Our new name & your will: No you don’t have to change it!

If you have already named us in your will, don’t worry, you don’t need to change your will. The tax identification number will connect your bequest with our organization, regardless of name. However, if you are updating your will for another reason, we do encourage you to change our listing to Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance. Questions? Contact Becky Abel at babel@swibirds.org or 608-255-2473 x5.


Wills, Estates, Planned Giving, and
the Kestrel Legacy Circle

People just like you have made the decision to name our organization in their will or estate.
What a legacy; what a gift to conservation!


Your love for birds and nature can shape the future. Naming Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance in your will or estate is easy to do, and honors your commitment to our natural world for generations to come. The birds you love will continue to thrive in this landscape beyond your lifetime, made possible through your forethought.

Welcome to the Kestrel Legacy Circle. Photo by Mick Thompson

Welcome to the Kestrel Legacy Circle (photo by Mick Thompson).

Ways to create a legacy gift

  1. Stated amount of cash

  2. Real estate (houses, land, businesses)

  3. Appreciated assets (stock investments or paintings, for example)

  4. A portion of your retirement fund or life insurance policy

  5. The residual after your estate has been processed pursuant to your wishes

Whatever you choose, your gift will make a difference for many, many years to come. 

Have you already made a gift to Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (or Badgerland Bird Alliance or Madison Audubon) in your will or trust? All there is left to do now is fill out this form. We want to say thank you for prioritizing Wisconsin’s birds and habitats in your lasting legacy.

Photos above: Pileated Woodpecker chicks by Phil Brown; two Kestrel Legacy Circle members (Kay and Fiona) holding kestrel chicks by SoWBA; a child soaks up the prairie experience by Brenna Marsicek


Sample language for will gifts

I hereby give to Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance*, a nonprofit currently located in Madison, Wisconsin, with a business address of 211 S. Paterson St., Suite 340, Madison, WI 53703, and with a tax identification number of 39-1393389, the sum of __________ dollars [or describe other gifts or assets] for its general purposes [or other purpose] to use at the discretion of Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s Board of Directors.

*We are undergoing a name change. If you have already named us in your will, don’t worry, you don’t need to change your will. The tax identification number will connect your bequest with our organization, regardless of name. Questions? Contact Becky Abel at babel@swibirds.org or 608-255-2473 x5.

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance's tax identification number is 39-1393389.


Protecting your Interests

In addition to knowing that you are contributing to the mission of Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance in this meaningful way, you can also rest assured that:

  • You don’t have to tell us about it. But if you choose (or have already chosen) to make an estate gift, we would be honored to welcome you as a member of the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance Kestrel Legacy Circle.

  • Anyone can give a legacy gift—no matter your age or income.

  • You have flexibility over time. Should your circumstances change, you can change your will at any time.

  • You may be eligible for tax benefits. Depending on the size of your estate, and if it is subject to estate taxes, your gift could help lower your taxable estate. You won’t receive tax benefits during your lifetime. To do that, you would donate a gift of cash, stock, or life estate.

  • You’re the boss. You can give whatever you like.

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Grace and Galen Hasler

“We see it as vital to give generously to organizations that strive to educate individuals and preserve and improve the experience of the natural world for generations to come.

[Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance] accomplishes this with creativity and energy and we are happy to support their local effort by being legacy donors.”

THE Kestrel Legacy Circle

The Kestrel Legacy Circle is a group of people who have made planned giving commitments to Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance. Keep in mind that joining is not binding in any way, just a statement of intent and a way for us to thank you and celebrate your philanthropy. And it also encourages other people to make this important commitment to protect our natural resources forever. Should you decide to join, we would recognize you in our newsletters and website (if you so choose) and invite you to special events. 

Thank you to our Kestrel Legacy Circle members for ensuring that our organization will remain powerful, visionary, and strategic for years to come.

Anonymous Donors
Becky Abel 
John Aeschlimann
Robert & Gerry Bennicoff
Terri Bleck
Jim Block & Terese Allen
Katherine Brock
Curt & Arlys Caslavka
Pat & Angel Clark
Ernst Conrath
Barb Constans & Deborah Rhode
Patricia Constans
Charles & Joni Crave Family
Gary & Jana Funk
Kay Gabriel & Fiona McTavish
Elizabeth Goulette
Dorothy Haines
Sprocket Hanks

Galen & Grace Hasler
Joann B. Hayes & Alan E. Penn
Jim & Marci Hess
Maggie & Bob Honig
Harriet Irwin
Lu Kummerow
Elsie Lapinski
Marcia MacKenzie
Katheryn (Kay) Mackie
Colleen Marsden & Holly Anderson
Jill & Jerry Martin
Mark Martin & Susan Foote-Martin
Stephen Morton
David Musolf
Roger Packard
Kay Rashka
Patrick J. Ready

Peg Loomis Ridgely & Robert Ridgely
Doris & Don Rusch
Ellyn Satter
Don Schmidt
Donna Sereda & Jay DeNovo
Jim Shurts
Susan Slapnick 
Mark Smith & Daniel Rigney
Kingsley Smith & Sylvia Cantu Smith
Sandy Stark
Timothy L. Taschwer Trust
Anita Temple
Stuart Utley
Topf Wells & Sally Probasco
Gregory Wilhelm
Sally Wilmeth & Terry Geurkink
James Young
Dawn Zuengler & Nicole Wagner

 
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Pat and Deb Ready

“When it came to updating our will recently, my wife, Deb, and I decided we wanted to include [Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance] to be a part of our legacy. We want to ensure this organization and its sanctuaries are here for wildlife, that it will continue to grow and be enjoyed for generations to come.”


Give Non-Probate Assets

Did you know that some assets such as an IRA, 401(k), or life-insurance policy are not covered in your will or trust? These are called non-probate assets and you must plan your beneficiaries for them separately. You can designate Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance as a beneficiary to conserve Wisconsin’s birds and habitats for years to come. We are grateful for your thoughtfulness and support.

Questions? Feel free to contact Becky Abel, director of philanthropy, by phone (608-255-2473 x5) or email (babel@swibirds.org) to find the right way for you to help us plan for the future.


Banner photo: A soaring American kestrel, by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren