You can donate property to USVLT, either for conservation purposes or to sell to support the mission. USVLT staff will work with you to assess the best scenario for your donation of property. If the property should be conserved, we will work with you to preserve it. If we sell it, all the proceeds go to our conservation efforts. As always, we encourage you to work with your financial advisor and/or attorney to determine the potential benefits.

Contact us and we will work with you to determine the best options for your real estate donation. 

How do property gifts work?

Conserving your Land

USVLT conserves lands for wildlife habitat, farming, forestry, public recreation, and scenic enjoyment. We protect lands rich in natural resources from development by owning and managing land preserves, and by holding conservation agreements with private landowners. If your property includes important conservation features, we will work with you to protect and conserve the land forever. To learn more about the conservation agreements, otherwise known as easements, visit our FAQ [link to FAQ About Conservation Easements] or the booklet “Conserving Your Land” [need to put on website link as a resource] Our land conservation staff and the USVLT Land Committee will assess the property using our conservation criteria to determine if we can consider it for conservation. Visit our Strategic Conservation Plan [link] to better understand our conservation criteria.

Donating land to be sold by USVLT

You can also donate real estate like homes, cabins, businesses, or land specifically for USVLT to sell and apply those funds to protecting land in the Valley. These gifts can potentially eliminate capital gains taxes, estate taxes, or reduce expenses on property taxes. USVLT will work with you and your legal and tax advisors to assess the gift and ensure the process is as easy as possible. We will help you ensure there are no barriers to ownership or resale, such as liens on the title, family disputes, or contamination. And if we sell the property, all proceeds go to USVLT conservation work.

For more information on donating your property contact Kate Shambaugh, Conservation Director at 603-662-0008 or kshambaugh@usvlt.org.