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Legacy Giving

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Join the Legacy Challenge!

Make history a part of your future. By including us in your will or estate plan, you can help preserve the very sites that shaped America.

Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States with a gift that lasts forever. If you let us know you’ve included a gift through your will, trust, or other estate plans before July 4, 2026, our Challenge sponsors will honor your commitment with an immediate donation of $1,776 to protect and preserve our nation’s battlefields! Act now–this opportunity is available only until the $125,000 pool of matching funds is exhausted or we reach the Challenge deadline.

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Meet Our Challenge Sponsors
Photo credit: Perryville, Daniel Kirchner

Meet the sponsors

John Taylor

“I grew up in the Boston area and my grandmother lived in Chattanooga. These settings provided numerous opportunities to immerse myself in the history of both conflicts and to visit the battlefields nearby. During my college career, I had several dynamic professors including Gary Gallagher and my interest in history invariably grew and has withstood the test of time, especially my interest in the Civil War. However, my interest in battlefield preservation did not begin until I was in law school in the early 90s. At that time, there were ongoing attempts to preserve the Manassas and Brandy Station battlefields, and I wrote an article in our Environmental Law Journal about the preservationist movement and its connection to the ongoing efforts to preserve these battlefields. That piqued my interest in battlefield preservation, and when I graduated from law school, I began contributing to battlefield preservation efforts.
The Trust fills an important role in regard to its preservation and education activities. This role is highlighted by the fact that in the last 20 years, the Trust has helped save over 50,000 acres of land. The Trust has also helped provide crucial educational support and extensive resources to promote and educate the public on the steps that have been taken to gain and maintain our independence. The American Battlefield Trust’s commitment to preserve and tell this story is why I am a proud member and a Trustee.”

Noah Mehrkam

“My relationship with the American Battlefield Trust has been well established for more than half my life.  I have had the unique perspective to be a member, intern, employee, donor, and now trustee.  It is an honor to invest in and promote American history.  Early on, I had a vague notion to get involved with our cause on behalf of my children-to-be and other future generations of Americans.  I’m now able to walk with my daughter and son on battlefields that I was involved in preserving.  Hearing their questions and seeing their interest in American history validates my investment.”

Robert Daum

“I grew up in the Boston area and my grandmother lived in Chattanooga. These settings provided numerous opportunities to immerse myself in the history of both conflicts and to visit the battlefields nearby. During my college career, I had several dynamic professors including Gary Gallagher and my interest in history invariably grew and has withstood the test of time, especially my interest in the Civil War. However, my interest in battlefield preservation did not begin until I was in law school in the early 90s. At that time, there were ongoing attempts to preserve the Manassas and Brandy Station battlefields, and I wrote an article in our Environmental Law Journal about the preservationist movement and its connection to the ongoing efforts to preserve these battlefields. That piqued my interest in battlefield preservation, and when I graduated from law school, I began contributing to battlefield preservation efforts.
The Trust fills an important role in regard to its preservation and education activities. This role is highlighted by the fact that in the last 20 years, the Trust has helped save over 50,000 acres of land. The Trust has also helped provide crucial educational support and extensive resources to promote and educate the public on the steps that have been taken to gain and maintain our independence. The American Battlefield Trust’s commitment to preserve and tell this story is why I am a proud member and a Trustee.”

Mary Abroe

“I became interested in the Civil War, as did many other people, when I was young. I read a kids’ biography of Clara Barton when I was eleven or twelve; Clara came under fire during the battle of Antietam, and I still remember that book’s description of “the dark, quiet valley of Antietam Creek” on the night before the battle. As I look back, I know that’s when I was “hooked”. My fascination with that battle has endured and grown, as has my interest in the Civil War.
I became involved with the modern battlefield preservation movement in the late 1980s when, as a history teacher and graduate student, I saw the grave threat posed to Antietam by the possibility of commercial development at the historic Grove Farm, scene of the iconic Alexander Gardner photograph of Abraham Lincoln and Gen. George McClellan taken near Sharpsburg soon after the battle.
One of the great privileges–and joys–of my life has been my affiliation with the American Battlefield Trust and, before that, with one of its predecessor organizations, the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites. I was an early member of the APCWS, whose board I joined in the late 1990s; currently, I serve on the American Battlefield Trust’s board.
As a human being, mother, grandmother, and citizen, there are few things more important to me than leaving this legacy of preservation behind when I am gone and providing for the work’s continuation.”

How the Legacy Challenge Works

Once you have made a gift in your will or trust, or through beneficiary designation to the American Battlefield Trust, you are eligible to join the Challenge and activate a $1,776 donation in your name!

Here are the two most popular ways donors make legacy gifts to the American Battlefield Trust:

Gifts in a Will

A gift in your will or trust is easy to establish; it can be changed at any time and for any reason and it creates your legacy with the American Battlefield Trust, ensuring hallowed ground is protected forever. All you need is a few simple words.

Gifts by Beneficiary Designation

It’s easy to set up a legacy gift through a beneficiary designation in your retirement plan, insurance plan, or other asset. Simply complete a beneficiary designation form from your fund’s administrator. When you do, you take a powerful step towards creating a brighter future for battlefield preservation, education, and advocacy.

Interested in leaving a gift in your will but need more information? Request FREE resources below!

Get Free Resources

When you share details about your gift, you activate an immediate donation from our Challenge sponsor of $1,776, until the $125,000 pool of matching funds is exhausted or we reach our Challenge deadline of July 4, 2026.

If you prefer to keep your gift amount private, you can still make an immediate impact today. If you document your gift today and keep the gift amount private, our Challenge sponsors will still make a $1,776 donation in your name!

Read Example Scenario

Ellen makes the American Battlefield Trust the beneficiary of her IRA fund, valued at $50,000. Ellen joins the Legacy Challenge by documenting her gift using the form below, which activates an immediate donation in her name of $1,776 from our Honor Guard Challenge sponsors. Ellen will also be recognized as a special donor to the Our Enduring Legacy Campaign!

Activate Donation


Instantly activate a $1,776 donation in your name that will be used now to support battlefield preservation, education, and advocacy.


Inspire other individuals around the country to support the Trust through allowing us to recognize your incredible generosity in lists and publications. However, if you prefer to remain anonymous, we will honor your choice.


You’ll be welcomed into our Honor Guard legacy giving society. The Honor Guard is a special group of exceptional individuals who have included the American Battlefield Trust in their long term financial and estate plans through a gift in their will, trust, or by beneficiary designation. Honor Guard members receive special recognition, exclusive battlefield tour/event lectures & invites, and more.

Join the Legacy Challenge Today

     

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