna D. Carpenter Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 12805 St. Croix Trail S, Hastings, MN, 55033, Federal Tax ID #23-7275337, for the Foundation’s s general use and purpose.

2. Percentage Bequest
If you are considering making a bequest of a percentage of your estate to Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center, we recommend the following language:

I hereby give, devise and bequeath ____ percent (___%) of my total estate, determined as of the date of my death, to the Thomas E. & Edna D. Carpenter Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 12805 St. Croix Trail S, Hastings, MN, 55033, Federal Tax ID #23-7275337, for the Foundation’s s general use and purpose.

3. Residual Bequest

I hereby give, devise and bequeath to the Thomas E. & Edna D. Carpenter Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 12805 St. Croix Trail S, Hastings, MN, 55033, Federal Tax ID #23-7275337, ALL OR A PERCENTAGE of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to be used for the Foundation’s general use and purpose.

4. Contingent Bequest

If (primary beneficiary) does not survive me, then I hereby give, devise and bequeath to the Thomas E. & Edna D. Carpenter Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 12805 St. Croix Trail S, Hastings, MN, 55033, Federal Tax ID #23-7275337, DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to be used for the Foundation’s general use and purpose.

Donations of land and real estate are a powerful way to support Carpenter Nature Center’s mission of habitat conservation. An asset that has been part of your life for generations can become part of a legacy that benefits future generations.

Carpenter Nature Center accepts two types of real estate gifts, both of which play a crucial role in our work:

  • Conservation Land: Properties that align with our mission and can be permanently protected.
  • Marketable Land: Properties that donors allow us to sell, with proceeds directly supporting our education and conservation efforts.

While we deeply appreciate all offers of real estate, not every property can be preserved. Decisions to accept land for conservation are made at the Board of Directors level and are based on various factors, including location, conservation features, etc.

Your generosity helps safeguard the natural beauty of the St. Croix Valley, ensuring its protection for generations to come.

If you would like to explore the possibility of land or real estate donation, please reach out to Jennifer Vieth, Executive Director, at 651-437-4359 ext. 108 or jennifer@carpenternaturecenter.org.

Naming Carpenter Nature Center as a beneficiary of your IRA, 401(k), or other qualified retirement plan is a simple yet impactful way to support conservation while also benefiting your heirs. Retirement assets are often subject to significant income and estate taxes, but by designating Carpenter Nature Center as a full or partial beneficiary, you can maximize your gift’s impact while minimizing taxes.

Benefits of Donating Retirement Assets:

  • Tax Savings: Your gift may be exempt from both income and estate taxes, allowing the full amount to support our mission.
  • Greater Impact for Heirs: Leaving other assets to your heirs—rather than heavily taxed retirement funds—can help maximize their inheritance.
  • Flexibility: You can continue to take withdrawals during your lifetime and update your beneficiary designations as circumstances change.
  • A Lasting Legacy: Your gift will support future environmental education and conservation efforts, ensuring a lasting impact on the natural world.

Because Carpenter Nature Center is a non-profit organization, we receive 100% of your designated gift without tax deductions—allowing every dollar to go toward protecting nature for generations to come.

If you’re considering this meaningful way to give, please consult with your financial advisor and reach out to Jennifer Vieth, Executive Director, at 651-437-4359 ext. 108 or jennifer@carpenternaturecenter.org.

Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, and our legal name is the Thomas E. & Edna D. Carpenter Foundation. Our Federal E.I.N. # is 23-7275337.

To discuss your Legacy Gift, please call to Executive Director Jennifer at (651) 437-4359 ext. 108.  We’ll discuss your charitable goals and align them with our own Foundation’s goals and objectives.