Legacy giving is simple and costs you nothing today.
ACHS has been helping animals for 50 years with the support of generous donors like you. Including ACHS in your will or other legacy planning will help us save animals and support our community for the next 50 years and beyond.
Legacy gifts can qualify for significant tax deductions. Creating your planned gift can be a relatively smooth and straightforward process, and we’re happy to assist you. If you have already included ACHS in your plans, please let us know so we can thank you! Our EIN is 23-7381869
We hope you will consider joining ACHS’s Legacy Society. Membership is as simple as naming ACHS as the beneficiary of your will, trust, insurance policy, donor advised fund, or financial account. Your membership includes a subscription to Spring Newsletter/Annual Report, regular updates, and invitations to special events.
The most straightforward legacy giving option is to make a bequest in your will. In its simplest form, a will is a legal declaration by you naming one or more persons to manage all of your assets (your ‘estate’) and provides for the distribution of those assets at death. A will is essential to ensure that your property is distributed according to your wishes.
Bequests made through your will may take various forms:
- Specific Bequest: Directs a specific dollar gift or property to pass to ACHS.
- Percentage Bequest: Designates a percentage of the total value of the estate as a gift to ACHS.
- Residual Bequest: Directs that ACHS receive the remainder of the estate, or a portion of the remainder, after all expenses and other bequests have been made.
A bequest to ACHS is not subject to federal or estate taxes, and there’s no limit on the amount of the deduction. Most importantly, your bequest to ACHS will help ensure the organization’s ability to provide care and protection for animals in future years.
For large estates, blended families, or other more complex situations, please work with appropriate legal counsel.
Bequest provision language:
A bequest provision to make a gift to ACHS in a will may be made using the following language:
I give, devise, and bequeath to Adams County Humane Society, a non-profit corporation located at 1982 11th Ave. Friendship, Wisconsin, 53934, EIN 23-7381869 ______ percent of my estate (or the sum of $ ___; or ___ percent of the residue of my estate) as an unrestricted gift
IRAs, retirement plans, life insurance policies, and bank accounts allow you to name a beneficiary on those accounts. Naming ACHS as a beneficiary allows assets to pass directly to the shelter. You’ll decide what percentage (from 1% to 100%) you would like the shelter to receive. We can be a primary or contingent beneficiary and are grateful for any percentage you choose.
These additional assets are not covered in a standard will or trust. If you have an IRA, 401(k), life insurance policy, or any additional financial accounts, these are called “non-probate assets” and they need to be planned for separately.
On behalf of all of us at Adams County Humane Society—both two- and four-legged friends—thank you for your interest in legacy giving. Your thoughtful consideration means so much to us and speaks volumes about your compassion and commitment to animals in need.
Legacy gifts help ensure we can continue our mission for generations to come: providing shelter, care, and love to animals in need throughout Central Wisconsin. By including Adams County Humane Society in your estate plans, you are creating a lasting impact that will help save and improve countless animal lives in the years ahead.
We would be honored to answer any questions you may have or to talk more about how your gift can reflect your values and love for animals.
Thank you again for considering this extraordinary gesture of kindness. Your legacy will be a beacon of hope for animals who need it most.