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La Crosse Community Foundation’s Forever Society

March 25, 2021

Jamie Schloegel, Chief Executive OfficerBy Jamie Schloegel, Chief Executive Officer

Do good here forever with the Forever Society

La Crosse Community Foundation celebrated its 90th birthday in 2020, and it seems like we’ve been around forever! Our age makes us one of the oldest community foundations in the nation, and because of our longevity, we have earned the respect and trust of many who then include us in their legacy plans.

Over the years, foundation staff have been surprised by estate gifts that came in after a donor passed away. The most famous of these gifts is the Robert & Eleanor Franke Charitable Fund. Earlier this week, we shared a story about our most recent estate gift, that of Jean Gitz Bassett. Her estate gift inspired us to create the new Forever Society.

Members of the Forever Society have solidified their intent to do good forever by including La Crosse Community Foundation in their will or other estate plans. The benefit of starting this club is to get to know those who’ve included LCF in their estate plans so we can better understand their charitable goals.

If you are thinking of, or have already, created a planned gift to LCF, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you! We invite all who wish to protect our beloved community’s greatest assets to make a charitable decision today that will ensure support of your favorite charities forever.

Planned giving is easier than you think! 

Did you know that planning your future now can help you secure the future of your  family, friends, and the causes important to you?

Many believe estate planning is an expensive, long process, but often this assumption is inaccurate. Creating a plan is less about form and procedure and more about considering all the people and causes that are important to you. The reality is…

  • Many assets like a retirement plan or life insurance can be transferred outside of your will by simply naming a person or organization as the beneficiary.
  • It’s possible for a well-written will to consist of just a few pages. In Wisconsin, an attorney isn’t even required to draft a legally-binding will.
  • If you do not create a plan, the government will determine what happens to your assets – and that determination may not be in keeping with your personal goals. More of your hard-earned assets will likely go to the IRS.

“La Crosse Community Foundation has been a tremendous resource for my clients, helping many of them devise strategic giving plans during their lifetimes and developing flexible estate plans to ensure permanent legacies for their favorite causes. Working with LCF is a win-win-win: for me, for my clients, for the community we all love.”

~ Maureen Kinney, attorney and LCF fund holder