“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” – Nelson Henderson
Make it possible for people to find peace and belonging in nature for generations to come with a legacy gift to Wilderness Inquiry. Join a growing number of supporters who choose to include a donation in their wills and trusts to our work of inspiring true connection and breaking down barriers. Your legacy gift helps everyone–regardless of background or ability–enjoy the benefits of outdoor adventure.
We’d love to know about your plans to make Wilderness Inquiry a part of your legacy giving. Contact Sheila Swift, Development Director, at [email protected] or call 612-676-9400.
Helping You Achieve Your Charitable Giving Goals
Wilderness Inquiry has created a partnership with the Saint Paul and Minnesota Community Foundation (SPMCF), an affiliate of the Minnesota Philanthropy Partners, to help us grow our long-term endowment assets and assist our donors with their legacy giving needs. As a nonprofit community foundation, its mission includes working with individuals, families, and nonprofit organizations to make charitable giving thrive and benefit all Minnesotans.
Through our partnership, Wilderness Inquiry is able to utilize their expert staff and many years of experience in helping donors accomplish their philanthropic goals. SPMCF staff provide professional advice on complex gift transactions and can execute deferred gifts, such as charitable gift annuities, for our donors. If you are interested in learning more about how a legacy gift can help you achieve your charitable goal for Wilderness Inquiry, please contact Sheila Swift, Development Director, at [email protected] or call 612-676-9400.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Legacy Giving?
Legacy giving, sometimes referred to as planned giving, enables donors to support Wilderness Inquiry, either during their lifetime or after their passing, as part of their overall financial or estate planning.
While some legacy gifts provide a life-long income to the donor or loved ones, others use estate and tax planning techniques to provide for charity and other heirs in ways that maximize the gift or minimize its impact on the donor’s estate.
This type of charitable giving can be very attractive to both donor and charity, whether a donor uses cash, appreciated securities, real estate, artwork, partnership interests, personal property, life insurance, a retirement plan, etc.
Why Legacy Giving?
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Sheila example: In a world of funding uncertainty, legacy gifts provide the essential stability that allows us to plan with confidence. Think of it as our financial anchor. Your gift helps us weather any economic storm and guarantees continuous support for core programs, no matter what. Sharing your legacy isn’t just funding one project; it’s investing in our permanence and ensuring we can always be here when we’re needed most.
Legacy giving is also a smart, structured way to make a gift to Wilderness Inquiry in a way that works for you. Through many different legacy giving options, you can support our mission while becoming an integral and active part of the Wilderness Inquiry community and making more possible for the young people and families we serve.
Legacy gifts also give back; they can provide income for you and your loved ones for life. They allow you to take sizable income, gift, and estate tax deductions and provide favorable capital gains tax treatment. Legacy gifts allow you to leave behind a tradition that fits your philanthropic goals.
What kinds of gifts can I give to Wilderness Inquiry?
During your lifetime you can make an outright gift of cash, securities, or other property (e.g., real estate, personal property).
You also have the option of making a gift that returns lifetime payments to you, your spouse, or other individuals. These life income gifts include charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder unitrusts. You may also include a provision in your will, establishing these gifts for the initial benefit of a loved one and the ultimate benefit of Wilderness Inquiry.
You can make a gift through your will, revocable trust, or a distribution from a retirement plan or life insurance policy.
What sort of assets can I use to make a gift?
Almost anything: cash, publicly traded securities, or the balance in your retirement account. Other assets—such as real estate, closely held stock, and artwork—can be considered as well.
What tax deduction will I receive for my gift?
It depends on the gift:
- Outright gifts generate a full itemized income-tax charitable deduction. Outright gifts of appreciated securities are deductible at fair market value, with no recognition of capital gains—a great double tax benefit.
- Gifts of personal property, like art, books and collectibles, are fully deductible so long as they are relevant to Wilderness Inquiry’s mission. Contact us to learn more.
- Bequests are exempt from estate tax, however they do not generate a lifetime income tax deduction.
- Similarly, life insurance distributions to Wilderness Inquiry are not income-tax deductible, but are exempt from estate tax. A lifetime gift of an insurance policy to Wilderness Inquiry generates a deduction for the value of the policy or the donor’s basis in the policy, whichever is less.
- A gift that makes payments to you, such as a charitable gift annuity or a charitable remainder trust, generates a deduction of the fair market value of the gift asset minus the present value of the income interest you retain.
Legacy charitable giving involves complex financial and legal considerations. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you consult with a qualified financial planner, tax advisor, or legal professional before making any final decisions. These experts can ensure your philanthropic goals are met while optimizing tax benefits and properly structuring your will or estate plan.
“We chose to make Wilderness Inquiry a part of our legacy giving plan because we’ve seen their impact firsthand. Our daughter’s wish before she passed was for us to support an organization she deeply cared about — Wilderness Inquiry. We’ve included Wilderness Inquiry in our legacy planning to ensure long-term sustainability for inclusive, accessible outdoor programs. Join us in giving the gift of time spent in nature for future generations.” – Nancy & Rolf, Wilderness Inquiry Legacy Donors
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