Estate Planning and Bequests:

A gift of land is a gift that gives forever. Whether you leave a financial donation to Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust or bequest your land in your will, NEWLT honors the donor's wishes in perpetuity. 

By including the Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust in your estate planning, you are protecting the ecological health and natural beauty of our region forever. Your financial gift is not simply a gift. You are giving the gift of open spaces, wooded hills, wet meadows, sandy prairies, and shorelines where current and future generations can learn about the awe-inspiring beauty of northeast Wisconsin. You are giving the gift of clean air and water, and are ensuring that there are still places where one can stand and hear the sandhill cranes sing, and hear the bullfrogs croak. Long after you leave, these places can still exist because you cared.

Some landowners prefer to donate land to Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust in their will.  This type of donation is also called a bequest. A bequest is called a "donation by devise" and transfers ownership of property or an easement to a land trust through your will. This is a great choice if financial compensation is not a necessity and you want to maintain the current use of your land.

In addition, this option can have some estate tax benefits. If your gift of land or an easement represents a significant percentage of the value of your estate, then that value is reduced before the estate encounters the federal estate tax system. For some families, that has made the difference between keeping property and having to sell it to pay estate taxes.

For more information about estate planning and bequests please contact Deb Nett, Executive Director at 920-738-7265 for more details.