The Legacy Society honors supporters who have included Wisconsin Watch in their estate plans through wills, trusts, retirement plan designations, life insurance, and more. These community members are committed to ensuring the long-term financial stability and future growth of our nonprofit newsroom.
By making a planned gift, you create a powerful, lasting impact on Wisconsin communities for generations to come. Your legacy helps ensure that trusted, independent investigative journalism continues to thrive long after your lifetime.
Your gift will:
- Sustain fearless reporting that connects communities, uncovers critical issues affecting everyday Wisconsinites and strengthens civic life.
- Support the growth and training of future journalists, equipping the next generation to keep Wisconsin informed and connected.
- Strengthen democracy and community resilience by making fact-based news accessible to all, especially underserved populations.
In a media landscape where local news outlets are shrinking, Wisconsin Watch fills a critical gap. Your planned gift is an investment in the future of democracy in Wisconsin, helping protect transparency, justice and informed citizenship for generations to come.
Questions or ready to join the Legacy Society?
Notifying Wisconsin Watch of your planned giving intentions helps inspire others to follow your lead and allows us to better plan for the future of our organization.
Your planned gift makes you a lifetime member of the Legacy Society—joining a community of dedicated supporters shaping the future of local investigative reporting in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Watch details:
Legal Name: WCIJ Inc.
EIN Number: 26-2143608
Would you like a member of our staff to get in touch with you about planned giving options? Use the form below to give us your contact details.
Alternatively, you can reach out to Anna January, director of philanthropy, at ajanuary@wisconsinwatch.org or (608) 910-0665.
Ways to give
- Wills or trusts
- Retirement plan assets
- Life insurance policies
- Charitable remainder trusts
- Madison Community Foundation fund
Wills or trusts
Include specific language in your will or trust naming Wisconsin Watch as a beneficiary by specifying a dollar amount, a percentage of your estate or the residue of your estate.
Including Wisconsin Watch in your will, trust or estate plan is as simple as including this language:
I (we) hereby give to Wisconsin Watch, a nonprofit, non-stock Wisconsin corporation with its principal office in Madison, Wisconsin, (CHOOSE ONE)
- The sum of $______________
- ________% of my estate or
- All my rest, residue and remainder of my estate
Retirement plan assets
Name Wisconsin Watch as the beneficiary of your retirement funds (e.g., IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) plans, or other retirement plans), which may offer tax benefits to you and other recipients of your estate.
Simply make the change with your plan provider with a Change of Beneficiary Form. Beneficiary changes do not need to involve your estate lawyer and are easy and revocable. No income tax is due on distributions.
Life insurance policies
Make a gift of life insurance by designating Wisconsin Watch as a beneficiary of all or a portion of the policy’s proceeds. The gift of a life insurance policy is deductible as a charitable contribution. If you continue to pay premiums after making your gift, the premiums are also tax-deductible.
Charitable remainder trusts
Make a future gift to Wisconsin Watch while retaining income payments for yourself (and/or others) for life or a fixed number of years.
Madison Community Foundation fund
Supporters can make Wisconsin Watch a beneficiary of their estate by naming the WCIJ endowment fund at the Madison Community Foundation. This is an easy option for donors who have already designated MCF in their estate planning.
The information provided is general in nature. It is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal or tax advice. Wisconsin Watch does not provide legal or tax advice.
Barbara Johnson
Madison, Wisconsin
“When I think about leaving a legacy, the cause I most want to support is democracy — and democracy right here in Wisconsin. For democracy to work, an independent press must keep us informed and hold the powerful to account. Wisconsin Watch is doing exactly this work superbly.
Journalism was devastated when most forms of advertising moved to the internet. The number of news outlets and practicing journalists in Wisconsin has dropped dramatically in the last two decades. WCIJ emerged to help fill the gap. It was an early pioneer in nonprofit journalism and is now a national model. Its deeply researched, fact-checked stories about Wisconsin are available to all news outlets to distribute. Wisconsin Watch has grown mightily in recent years, establishing itself as a statewide institution.
To continue its work, Wisconsin Watch needs reliable revenue. I’m pleased to leave a legacy gift to such a fine organization doing such important work. My gift will be made to the WCIJ fund at the Madison Community Foundation.”
Thank you to our Legacy Society members
Barbara Johnson • Renie Schapiro • Sharon Stark and Peter Livingston • Carol Toussaint