| Why Donate To
The Trust?
Preservation Easement Trust serves as a committed and reliable
steward for easement-protected properties, while offering easement
donors a more efficient and cost effective alternative to other
qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organizations that accept
historic preservation easements.
Streamlined Donation Process: The Trust has streamlined
the easement donation process with easy-to-use forms, website-based
24/7 access to information, and the ability to approve easement
applications in real-time. In contrast, other easement-holding
organizations may take one to three months just to approve an
easement application.
Commercial Property
Expertise: Having spent the last ten years providing historic tax
credit and financial consulting services to commercial property owners
across the country, the Trust’s current officers bring preservation
appreciation, practical business experience, and complimentary skill
sets to the historic preservation easement donation process.
Nominal Cash
Donation: Relative to other easement-holding organizations, the
Trust requests a nominal cash donation as part of the voluntary
historic preservation easement donation. Specifically, the Trust
requests a cash donation equivalent to only 3% of the easement value
or $15,000, whichever is greater, whereas other easement-holding
organizations typically request a cash donation amounting to 5%-10% of
the easement value. All cash donations go directly into the Trust’s
endowment fund which covers operations and the ongoing costs of
administering, monitoring, and enforcing its historic preservation
easements.
No For-Profit
Affiliates: The Trust has no for-profit affiliates and neither
employs nor pays any independent contractors or easement facilitators
for their marketing services. As a result, marketing expenditures are
kept at a minimum, financial resources are not diluted, and potential
conflicts of interest are avoided.
Objective &
Informative Guidance: It
is always important to note that historic preservation easement
valuations performed by qualified real estate appraisers may vary
significantly from property to property. Because each historic
preservation easement valuation depends upon a number of variables
that are unique to each property, including existing historic
preservation laws that may already impact the property, there is no
"one size fits all" approach to valuing historic preservation
easements. Of course, before proceeding with a historic
preservation easement donation, potential easement donors are always
advised to consult with their attorneys and tax professionals to
understand the specific legal requirements and tax consequences
associated with conveying a historic preservation easement and
receiving a tax deduction.
National Presence:
Since its inception, the Trust has seen remarkable growth each year,
and is now qualified to do business and solicit charitable
contributions and easement donations in numerous states across the
country, with additional jurisdictions to follow. |
