Richmond Battlefields Contributions

Land

Do you believe in the preservation of our historic places for future generations? Do you own historic property? Do you know someone who does? For those of us at Richmond Battlefields Association it's all about the land. Whether it is battlefield acreage or a non-combat site associated with military campaigns in the capital region, we are passionate about saving these precious resources before they slip from our grasp forever.

Our philosophy is to work with willing landowners to achieve our goal. Obviously the easiest and most cost-efficient way of accomplishing this is through donations of historic land. Are you interested in historic preservation but want to reserve the use of your property? There are a myriad of tools to accomplish this -- including lifetime estates and preservation easements - and some carry with them significant tax savings. In fact Virginia has one of the most generous preservation easement programs in the country. Not only can you extend your tax credits over a period of years but you can SELL them to a third party. We also purchase easements. Drop us a line and we will be happy to help you explore the many options.

Whatever the financial incentive, saving a piece of our nation's history is the real reward.

Financial contributions

Many landholders would like to preserve their land in its undisturbed state but are not in a position to give away such a significant asset. In that event land purchases are the primary means to protect historic property. That takes money, and lots of it. Land prices in the Richmond area have soared in recent years.

Without cash in the bank we are powerless to effect positive change. We raise money in campaigns for planned land purchases but it is important to have a financial reserve on hand for those frequent occasions when an opportunity arises without warning. We face extraordinary competition from land developers and it is essential to react quickly, without the opportunity to mount a fundraising drive.

You should know that at Richmond Battlefields Association we run a very lean operation. We don't have fancy retreats, we don't entertain with gala dinners, we don't have catered board meetings. We do it for the land, and we make sure that every possible dollar of your donation goes to battlefield land. Other than land and transfer costs our only other large expense is newsletter production and mailing. Oh yeah… and sodas for the annual meeting. We are very proud of our record of frugal financial stewardship. You can rest assured that your generous contributions will go exactly where you intend it to go -- land.

Richmond Battlefields Association is a 501(c)3 organization, and every penny of your contribution is tax-deductible.

And because we can never say it enough - Thank you!