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Gift And Estate Planning

When you leave a legacy with Nature Collective, you endow and continue our standards of excellence.

Serving Southern California as a nonprofit land trust, we both protect nature and help people experience it. With your gift, you help preserve open lands in San Diego. You help spark a true love for nature – and even support our important work to shelter endangered species from extinction.

Your Gift Lets Us:

Address Urgent
Concerns

Support from your legacy gift means we can run the Nature Collective smoothly – such as moving on important projects without losing momentum – well into the future.

Apply for More
Grant Funding

Your legacy gift helps us leverage funds + apply for more grant funding, which is the backbone of our leadership, connecting foundations + the private sector to our vision.

Plan Beyond
the Horizon

Legacy Circle members invest in our organization’s future impact.

How to Leave Your Legacy

Consider using the following language as you consult with your estate planning professional. 

Note: This information, and more about planned giving, can be found on page 19 of our Gift Acceptance Policy.

Gift of a Percentage of the Estate

“I give, devise, and bequeath to the Nature Collective, a nonprofit public benefit corporation, with offices currently at 777 S. Highway 101, Suite 112 in Solana Beach, California, _________% of the residue of my estate for its unrestricted use (OR INSERT SPECIFIC PURPOSE) in carrying out its mission.”

Gift of a Specific Dollar Amount

“I give, devise, and bequeath to the Nature Collective, a nonprofit public benefit corporation, with offices currently at 777 S. Highway 101, Suite 112 in Solana Beach, California, the cash sum of $__________ U.S. Dollars for its unrestricted use (OR INSERT SPECIFIC PURPOSE) in carrying out its mission.”

Gift of a Specific Property

“I give, devise and bequeath to the Nature Collective, a nonprofit public benefit corporation, with offices currently at 777 S. Highway 101, Suite 112 in Solana Beach, California, the following real property (here describe the premises with exactness and particularity) with power to lease, mortgage, or sell the same at its discretion, for its unrestricted use (OR INSERT SPECIFIC PURPOSE) in carrying out its mission.”

Gift of the Residue of an Estate

“I give the residue of my estate, including all failed and lapsed gifts to the Nature Collective, a nonprofit public benefit corporation, with offices currently at 777 S. Highway 101, Suite 112 in Solana Beach, California, for its unrestricted use (OR INSERT SPECIFIC PURPOSES) in carrying out its mission.”

Meet Our Legacy Circle Members

When you’re a Legacy Circle Member of the Nature Collective, you support our ongoing scientific integrity, encouragement of students to pursue science careers, preservation of the unique habitats we care for, and more.

Thank you to the following members for including Nature Collective (formerly San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy) in your estate planning.

  • Janie DeCelles

    Legacy Circle Chair

    Janie DeCelles

    Legacy Circle Chair

    “I’m excited to represent the growth of our Legacy Circle. I look forward to seeing you all soon as Legacy Circle expands with like-minded supporters who care about our healthier future.”
    – Janie DeCelles

    Janie DeCelles, Legacy Circle Chair and member of President’s Circle, is retired from an entrepreneurial background in marketing and finance. As a Partner with Trammel Crow Company, she worked in commercial real estate leasing and development. She is a visionary and a philanthropist at heart. Janie was also co-leader in the campaign to secure open space once highly contested for development and is active on the Harbaugh Seaside Trails Committee.

    She also serves on the Advisory Board of The San Diego Foundation’s Opening the Outdoors grant selection committee. She is a member and leader in several nonprofit entities, including: San Diego Natural History Museum Live Oaks Society, San Diego River Park Legacy Society, and San Diego Zoo’s Heritage Guild. Janie is the advisor to an endowment that her aunt established with The San Diego Foundation, the Hattie Ettinger Conservation Fund. Janie has a Finance degree from University of Pennsylvania and received her MBA from Harvard Business School. Janie loves trails and walking with friends at San Elijo Lagoon. She is an avid photographer, glass blower, and woodworker.

  • Beverly Moazed's Legacy for Future Environmental Stewards

    Beverly Moazed's Legacy for Future Environmental Stewards

    “I think it’s important to keep in touch with the younger generation because they provide a window into our future.” – Beverly Moazed

    For years, kids at San Elijo Lagoon got to tour in nature with volunteer Beverly Moazed. As a birder, she was fascinated with the lagoon’s avian residents and migratory visitors and would inspire her classes to look up into the sky, or to hear a common or not-so-common bird call.

    Beverly’s estate was realized in 2017. We knew of her passion as a volunteer and lifelong educator, but her estate gift to the Nature Collective came as a surprise, as legacy gifts sometimes do. Beverly’s legacy gift inspired us to open our newest endowment for conservation education.

  • Growing Up Outdoors: Bill Miller and Ida Houby

    Growing Up Outdoors: Bill Miller and Ida Houby

    “We became involved in 1983 with The Friends of Holmwood Canyon, which partnered with San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy (now known as Nature Collective) to save the canyon. We had just bought our home close to the lagoon and felt strongly about preserving both the canyon and the wetlands that we came to love. Leaving a legacy with San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy is one of the best ways to act locally to preserve open spaces for future generations.”

    – Bill Miller and Ida Houby

     

    Ida Houby grew up spending summers in the Danish Isles, swimming in the ocean and walking the seashore meadows. Bill Miller played in the woods and fields of upstate New York, where hiking and canoeing on its rivers and lakes deepened his love for nature.

    Their favorite San Elijo Lagoon trail is from the top of Holmwood Canyon to La Orilla Trailhead with its glimpses of the endangered Ridgeway Rails, and early morning sightings of Hooded Mergansers.

  • The Natural Legacy of Margaret Chivers

    The Natural Legacy of Margaret Chivers

    From a young age, Margaret Chivers recognized the feeling of being in love with nature, It was part of her life at every step. She was a 40-year resident of Solana Beach and a member of San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy (now called the Nature Collective). Margaret wanted to leave something special for future generations so she began estate planning with an intent to protect wild lands, healthy waters, and long and winding trails for everyone.

    Margaret grew up in England. She especially enjoyed being outdoors and traveling as a teen with her good friend Maureen among youth hostels in Europe.

    After living in Colorado and Alaska, Margaret found her lifelong home in Solana Beach. San Elijo Lagoon was a special place for Margaret and her family. Her daughters, Caroline Brown and Susan Chivers, fondly recall visiting the trails countless times, as the lagoon was their backyard playground. Later in her life, Susan and her husband followed a lagoon trail that literally took them to the front steps of what would be their new home in Solana Beach.

  • Conservation Leader Bob Moore

    Conservation Leader Bob Moore

    “If we can leave a legacy for kids who are interested in outdoor experiences, we will have done a good thing.”

    – Bob Moore

     

    Bob was one of the first 20 volunteers that joined the San Elijo Lagoon Citizen’s Watchdog Patrol in 1986. This county-sponsored group watched over the lagoon before the Conservancy formed in 1987, which is now the Nature Collective. Bob was a guest at many early Conservancy board meetings and on July 31, 1989 he officially joined the board. He was board president 2003–2006.

    Former board president and founding member, Denise Stillinger, worked for decades with Cindy and Bob. Denise reflected that Bob was all about hard work and details. Whether he was rolling up his sleeves to remove old mattresses dumped in the lagoon or smoothing his suit and straightening his tie to represent the Conservancy as board president, Bob always showed up with passion and leadership.

  • Alan B. Thum's Watershed Protection Legacy

    Alan B. Thum's Watershed Protection Legacy

    San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy established the Alan B. Thum Land Stewardship Fund in 2003 to honor the memory and accomplishments of a good friend and dedicated conservationist. Proceeds from the fund support research on special aspects of San Diego’s unique and threatened coastal wetlands.

    Ordinary people are not always hailed for the extraordinary things they contribute. Alan’s work is honored as an everyman with an eloquent voice who spoke out to make a difference. As a marine biologist and Encinitas resident, he was an early advocate for monitoring the entire watershed for progress on water quality.

    About Dr. Alan B. Thum: Born in 1943 in Washington, D.C., Alan B. Thum moved to Claremont, California in 1956 and became a longtime Southern California resident and environmental change-maker. He received his PhD in marine biology from Oregon State University. He was an effective and tireless advocate for clean water, riparian and estuarine habitats, and San Elijo Lagoon.

Russell + Betty Benson (realized), Jennifer Bright, Bob + Lois Chaddock, Margaret Chivers (realized), Nora E. M. Cochrane (realized), Jennifer Cohen (bequest notification), Patty Cornelius, Maria Davey (realized), Janie DeCelles, Elaine Dodge + Martin Staubus, Mark + Lisa Doliva, Ilse Epprecht, Marc + Lynne Friedmann, Doug + Lauren Gibson, Bill Gish (realized), Tom + Donna Golich, Margaret Griffith, Pastor Bill + Patti Harman, J. Thomas Heywood + Stephanie Wilde, Carol Holt (realized), Robert Jensen + Erin Thomas, Sheila Johnson (realized), Mayme Kline + Robert Beasley, Peter + Marge Kohl, M. Alberta Kruger (realized), James Lauer, Michael + Teresa Lea, Paul + Leah Lonsdale, Andrew + Kathleen Mauro, William E. Miller + Ida Houby, Beverly Moazed (realized), Cindy Moore, Andra Moran, Brys + Rita Myers, Craig + Jeanne Olson, Mariette Pinchart (realized), Janet Placido, Ross Ridder + John Spencer, Barbara J. Stewart, Dave + Denise Stillinger, Alan + Steve Tarkington, Linda Wilford (realized), Paul Worthington, Ret. Col. Harold Wright (realized), Art + Sandy Yayanos.

The Latest Legacy Futures Events

We love to recognize our contributors with great get-togethers.

Black Phoebe

Legacy Futures Event

  • No upcoming events at this time
  • No upcoming events at this time

Legacy Circle members are invited to attend our annual exclusive event. Join us for a morning courtyard breakfast followed by an inspiring nature presentation.

Guest speaker, Ernie Cowan is a noted photographer, lecturer, instructor + author. Ernie will captivate us with a lens on life as a Wildlife Photographer featuring stunning photography spanning his career.

Questions? Reach out to ask about leaving a legacy for  Nature Collective.