Create Your Legacy: Protect Napa County for Generations to Come
Legacy Society
Our connection to the land runs deep—it sustains, enriches, and inspires us. It’s where we build our homes, grow our food, raise our families, and put down roots. Napa County is one of the most extraordinary and biodiverse places on Earth, where rare plants, wild animals, ancient forests, historic vineyards, and pristine lakes and streams thrive in harmony.
This remarkable landscape has been preserved through a powerful partnership between the Land Trust of Napa County and our community. Together, we work to protect the character of Napa—for today’s families, future generations, and all who cherish this place.
You have the power to ensure this work continues. By including the Land Trust in your will or estate plan, you can join our Legacy Society and make a lasting impact on the preservation of Napa’s natural beauty, resources, and biodiversity. It’s a meaningful and enduring way to honor your values and safeguard the land that makes this region so extraordinary.
Leave a lasting legacy. Together, we can protect Napa County—forever.
Legacy Giving Options
When you include the Land Trust in your estate plans, you help ensure the lasting protection of Napa’s land, water, wildlife, and working agricultural heritage. Your gift creates a legacy of conservation that will benefit generations to come.
There are many ways to make a planned gift—each offering the opportunity to align your philanthropic goals with your love for Napa County. Explore the options below to find the one that’s right for you.
Legacy Society Donors
Donors who inform the Land Trust of their estate planning intentions are welcomed as members of our Legacy Society. Members enjoy exclusive benefits, including an invitation to Legacy Society events, behind-the-scenes communications from our leadership team, guided tours led by conservation experts, and exciting naming opportunities to leave a lasting mark.
If you have already included the Land Trust in your will or estate plan—thank you! Please let us know so we can honor your generosity and recognize you as a valued member of our Legacy Society.
Our Legacy donors ensure Napa County’s natural beauty and unique resources are protected for future generations. We are honored to share a few of their inspiring stories with you and celebrate their lasting contributions to conservation.
Jim and Cricket Smith
Seeking a way to protect the Valley far beyond their lifetimes, Jim and Cricket chose to donate half of their estate to the Land Trust.
Visiting from Southern California for a job interview in November 1974, Jim Smith and his wife Cricket were captivated by the Valley’s scenic beauty. Napa’s agricultural lands and open space were a welcome change from the smog and sprawl of the San Bernardino area.
Feeling a desire to protect the landscapes of their new home, Cricket and Jim soon joined the Land Trust. In addition to their generous membership support they were dedicated volunteers, devoting long hours to our various fundraisers.
“We want our legacy to go to an important cause, something we really feel passionate about,” said Jim.
“I grew up in small communities in Southern California and it was gorgeous. It changed dramatically over just a few years due to indiscriminate development. It’s frightening to think it could happen here in Napa,” added Cricket.
Carol Ashby and Ann Taylor Schwing
Ann Taylor Schwing (right) and her sister, Constance Taylor, created the Archer Taylor Preserve – one of the Land Trust’s most revered and most visited Permanent Preserves.
“My sister and I grew up on what was once my family’s property, purchased by my parents in 1944. It’s named for our father, Archer Taylor, a world-renowned scholar who loved the land. We are determined to protect it forever and have entrusted all 380 acres to the Land Trust. My additional legacy gift will ensure the Preserve will be well-cared for in perpetuity.”
Inspired by her lifelong friend Ann Taylor Schwing’s donation of the Archer Taylor Preserve, Carol (left) is leaving a bequest to the Land Trust in order to steward the Preserve in perpetuity.
As a child, Carol spent many weekends visiting her friend Ann Taylor Schwing at the Taylor family’s property in the hills above Napa. Friends since first grade, they also spent countless summer days together catching crawdads in the creek and playing amongst the majestic redwoods. “Including the Land Trust in my estate plan will ensure the care of my childhood playground far into the future. It’s important to me to protect this treasured place so that future generations can enjoy it. Leaving a gift to the Land Trust is very rewarding and easy to do,” said Carol.
Your legacy commitment can provide tax savings for you and your heirs as well as the opportunity to extend your investment beyond its worth today.
We look forward to meeting with you to explore which option is right for you, one that is aligned with your conservation goals as well as your passion for the Land Trust’s mission. Contact us to schedule an appointment.
