The Enhance Hamilton County Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Hamilton County Conservation Legacy Fund, a new charitable fund created to support the ongoing conservation, recreation, education, and stewardship efforts of Hamilton County Conservation.
Established by an anonymous donor, the Legacy Fund provides individuals, families, businesses, and organizations with a simple way to make tax-deductible charitable gifts that support the conservation projects and programs they care about most.
Unlike a traditional endowment, gifts to the Legacy Fund are available to support current conservation priorities and emerging opportunities identified by the Hamilton County Conservation Board. Donors may also designate their gift to a specific project, such as the Jewell to Little Wall Lake Trail Expansion, Walleye Restocking Program, Briggs Woods Golf Course, Conservation Learning Center, conservation education, campground improvements, or other approved initiatives.
“This new fund provides another meaningful way for people to invest in the future of Hamilton County Conservation,” said Darcy Swon, Development Director of the Enhance Hamilton County Foundation.“Whether someone is passionate about trails, conservation education, fishing, camping, or preserving our natural resources, the Legacy Fund allows donors to support the projects that matter most to them while strengthening conservation efforts across our county.”
The new Legacy Fund complements the existing Hamilton County Conservation Endowment, giving donors two distinct ways to support conservation. The Legacy Fund provides immediate support for today’s priorities and allows gifts to be directed to specific projects, while the Endowment creates a permanent source of funding that will benefit Hamilton County Conservation for generations to come. Because the Endowment is an Endow Iowa-qualified fund, eligible gifts may also qualify for the Iowa Endow Iowa Tax Credit in addition to available federal charitable tax deductions.
Individuals, families, businesses, and organizations can support either fund through a variety of tax-deductible giving options, including cash or checks, online donations, gifts of appreciated stock, IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), donor-advised funds, planned gifts, and other charitable giving strategies.
Donors wishing to support a specific project through the Legacy Fund simply need to note the project name with their gift. Contributions without a designation will be used to support Hamilton County Conservation’s highest priorities as identified by the Hamilton County Conservation Board.
To learn more about the Hamilton County Conservation Legacy Fund, the Hamilton County Conservation Endowment, or the many ways you can support conservation efforts throughout Hamilton County, visit enhancehamiltoncounty.org/hamilton-county-conservation-funds/ or contact Darcy Swon at 515-835-0437 or dswon@enhancehamiltoncounty.org.