Estate Planning

An estate plan is essential for everyone who wants to control what happens to the wealth they worked so hard to create. Establishing an estate plan with your trusted financial and legal advisors gives you the comfort of knowing that your wishes will be fulfilled.

After addressing the needs of your family and loved ones, you may want to make gifts that will support the organizations you care about most. We hope that you will consider making a gift to the Museum.

Unless otherwise specified, planned gifts will be added to the Museum’s Endowment Fund, to ensure a strong future for the Museum. When you plan a gift to the Museum, please let us know so that we can thank you.

A bequest is the simplest way to make an estate gift. Charitable gifts made through your will avoid taxes – no federal estate tax or state inheritance tax will be applied.

If you decide to leave a gift to the Museum as part of your estate plan, please be sure to use the legal name “Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum, Inc.”

Sample Bequest Language: “I give, devise, and bequeath to WAUKESHA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM [IRS ID# 39-6056461] in Waukesha, WI the sum of $_______ (or a description of specific assets or a percentage of the estate) for the benefit of their cultural and educational activities. If at any time in the judgment of the Board of Directors of WCHSM, it is impossible or impracticable to carry out exactly the designated purpose, they shall determine an alternative purpose closest to the designated purpose.”

Another simple way to provide for the Museum is to make it a beneficiary in a life insurance policy you already own. Simply call your life insurance carrier to find out how to add or change beneficiaries. The Museum can also be a “back-up beneficiary” in the event that your primary beneficiaries pre-decease you.

Many people have property, such as stock, that has appreciated significantly over the years. If you sell it, you will pay capital gains tax that can be substantial. However, there are many trust options that allow you to avoid the capital gains tax, keep an income flow for a period of years or your lifetime, and leave a wonderful gift to your favorite charity. Consult your advisors about the advantages of Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, and Unitrusts.

For more information on planned giving, please contact us at (262) 521-2859, ext. 222.