Turn Your Savings Into a Legacy for the A.T.

Naming the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) as a beneficiary of your IRA, retirement plan, brokerage account, life insurance policy, bank account, or certificate of deposit is one of the simplest and most tax-wise ways to create a lasting legacy for the Appalachian Trail.

Because retirement assets are subject to multiple types of taxes, they are often the most advantageous type of asset to leave to a nonprofit. By designating the ATC, 100% of your hard-earned savings will go directly to protecting, managing, and celebrating the Appalachian Trail, rather than to the IRS.

These legacy gifts play a critical role in ensuring the Trail and its surrounding landscapes remain protected for future generations.

Benefits of Naming ATC as a Beneficiary

  • Simple and flexible: No attorney is required, just update your account’s beneficiary form.
  • Tax-smart choice: Retirement assets left to individuals can be subject to both income and estate taxes. When given to ATC, your gift is distributed tax-free.
  • Preserve family assets: Because your heirs will not pay taxes on these assets, your estate may also benefit from a reduced tax burden.
  • Your lifetime access remains unchanged: You can continue to make withdrawals and change your designations at any time if your circumstances change.
  • Impact you can trust: Every dollar of your legacy gift directly supports ATC’s mission to protect the Trail.

How to Make This Gift

  1. Request a beneficiary designation form from your retirement plan administrator, financial institution, or insurance company.
  2. Designate ATC as a full, partial, or contingent beneficiary. Use the following information:Legal Name: Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Inc.
    Federal Tax ID: 52-6046689
    For married individuals: A spousal waiver may be required to name ATC as beneficiary.
    For 401(k) plans: Ask your plan administrator if additional steps are necessary.

Important: Updating your will is not enough. Only your beneficiary designation form controls the distribution of these assets.

Other Accounts You Can Designate

  • Life Insurance Policies: Name ATC as a full or partial beneficiary.
  • Bank or Brokerage Accounts: Ask your institution about completing a Transfer on Death (TOD) or Payable on Death (POD) designation form.

Always include ATC’s legal name and Federal Tax ID #:
Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Inc.
52-6046689.

Notify Us of Your Gift

To ensure your future gift can be received and put to work, please let us know about your designation. Many institutions delay disbursements without confirmation.

Your Legacy for the Trail

By turning your retirement savings into a legacy for the Appalachian Trail, you are ensuring that the footpath, its forests, streams, and mountaintops, as well as the communities it connects, remain protected for generations to come. This is one of the most powerful and meaningful ways to extend your love for the A.T. far into the future.