The Big Beams Society

Big Beams
Ones you can depend on
To bear the load and send on,
The courage and the strength to be…
Big Beams

From the song Big Beams by Dan Berggren, Sagamore’s Dean of Music

Join Great Camp Sagamore’s Big Beams Society today

A legacy gift ensures your financial support of our mission for future generations.

Through Great Camp Sagamore’s location and education, we foster understanding, care, and respect for the critical relationship between people and nature. We seek to inspire in those who visit or stay an individual responsibility to nature and community. Your legacy gift is an opportunity to make the impact of a lifetime that will help sustain this mission for generations to come.

What will your legacy be?
Since 1975, Great Camp Sagamore has rewarded hundreds of thousands of visitors with transformative experiences. Sagamore’s educational mission takes a pioneering role in the preservation of historic buildings by inviting people to experience them as they were designed to be used. There are no velvet ropes in camp, just authentic historic spaces and educational programs that offer a depth of connection unavailable in most modern-day settings.

Big Beams Society member benefits
When you commit to a legacy gift, we invite you to join other Big Beam members, the Executive Director, and Trustees for an annual recognition event. We also invite you to come as our guest to Sagamore’s Annual Gala & Benefit in a year of your choosing.

“Supporting the sustainability of this special Great Camp through the legacy program gives me great solace knowing that I’m helping preserve its mission for generations to come.”

Dr. Ken Murphy, member of The Big Beams Society

Three of many ways to make your gift:

Retirement Funds and Life Insurance

Name Sagamore Institute of the Adirondacks as beneficiary of a retirement fund, life insurance policy, or investment account. With a gift from your retirement funds, you can reduce the size of your taxable estate. It’s easy to do, and you can make a meaningful gift that costs nothing during your lifetime.

Wills and Trusts

You can make a lasting contribution by remembering Sagamore Institute of the Adirondacks in your will or trust. A simple charitable bequest is anything you leave from your estate to a non-profit organization such as Sagamore Institute of the Adirondacks. This gift may include property, money, or personal belongings.

To leave a charitable bequest in your will, use direct language naming Sagamore Institute of the Adirondacks and the assets you wish to give. For cash gifts, this may be a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your assets. A bequest may be added to an existing will through a simple amendment.

Customized Plans

There are many other ways to make an estate gift. We advise you to seek counsel from your attorney or financial advisor, who can help you consider tax implications and create a plan that can be highly beneficial to you and also provide a significant and lasting charitable gift as your legacy.

Please contact Emily Martz, our Executive Director, to discuss your Legacy Gift. Emily can be reached by email or by phone at (315) 354-5311 x122.

“I've pledged to make a bequest so that Sagamore continues to inspire new generations ready to fall in love with it and the people they meet here.”

Martin Daley, member of The Big Beams Society

OTHER WAYS TO PROVIDE A LEGACY GIFT 

Charitable Gift Annuity

  • Receive guaranteed fixed income for life for you and another beneficiary.

  • Receive an immediate tax deduction the year you open the annuity.

  • Potentially qualify for additional income tax deductions.

Deferred Gift Annuity

  • Receive guaranteed fixed income for life.

  • Defer payments until you need them.

  • Receive an immediate tax deduction the year you open the annuity.

Charitable Remainder Unitrust

  • Receive annual income, at a variable rate, based on a yearly assessment of the value of the trust assets.

  • Benefit from potentially increased income over time. (If the asset value increases, so will the annual income.)

  • Receive an immediate tax deduction the year you establish the trust.

  • The preferred vehicle for gifts of real estate.

Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust

  • Receive fixed annual income payments for life or a specified term.

  • Receive an immediate tax deduction the year you open the trust.

  • Remove the assets from your estate.

Charitable Lead Trust

  • Provide a steady source of funds to Sagamore for a specified term; remaining funds then pass to your heirs.

  • Reduce the size of your taxable estate—and the resulting tax burden on your heirs.

Retained Life Estate

  • Realize the tax savings of donating your property to Sagamore.

  • Retain the right to live in your home for as long as you choose, including your lifetime.

  • Expedite your gift by removing the property from probate.

The above is not intended to be legal or tax advice. Please consult your financial advisor before making a gift, and feel free to have your advisor contact us for more information.