The Legacy Society

• United Way of Inner Wisconsin is committed to securing its future and the future of this community through a well-funded endowment. Our goal is to grow our endowment to $4 million. This will be accomplished through a substantial infusion of endowed and planned gifts and the effective management of the endowment principal to generate earnings through investments.
  
• Q: What is the mission of the Legacy Society?
  A: The mission of the Legacy Society is to attain sufficient principal so that all of United Way's operational expenses can be paid with the earnings on that principal. Once this goal is reached, all money raised in the annual campaign will go to fund the 60+ programs in south Wood and Adams Counties currently supported by United Way of Inner Wisconsin.
• Q: Why should I invest in United Way of Inner Wisconsin’s Legacy Society?
  A: You invested in United Way all your working life because you knew that United Way focused on your friends and neighbors in south Wood and Adams Counties. The Legacy Society gives you the opportunity to continue that support. Your endowed investment with the Legacy Society can be your gift to the future. It will be a living memorial, enabling you to continue to create lasting change beyond your lifetime. No other local organization serves as many people with as broad a range of services on an ongoing annual basis as United Way. Since its incorporation in 1942 under the name "South Wood County Community - War Chest," your local United Way has been a truly grass-roots organization. Today more than 70 neighborhood volunteers still govern your local United Way, identifying problems in your community and directing funds to agencies that can solve those problems.
• Q: What is an endowment?
  A: An endowment is a fund in which the principal amount is never spent and only interest and dividends are used.
• Q: Who is an endowment contributor?
  A: We all benefit from a better tomorrow - that’s why we all need to start investing today in our future. Regardless of your profession, giving history or stage in life, you can be an endowment contributor because you care about improving lives in our community.
  Endowment contributors range from local business owners to school teachers to retirees. The common thread is that they each take a vested interest in protecting our community for future generations by giving whatever they can.
• Q: What is a planned gift?
  A: A planned gift is a vehicle, such as a trust or charitable gift annuity, that is funded from a contributor’s assets. Stocks, real estate and cash are all assets that can be used to fund a planned gift. When you make a planned gift to the Legacy Society or name United Way of Inner Wisconsin as a beneficiary in your will, life insurance policy, or general estate plan, your gift will leave a legacy in our community.
• Q: How do I make a gift?
  A: Based on your financial situation and charitable giving goals, there are several alternatives. United Way of Inner Wisconsin recommends that you consult with your accountant, attorney or financial planning professional to determine the best philanthropic
  strategy for your, your family and estate.
• Q: What are some ways to invest in the Legacy Society?
  A: Bequests in your will; outright gifts of cash, stocks, bonds, real estate and other personal property;designation of United Way as the beneficiary on annuities, life insurance policies, IRAs, 401(k)s and pensions; PODs (Payable on Death) and TODs (Transfer on Death); establishment of a trust during life or within your will; memorials. Gifts to United Way's Legacy Society are tax deductible. Depending on your method of giving, other tax and investment income advantages can be realized. A tax professional or financial advisor can best advise you in this regard. An estate planner or attorney can help you structure a gift to the program - perhaps by the addition of a simple codicil to your will - while still allowing you to adequately provide for loved ones.
• Q: How will my gift be recognized?
  A: Those who contribute $1,000 or more to the Legacy Society become members of the United Way Legacy Guild. Guild members will be recognized with their names embossed on stones that will be prominently displayed. Contributions to the Legacy Society in memoriam with be recognized in the same way.