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Planned Giving

Estate gifts from alumni and friends of UW-Madison require special handling. Consider the Office of Gift Planning at WFAA your resource for all questions regarding charitable gifts made through an estate.

Key Importance

When an individual decides to include a gift to benefit the University of Wisconsin-Madison in their estate, it’s an indicator of the impact that UW has had on their life. This action is significant, and we treat it as such.

Stewardship is of utmost importance when working with someone making a planned gift. Beyond ‘thank you,’ we want to offer guidance which will ensure their gift is received and applied according to their philanthropic intentions. Any legal documentation, including wills, trusts, and beneficiary designation forms, should reference “University of Wisconsin Foundation” as the entity to receive their gift. A specific campus unit or use can be further specified. Our tax ID is 39-0743975.

Estate Administration

If estate documentation is received on campus, it should be forwarded to the Office of Gift Planning. We will work with the estate and UW System to determine the appropriate recipient of a planned gift to benefit UW-Madison. Please do not sign and return any forms to the estate without connecting with the Office of Gift Planning.


Where We Can Help

The Office of Gift Planning at WFAA is available as a resource for any questions regarding planned giving. The Directors of Development (DODs) in the Office of Gift Planning partner with to donors and their legal and financial advisors to assist with drafting appropriate legal language or documentation, discuss the gift types best suited to specific financial or charitable goals, and ensure the donor is connected with the campus area which will benefit from the gift, in collaboration with unit-based WFAA DODs. We also work with estate representatives after donors have passed to realize their gift intentions.

For other giving questions, visit the What We Do pages for Online, Annual, and Major Giving.

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