Give Through Your Will or Estate Plans

Help secure the future of the Piedmont through a charitable bequest. Bequests are gifts made through a will or trust that can help you achieve your financial and philanthropic goals, increase your giving options and maximize tax benefits. A bequest is also a way to leave a legacy of protecting the Piedmont for future generations. By including The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) in your estate plan, you will help ensure that the Virginia Piedmont remains a beautiful and productive place to live, work and visit for generations to come.

Choose a bequest that fits your goals

Charitable bequests can take many different forms, so it is important to plan your bequest in a way that will best accomplish your goals. Your attorney can help you consider what type of bequest fits your overall estate plan, family commitments, and charitable goals. Some common types of bequests include: 

  • Specific bequest – A specific dollar amount or asset
  • Residuary bequest – All or a percentage of the remainder of the estate after expenses have been paid.
  • Contingent bequest – A gift to PEC only in the event of the death of other named beneficiaries.
  • Testamentary trust – Combines multiple goals and long-term asset management, usually giving lifetime income to family members and the trust remainder to PEC.

You may designate a bequest for a specific PEC project such as land conservation or education. Or you can choose to make an unrestricted gift, which allows PEC to respond to opportunities and challenges as they arise and to fulfill our core mission over the long term.

Become part of the Bill Backer Legacy Society

To express our sincere appreciation to those who commit to leaving a gift in their will, The Piedmont Environmental Council offers membership in the Bill Backer Legacy Society. As a Bill Backer Legacy Society member, you will enjoy special privileges and opportunities along with the satisfaction of knowing that you play a significant role in preserving the Piedmont.

Society members are recognized each year in the PEC annual report and receive regular updates on PEC activities. Members also have the opportunity to include their name on a memorial plaque located at the Piedmont Memorial Overlook on Paris Mountain, which will remain in place for future generations.

Our legacy society is named for the avid conservationist and former Piedmont Foundation President Bill Backer. Beginning in the 1960s, Bill recognized the potential for loss of the Virginia countryside to sprawling development. He rallied concerned citizens to participate in early efforts to plan for future growth and conservation in Virginia.

How to name PEC in your will

It is important to schedule a meeting with your attorney and add the correct legal language to your document when updating your will.

If you wish to name The Piedmont Environmental Council in your will or estate plan, we should be named “The Piedmont Environmental Council, a charitable organization organized under Virginia law, now maintaining its headquarters in Warrenton, Virginia. Tax ID #54-0935569”.

If you have already included The Piedmont Environmental Council in your will or estate plans or would like more information about how to do so, please contact us by email at pec@pecva.org or by calling (540) 347-2334.

All requests for anonymity will be honored and all inquiries are confidential with no obligation. This is an indication of your intent to leave a future gift. An intention is neither a legal nor binding commitment; rather, it is a courtesy notification of your desire to make a future gift to PEC.