Planning Your Legacy

Also known as planned giving, Legacy Giving offers you the opportunity to make a charitable gift as part of your estate plan. This can include bequests in a will or trust, and beneficiary designations on life insurance policies and other financial assets.

Through your thoughtful planning, a legacy gift can support Santa Fe Botanical Garden’s (SFBG) mission of celebrating, cultivating, and conserving the rich botanical heritage and biodiversity of our region, long into the future.

Why Choose Legacy Giving?

In 2013 when the Garden first opened, SFBG established a Legacy Giving program which is now called the Sage Society. This vital planned giving program will help ensure that our Garden’s vibrant landscapes, diverse plant collections, and conservation efforts continue to thrive for generations to come.

An Invitation to Join the Sage Society

The Sage Society is a special group for those who plan to make a gift to Santa Fe Botanical Garden in their wills or estate plans.

– You will be listed on the Sage Society webpage
– On receipt of your gift, you will be included on the Sage Society plaque in the Garden
– Invitations to special events in the Garden with other Society members and the Garden’s Board and Staff
– A special commemorative gift
 
If you prefer, your plans can remain completely confidential.

“I grew up in a garden. It was my happy place.”

Barcy Fox’s love of plants began alongside her mother, whose living legacy still thrives in their St. Louis garden today. That early inspiration shaped Barcy’s lifelong devotion to public gardens—from Missouri Botanical Garden to helping bring Santa Fe’s own botanical garden to life.

She’s now included Santa Fe Botanical Garden in her estate plans. “I’m no Rockefeller,” she says with a smile, “but I want my bequest to be an investment in my community—helping ensure that children and families will always have a place to learn about the remarkable plants and pollinators of our region. The Garden brings together all of my passions. It’s where I know my gift can have the greatest impact.”

“My plan is to leave a bequest to Santa Fe Botanical Garden so that it can continue to thrive and bloom for many generations after I’m gone.”

For longtime Board member and volunteer Letitia Chambers, that commitment reflects years of giving her time, talents, and support, even when a larger gift wasn’t always possible. Through her estate, she’ll finally be able to make the lasting impact she’s long hoped for.

Her estate plan has been thoughtfully designed to care for both her family and the Garden. “My estate will make a gift to the Garden when I pass,” Letitia explains. “The remainder will support my family through a trust, and when that trust has fulfilled its purpose, the Garden will receive a second, larger bequest.” As she reminds others, every gift—no matter the size—can grow into something extraordinary.

How Can I Give?

Before making any planned gift or pledge, please speak with your financial advisor or estate planning attorney about your specific circumstances and priorities.

  • Bequests: Include SFBG in your will or trust
  • Beneficiary Designations: Name SFBG as a beneficiary of your retirement plan, life insurance policy, or financial accounts.
  • Charitable Trusts: Establish a trust that provides income to you or your loved ones during life, with the remainder going to SFBG.
  • Gifts of Real Estate: Donate real estate, which can be sold to support our mission.
  • Endowed Gifts: Create a permanent fund during your lifetime that supports SFBG now and for years in the future.

 

Learn More

Please reach out to Laura Leach, Executive Director if you would like to discuss a legacy gift. Whether you wish to support the general needs of the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, our endowment fund, or to restrict your bequest to what you care about most, all estate gifts are vital to developing and maintaining the Garden’s excellence. Thank you.

Founding Legacy Society Member Recognition

Individuals who indicated to us by March 31, 2013 that they included the Santa Fe Botanical Garden in their will or estate plan received special recognition and are thanked as Founding Members of the Legacy Society. The names of all Founding Members are inscribed on a plaque in the Orchard.