BLUERIBBON LEGACY • PLANNED GIVING
KEEP THE TRAILS OPEN FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
You pass down your rig, your gear, and the places you love to ride. A legacy gift to the BlueRibbon Coalition makes sure your favorite trails remain open for the next generation.
— Why It Matters
The fight for access doesn't end with us
Since 1987, BRC has stood between your favorite trails and the people who want them closed. These fights are won in courtrooms and comment periods, and they take years. A land-use case you help fund today may not be decided for a decade.
That is why legacy giving matters. A gift planned now, given later, gives BRC the staying power to outlast the agencies, lawsuits, and closures that threaten access. It is the difference between fighting one battle and being there for the entire war.
A legacy gift is not about how much you have. Most people are content to ride the wagon. This is for the ones who pull it — long after their last ride.
— RECOGNITION
THE BLUERIBBON LEGACY
Behind every mile of open trail is someone who refused to let it close. The BlueRibbon Legacy honors the supporters who have chosen to defend access beyond their lifetime — by including BRC in their will, trust, or estate plans. These are the people making sure the fight outlives all of us.
Dick Brass
1933 - 2025
Price, Utah
Dick Brass
1933 - 2025
Price, Utah
Dick Brass
1933 - 2025
Price, Utah
Dick Brass
1933 - 2025
Price, Utah
Dick Brass
1933 - 2025
Price, Utah
Dick Brass
1933 - 2025
Price, Utah
— FOUNDING LEGACY
Dick Brass: The Man WHO PULLED THE WAGON
Dick Brass was an MIT-trained engineer who worked on the Apollo program. Then he left all of it behind to live in a camper on the edge of the San Rafael Swell, because that is where the work was. For roughly 45 years he built motorcycle trails by hand. He walked routes like Five Miles of Hell into existence before GPS existed, set flagstone, and cemented corners so the trails would last.
In 1985 he signed the first cooperative management agreement with the BLM for the trail system riders still use today. People from across the country, and from other countries, come to ride the trails Dick Brass left behind.
He never married and had no children. The trails were his life's work, and he wanted them defended after he was gone. In his final months, he sat down with a lawyer and an accountant and named the BlueRibbon Coalition as a beneficiary of his IRA, so the fight he gave everything to would carry on. He was still doing trail work at 92.
"He wanted a legacy left. He wanted people to know who he was, and how hard he had worked to make sure trails were accessible."
— Scott Wheeler
Dick Brass' gift was as simple as a single beneficiary form — the same option described below under "Name BRC as a beneficiary." He spent his life pulling the wagon that most people are content to ride in. Now it is our turn to pull.
— PLANNED GIVING
Ways to leave your legacy
There are more ways to support BRC than writing a check today. Most cost you nothing during your lifetime, and several can lower the taxes you or your family would otherwise pay. Open any option for a closer look — then your financial planner or attorney can tell you which fits your situation best.
01
A gift in your will or trust (bequest)
The simplest and most popular legacy gift. Name BRC for a specific amount, a percentage, or whatever is left after your family is taken care of. It costs you nothing now, and you can change it anytime.
BEST FOR ANYONE (click to expand)
How it works
You add language to your will or living trust naming BlueRibbon Coalition, Inc. as a beneficiary — a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, a particular asset, or the residue. Because it lives in your will, the gift is revocable, so you keep full control and can change it any time.
Benefits to you
You commit nothing today and part with no assets during your lifetime. A gift in your will may reduce the taxable value of your estate, and a percentage gift scales with your estate rather than locking in a fixed number decades early. You decide exactly how you are remembered.
How to set it up
Decide on the type and size of gift. Give your attorney BRC's legal name, tax ID, and the bequest language below — often a short codicil, not a full rewrite. Then let BRC know so we can welcome you. You are never required to share the amount.
02
Name BRC as a beneficiary
Name BRC as a beneficiary of a retirement account, life insurance policy, or bank account with a simple form. No attorney, no change to your will. It takes about five minutes.
FASTEST & EASIEST
How it works
Many of your largest assets pass outside your will — retirement accounts, life insurance, and bank or brokerage accounts. You direct them by naming beneficiaries on a form from the account provider. You can name BRC for all or a percentage of an account, alongside family members.
Benefits to you
Fast, free, no attorney. Retirement accounts are especially smart to give this way: money left in a traditional IRA or 401(k) can be taxed as income to your heirs, while a 501(c)(3) receives it tax-free — so you leave less-taxed assets to family and the heavily taxed account to the cause.
How to set it up
Request a beneficiary designation form from each provider. List BlueRibbon Coalition, Inc., the tax ID below, and the percentage you wish to give. Return the form and keep a copy. Let BRC know if you would like to be recognized.
03
Give directly from your IRA
If you are 70½ or older, give directly from a traditional IRA without paying income tax on the withdrawal. At 73+, it can count toward your required minimum distribution — and it funds the trails right away.
BEST FOR RETIREES GIVING NOW
How it works
If you are 70½ or older, you can transfer funds straight from a traditional IRA to BRC — a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD. The money goes directly from your custodian to BRC and never passes through your hands. There is an annual IRS limit, adjusted for inflation each year.
Benefits to you
The amount you give is excluded from your taxable income, which can be more valuable than a deduction. If you are 73 or older and must take RMDs, a QCD can satisfy part or all of that requirement — one of the few legacy options with a clear tax benefit in the current year.
How to set it up
Confirm eligibility with your IRA custodian and ask for their QCD form. Direct the gift to BlueRibbon Coalition, Inc. using the tax ID and address below. Tell BRC to expect it — custodian checks don't always identify the donor. Confirm the current year's limit with your tax advisor.
04
Recommend a gift from your donor advised fund
Already have a DAF at Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, or a community foundation? Recommend a grant to BRC anytime — or leave what remains in the fund to BRC as a legacy gift.
BEST IF YOU ALREADY GIVE THROUGH A FUND
How it works
A donor advised fund is a charitable account you've already funded at a sponsor such as Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, or a community foundation. You took your deduction when you funded it. To give, you recommend a grant to BRC — and you can name BRC to receive part or all of whatever remains as a legacy gift.
Benefits to you
The hard part — the tax deduction — is already done. Granting to BRC takes a few clicks or a short call. Naming BRC as a successor or beneficiary turns dollars you already set aside for charity into a lasting legacy for public lands.
How to set it up
Log in to your fund provider or call them. Recommend a grant to BlueRibbon Coalition, Inc. using the tax ID below, or ask how to name a charitable beneficiary of the account. Then let BRC know, since some sponsors don't share donor names automatically.
05
Give appreciated stock or securities
Give stock that has gone up in value directly to BRC: skip the capital gains tax you'd owe if you sold it, and deduct the full value. It often costs you less than giving the same amount in cash.
BEST FOR INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE RETIREMENT
How it works
Instead of giving cash, you transfer shares of stock, mutual funds, or other securities held more than a year directly to BRC. BRC receives the shares and can sell them without owing tax, because it is a nonprofit.
Benefits to you
You avoid the capital gains tax you'd owe if you sold the stock yourself, and you can generally deduct the full fair market value, subject to IRS limits. Giving appreciated stock often costs you less than giving the same dollar amount in cash — so you can give more for the same out-of-pocket cost.
How to set it up
Ask BRC for its brokerage transfer instructions, including account and DTC numbers. Give those to your broker and tell them which shares to transfer. Notify BRC of the transfer so the gift can be identified and acknowledged. Your advisor can confirm timing and deduction.
— GET STARTED
It is simpler than most people expect
01
Decide what kind of gift feels right
Use the options above as a starting point. You don't need to have it all figured out.
02
Talk to your own advisor
Your financial planner, attorney, or tax advisor will help you choose the option that fits your family and finances — and handle the paperwork.
03
Let us know
If you decide to include BRC, tell us so we can thank you and welcome you to the BlueRibbon Legacy. You are never obligated to share the details.
— REQUIRED INFORMATION
For your advisor
When you and your advisor are ready, here is the information needed to name BRC in a will, trust, or beneficiary form.
LEGAL NAME
TAX STATUS
FEDERAL TAX IS (EIN)
ADDRESS
Boise, ID 83702
SUGGESTED BEQUEST LANGUAGE
"I give to BlueRibbon Coalition, Inc., a nonprofit organization, Federal Tax ID 82-0413981, located in Boise, Idaho, [the sum of $___] or [___ percent of the remainder of my estate] to be used for its general purposes."
— COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions, Answered
Do I have to be wealthy to leave a legacy gift?
No. A percentage gift scales to whatever you leave behind, and naming BRC on a retirement account or insurance policy is open to anyone. Most legacy gifts are not large checks — they are a line in a will or a name on a form.
Can I change my mind later?
Yes. A gift in your will or a beneficiary designation can be updated anytime during your life.
Does it cost anything now?
Most legacy gifts cost nothing during your lifetime. You decide today, and the gift is made later.
Will BRC manage my estate or give me financial advice?
No. BRC is not a financial planner, attorney, or tax advisor. We provide information so you can have an informed conversation with your own professional, who will help you make the right decision for your situation.
How will my gift be used?
To defend access to public lands and trails through BRC's litigation and advocacy work — the core of what we do.
PULL THE WAGON
Be there for the next generation of riders
The trails you fought for can stay open long after your last ride. Talk to your advisor about including the BlueRibbon Coalition. Help us keep defending the ground we all ride on, because we belong here.