With a planned gift to the Thoreau Farm Trust, you will create a legacy of environmentalism and social justice. Join Cynthia’s Circle and your support will help Thoreau’s birthplace continue as a unique place of pilgrimage, learning, and inspiration for generations to come.
Cynthia Dunbar Thoreau (1787–1872) was an Abolitionist and founding member of the Concord Female Anti-Slavery Society. At the age of eight, Cynthia moved into the home of her stepfather, Jonas Minot, the house now known as Thoreau Farm, and spent her formative years here on Virginia Road. As an adult, she was active in Concord’s charitable organizations and church affairs, ran a boarding house, and was the mother of four children: Helen, John, Jr., Henry—born in this house—and Sophia. Cynthia was a bold, thoughtful woman who invested deeply in her children and community, laying the foundation for a stronger, better future.
Cynthia’s Circle recognizes those who have committed to the ongoing work of preserving Thoreau’s birthplace and promoting Thoreau’s legacy by giving bequests or making their planned gift known to the Thoreau Farm Trust.
Legacy gifts support the Thoreau Farm Trust’s future while helping you meet your estate-planning goals. Though a gift from a will is the most common, legacy gifts can take many forms.
Types of Gifts:
Bequests
A bequest is a gift made through a will or trust and is an easy, practical way to make a meaningful financial contribution to the Thoreau Farm Trust without affecting your current finances. Bequests may be in the form of cash, stock, retirement funds, life insurance, real estate, or other property and are tax-deductible for federal estate tax purposes.
Sample bequest language:
“I hereby bequeath [the sum of _______dollars ($) or ___ percent (%) of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate], to the Thoreau Farm Trust (Tax ID #04-3420325), a Massachusetts non-profit corporation, for its general purposes.”
You may use this language if you intend to designate your bequest to the Trust’s general purposes. A bequest of this kind offers the most flexibility and will allow the Thoreau Farm Trust to use your gift where it is most needed.
Other Planned Gifts
There are other planned giving options—charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, and gifts from retirement plans or life insurance policies—that can be tailored to your needs and interests. Please consult your financial advisor on the best way to ensure your legacy.
Please include the following information about Thoreau Farm when planning a bequest or other planned gift:
Legal Name: Thoreau Farm Trust Inc.
Address: 341 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742
Tax ID#: 04-3420325
Make a Planned Gift and Join Cynthia’s Circle
For more information or if you have already named the Thoreau Farm Trust in your estate plans, please have your estate advisor contact us at info@thoreaufarm.org.
Please note that the information above is not intended as legal advice, and you should consult with your attorney before making a planned gift.