Little Traverse Conservancy
Gift planning
Leaving YOUR Legacy
A Meaningful Gift— A Mindful Investment
Little Traverse Conservancy Legacy Members
Our valued Legacy Members share in the mission of the Conservancy and have committed to making a future gift through estates, trusts, annuities, insurance policies, or other planned giving options. Legacy gifts have a profound impact on our ability to protect the north country we all love and help us fulfill our obligation to steward our conserved lands forever. The following individuals have included LTC in their estate plans.
*Denotes those who are no longer with us, but their legacy lives on.
Mary J Baird Family
Robyn and Dave Barrie
Catherine Bennett
Ms. Suzanne B. Blakeman*
Robert* and Anne Boch
Jim and Kathy* Bricker
William and Patricia Bristor*
C. Henry Buhl*
Lawrence and Fay Buhl*
Thomas Burns*
Martha and Michael Cameron*
David and Tracy Case
Barbara Cheney*
Virginia Clark*
Forrest Clements*
Fred* and Mary Clinton
Michael* and Joanne Cromley
Catherine Curran*
Diane Curtis*
Martha Curtis*
John C Deane
Stacey DeCamp*
Helen Dekruif*
The Deppa Family
Terry Mark DuPuis*
Jennifer Eis
James and Mary Kay Farley*
Bettie Fenton*
Jerry and Eileen Fhaner
Gordon and Linda Ford*
Lt Col Daniel French*, USAFR and Margaret French
Douglas R. Fuller and Martha E. Lancaster
Mrs. Elizabeth Gamble*
Dr. David Gates*
Brian and Gretchen Grad
Alex Green
Ridgely Harrison*
Judy Hanson*
Robert Harnishfeger*
Bonnie Hess*
Deborah Hindle and Ken Ross
Robert and Virginia Horner*
Thomas C. Hoster
James and Evelyn Howell
Horace and Jane Huffman*
Don Hufford*
Emily Hughes and Joe Graham
Dave Irish*
Timothy and Adrienne Ives*
Bruce and Jodie Janssen
Stephen and Katherine Jeffrey*
Richard Jeffrey*
Elizabeth Kennedy*
Joe and Karen Kimmel
Bob and Gwen Kuehn*
Earl Larson*
Don LeClair*
Carl and Marie Linhart*
Marjorie Marks
Jacob* and Deborah Mast
Marge May*
Noreen McCauley*
Arch and Anne McClure*
John G. and Jeanne McCoy*
R. Charles and Christi S. McLravy
Dave McVicker
Anne T. Melvin
Mark C Melvin
Charlene Michael*
Margo Milde*
Max Naas*
Linda Widrig Neuss*
Al and Pat Olofsson*
Manley “Bud” and Jeanne Osgood*
John* and Carol Paulus
Mary Peabody*
Colleen W. Platt
Chip Piper
Fred Prince*
Donald Potter*
Cedric A. “Rick” Richner III
Randel Richner and Eric Russell
Barbara and John Rohrbeck
Paul and Carol Rose
Robert Schaefer*
Michael Schirmer*
Oliver and Ana Schwab
Reg and Vivian Sharkey*
Robert Henry Smith*
Edward and Virginia Sobleskey*
Elizabeth Terry*
Julia Wells Terry*
Linda Tezak
Bette and James Tollar*
Ron Treloar*
Michael and Paula VandenBoom
Paul and Maryagnes Van Klaveren
Dr. Edward Voss*
Don Waller
Richard Warren and Tammey Kikta
Arla Weinert*
Julie Whitman*
Ruth Wilson*
Suzanne Wingate
Charles S. Winston, Jr.*
Mary Wood*
New Endowment Gift Creates First Named Staff Position - Mike and Martha Cameron
“Mike’s here!” was the joyful call throughout the Conservancy each spring when Mike Cameron’s black Chevy Equinox pulled into the parking area.
For us, he was more than a donor or board member – he was a friend and mentor who returned each year from California to spend his summers in northern Michigan, a place he and his wife, Martha, cherished. From their home in Menonaqua, just down the road from the Conservancy office, Mike and Martha became part of LTC’s extended family. When Mike passed away in 2023, our staff had the privilege of working with their loved ones, the Kosts, to help ensure the legacy of this extraordinary couple would endure. The answer to how best honor them became clear: support the Conservancy for generations to come. Or as Mike always said, “The name of the game is to stay in the game.” Transforming their legacy into an endowed staff position became a perfect solution.
Lori Kost described Martha as uniquely thoughtful. Each time Martha and Mike rented a place in northern Michigan, Martha transformed it with her own sheets, trinkets, and touches, making it feel like home. Martha was as comfortable with kids as with adults, and a dinner party connection with Steve and Rob Kost’s parents evolved into a lifelong friendship that saw the Camerons taking the Kost boys on one “big trip” each year, from skiing out west to exploring Europe.
Throughout his life, Mike’s commitment to caring for the land deepened. From serving on LTC’s Stewardship Committee to joining the board, his dedication to conserving the land he and Martha loved was strong. As Steve Kost put it, “Mike was all in with LTC,” with a dedication that grew each year. After Martha’s passing in 2007, Mike worked with LTC to create the Martha Cavanaugh Cameron Preserve in 2010, with the preserve name updated to the Martha and Michael Cameron Preserve upon Mike’s passing.
The Cameron Stewardship Technician — LTC’s first endowed and named position — has been created in honor of this remarkable couple. Made possible through the Martha and Michael Cameron Endowment Fund, the role will support LTC’s stewardship efforts in perpetuity. Steve and Beth Kost noted that the endowment does not have to fund the most visible projects but should be used to support critical work. Mike, ever pragmatic, “would have been delighted that their gift could meet essential needs, whether that meant funding a trail or making sure the furnace stayed on,” Beth said.
To the Cameron family, land was more than a beautiful view; it was a place of joy, discovery, and connection. Samantha Kost recalls how Mike and Martha made every outdoor moment special. “They taught us to appreciate the land from a young age,” she said. “We took many walks together, marveling at the trees, leaves, and stones. Mike and Martha were incredible gifts in our lives, and they continue to inspire us.”
With the Cameron Endowment, LTC is empowered to continue conserving Michigan’s natural landscapes as Mike and Martha envisioned. We are deeply grateful to the Kost family for facilitating this gift and for trusting LTC with this legacy.
The Conservancy's First-Ever Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust - Earl Larson
“I believe that using the annuity as a form of gifting was a three-way “win.” First, the yield is excellent and gets better as you age. In my case, the yield was superior to the stocks I was holding. The second “win” is for your spouse: the annuity payments continue to them even after your death. The final “win” is that you are giving funds to a terrific organization that is devoted to protecting the countryside you love – and ensuring that this countryside will be there to be loved and enjoyed by your children and grandchildren.” – Earl Larson
Earl Larson was one of the founding members of the Little Traverse Conservancy, and he has many fond memories of his role helping the organization form and gets rolling forward nearly 44 years ago. In 1999 Earl and his wife Barbara retired from their work in Harbor Springs and moved to the tiny town of DeTour Village in the eastern Upper Peninsula.
He and Barbara then focused on their philanthropic goals, including a scholarship fund to Lake Superior State University and a Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust to the Little Traverse Conservancy— the first such planned gift ever received by the Conservancy.
Bequests are very flexible, and like the Larson’s Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust, come in several types and scenarios. Many Planned Giving options can deliver significant benefits to the Little Traverse Conservancy and provide tax benefits to the donor.
You can make a planned gift during your lifetime or through your will and estate plan. Advanced and thoughtful planning offers you an opportunity to support the Little Traverse Conservancy, knowing your gift will further the organization’s mission for years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
When considering how to leave an impactful legacy, here are some of the common questions that arise.
- Allows you to see the benefits of your gift.
- Enables you to personally be involved with the Conservancy, ensuring your gift is used as you see fit.
- In the case of a charitable gift annuity, you receive an immediate tax benefit, potentially avoid capital gains, and have a reliable annual income from the annuity.
- Giving through your estate after your death provides clarity for surviving family members about your charitable intent.
- Giving through your estate after your death supports the long-term sustainability of the Conservancy.
- Giving through your estate after your death may reduce estate taxes.
- A life income gift allows you to gift assets – including cash, securities, or real estate – in exchange for a stream of income, with the remainder of the funds supporting the Conservancy.
- Examples of life income gifts are charitable gift annuities, pooled income funds, and charitable remainder trusts.
- Individuals age 70½ and older may give up to $53,000 from their IRA as of 2024 as a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) to a charitable remainder unitrust, charitable remainder annuity trust, or charitable gift annuity. Distributions to create life income gifts count toward an individual’s required minimum distribution (RMD).
- Diversification of your assets without incurring capital gains taxes.
- Lifetime income.
- Immediate income tax benefits.
- Reduction of the estate tax.
- Meaningful support of the Conservancy.
- Working with your estate planning attorney or financial advisor, you can simply add an amendment, called a codicil, to your will or living trust.
- Your bequest intentions are entirely under your control during your lifetime.
If you’ve already included the Conservancy in your estate plans, thank you very much— and please let Emily Hughes, Chief Development Officer, know. Sharing your goals with the Conservancy helps us assess our long-term financial picture better and ensure our records reflect your intentions.
Please contact us to learn what giving option may be best for you.
Emily Hughes, Chief Development Officer
Kyle Volp, Donor Relations Specialist
Little Traverse Conservancy, Inc.
A qualified 501 (c) 3 Michigan non-profit organization.
Tax ID # 23-7267810
