Make a Pledge

The South Amherst Conservation Association is collecting money pledges with the goal of purchasing the parcel of land on South East St. at the junction of Mill Lane, and completing this portion of the Amherst Greenway. Please help by making a pledge.

Click Here to Make a Pledge

Questions and Answers About Pledging

What does it mean to make a pledge?

Making a Pledge means stating how much you would be willing to contribute to the purchase of this land for conservation purposes if we are able to raise enough money to make the purchase possible. No money would be collected from you or anyone else unless sufficient funds have been collected.

What information do I give in order to make a pledge?

We would like to know the amount of your pledge, your full name, a way to contact you (address and phone or email), and the number of people that your pledge is from. (For example, if you are part of a couple, could your pledge be from the both of you? It would be helpful to have as many people participating in the pledging process as possible. This may help in grant writing and other fundraising.)

When would I have to give the money that I pledge?

We have been told that the purchase process can take anywhere from six months to a year or two, since it may involve the town applying for grants from the state and other such fundraising that can take some time. There could also be a intermediate purchase (e.g., from a land conservation group) which could hold the land while the grant process by the town and other fundraising is being completed.

Would my donation be tax deductible?

If we are successful in raising a sufficient amount of money to purchase, the you would be asked to write a check to cover your pledge. We are hopeful that we will have a formal partnership with a land trust organization (such as the Kestrel Trust) which would mean that checks would be written to them and earmarked for this land acquisition. This would make your donation tax deductible. (Fyi: Our organization, the South Amherst Conservation Association, is not a “for profit” group, but it is also not registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group, therefore donations to our group would not be tax deductible.) We should be able to confirm in the near future whether we have a formal partnership with Kestrel Trust or another land trust organization. If you need to know this information before you make a pledge, please let us know and we would be happy to contact you when we have a formal arrangement confirmed.

What is the purchase price of this land and how much land is it?

The land is up for auction on January 16, 2013. There was already one auction in November that resulted in no one bidding after the auctioneer announced a starting bid of $500,000, at which time the auction was called off. We don't know what the starting bid in January will be.

The land consists of two parcels: 650 South East Street and 652 South East Street, with a total area of 7.4 acres.

How will the purchase price be met?

The funding package would be from a variety of sources:

We are hoping to raise $50,000 in pledges from private individuals.
We have submitted a proposal to the Community Preservation Act Committee requesting $100,000 to $150,000. We are pleased that the Town has also submitted a proposal to the Community Preservation Act Committee requesting funding for this project. They are requesting $50,000.
There is a possibility of having private individuals buy one or two of the 7 lots on this land, such as the lot that currently has a dilapidated house on it.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation has an interest in this land because it directly abuts a part of the Norwottuck Rail Trail that is critical to protect since it would complete the Greenway bordering the Rail Trail for many miles in each direction, (see map of the greenway)
It is our hope that a land trust (such as Kestrel Trust) will partner with the South Amherst Conservation Association to try to make this purchase a reality. We have had numerous meetings with Kestrel Trust and others about this land.

Is my pledge confidential?

Yes. Only the treasurer of the South Amherst Conservation Association and the people directly coordinating the pledge drive would know about your pledge. We do not provide any mailing lists or names of pledgers to any other individuals or organizations. When we do fundraising and grant requests, we report only the number of pledges received and total money collected in the pledge drive.