Linda Vaughan Society

Linda Vaughan, shown here, was a Wild Center member for 10 years. Linda’s love of the Adirondacks and its wilderness developed at a young age when she was a canoeing counselor at Silver Lake Camp in the 1950s. She particularly enjoyed photographing the region’s nature. Born in Ohio, Linda made her home in Massachusetts and had a seasonal home in Long Lake. Following her death in 2009, The Wild Center received a significant bequest from Linda’s estate. The gift was not expected and is an extraordinary affirmation that Linda believed in the Center’s mission and that she wanted the Center to thrive in the future. Her gift is an example of how estate planning can lead to a contribution that is often larger than what is possible during your lifetime. To honor Linda’s pioneering generosity we have established our legacy society in her name.

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Linda Vaughan Society

Don’t keep your love of the Adirondacks to yourself. Help us inspire future generations by making a legacy gift to The Wild Center. All donors who support The Wild Center in their will or estate plan become members of the Linda Vaughan Society.

Your LVS membership involves no dues or other obligations, and you may join the Society anonymously. All information is confidential and it requires no obligation on your part.

print this PDF of our LVS form to begin

Making a Bequest

Incorporating a gift to The Wild Center in your will is easily arranged as either a provision in a newly executed will or trust, or as a separate codicil to an existing will or trust. Your bequest can be anything you wish. We respectfully suggest that you consult with your tax or legal advisor who will ensure that your intentions are legally stated. We've provided some sample language for the two most common types of bequests

“I give to The Wild Center (Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks – Tax ID# 14-1811534) of Tupper Lake, New York $_____ for its general support.”

Residuary Bequest (all or a percent of the residue of one’s estate after all specific bequests are fulfilled): “I give to The Wild Center (Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks – Tax ID# 14-1811534) of Tupper Lake, New York the rest, residue and remainder of my estate for its general support.”

Turn Your Passion into a Legacy Gift to The Wild Center

Linda Vaughan Society membership helps ensure the long-term health of The Wild Center, and the only requirement is to simply inform us that you are planning a gift in your estate to The Wild Center. You do not have to specify a gift, and there is no minimum gift. You may join by name, or be an anonymous member. By making your intentions known, you help to encourage others to follow your example and leadership in providing for The Wild Center’s future.

To qualify for membership you can do any of the following:

Make a bequest to the Center through your will.
Name the Center as beneficiary of a retirement account, a donor advised fund or a life insurance policy.
Provide any of the following to the Development Office:
- A signed letter stating specific intention
- Complete this Linda Vaughan Society Enrollment Form (or it is available from the Development Office)
- A copy of your will or trust (only the stipulation providing for The Wild Center)
- Retirement fund documentation citing The Wild Center as beneficiary
- Life insurance policy documentation indicating The Wild Center as beneficiary

Learn More

For More Information, please contact us directly or by mail

Hillarie Logan-Dechene
hlogan-dechene@wildcenter.org, 518.359.7800 x 103
Robin Ellis
rellis@wildcenter.org, 518.359.7800 x 129

Hillarie Logan-Dechene
Development Office
The Wild Center
45 Museum Drive
Tupper Lake, NY, 12986

“We’ve decided to support The Wild Center in our estate planning because we see it as part of our legacy to support the Adirondacks and the education of future families about the natural environment and how precious it is – and how necessary it is to preserve it. Our time on this planet is short, so this is a way to make one small contribution toward stewardship of our planet.”

– Harvey Cohen and Michael Tardif