Legacy Giving

ways to give

Join our Legacy Circle by making a planned gift to Midwest Environmental Advocates. Planned gifts are an investment in the future of environmental protection in Wisconsin, and they come in many shapes and sizes.

We hope you’ll let us know when you have named MEA in your estate plans so that we can thank you. Please contact Kara O’Connor, Director of Development, at (608) 251-5047 x 812 or koconnor@midwestadvocates.org.

Types of Legacy Gifts

bequests

A bequest is a gift made through your will or trust. It is one of the most popular and flexible ways to make a planned gift.

You may leave MEA:

A stated dollar amount
A percentage of your residual estate (what remains after gifts to loved ones and expenses have been paid), or
A specific asset, such as securities, real estate or other marketable property. (MEA may require a donor to obtain an independent appraisal for a non-cash gift. Contact MEA Development Director Kara O’Connor to make arrangements.)

How to name MEA in your will:

Legal name: Midwest Environmental Advocates, Inc
Address: 634 W Main Street, Suite 201, Madison, WI 53703
Federal Tax ID#: 39-2006475

This sample language may be useful:

“I/we bequeath to Midwest Environmental Advocates (tax ID # 39-2006475), located in Madison, Wisconsin, [choose one of the following:]

the sum of $____ ,
____% of my estate, both real and personal,
all (or _____%) of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal,

to be used for its general charitable purposes.”

Retirement accounts

Naming MEA as a beneficiary of all or a specified percentage of your IRA, 401(k), 403(b), or other retirement plan is a simple way to provide for MEA’s future without changing your will or trust. Individuals who inherit retirement plan assets are usually required to pay income tax on them, so retirement accounts are often considered among the best assets to leave to charitable organizations.

How to name MEA as a beneficiary of your retirement plan:

Ask your retirement plan administrator or financial institution for a change of beneficiary form. Please list us as:

Legal Name: Midwest Environmental Advocates, Inc
Address: 634 W Main Street, Suite 201, Madison, WI, 53703
Federal Tax ID#: 39-2006475

Life Insurance Policies

If you have a life insurance policy that has outlasted its original purpose, consider designating MEA as a beneficiary.

Gifts that Provide Income

Charitable annuities and charitable remainder trusts allow you to provide income for yourself or your loved ones while supporting MEA’s work.

DONOR IMPACT >

Mark Kastel

In the rugged hills of southwestern Wisconsin, Mark Kastel lives on an organic farm near the tiny town of Rockton. He has spent most of his professional life advocating for family farmers and working to ensure the integrity of the organic industry, most recently as the director of Beyond Pesticides’ OrganicEye project.

Mark’s support for MEA stretches back decades. In 2000, MEA represented Mark and others from Western Wisconsin in a lawsuit related to the Xcel Energy waste incinerator in La Crosse. As a result of the lawsuit, the company was required to install pollution abatement equipment, which resulted in major reductions in toxic and carcinogenic air pollution.

In order to keep MEA strong for decades to come, Mark has designated MEA as a beneficiary in his estate plan.

" At a time when our elected officials and state government seem to be so easily corrupted, MEA is the environmental and ethical watchdog of our state. Like many in the farming community, I’m asset rich and cash poor. I’ve lived frugally, and it gives me great satisfaction to know that part of my estate will support the ongoing work of MEA.”

Mark Kastel

Legacy Circle Member

More Ways to Give

There are many ways to support Midwest Environmental Advocates. Every gift is valued, and every gift makes a difference in our work to protect public health and the environment for this generation and the next. To discuss a way to support our work that’s right for you, please contact Kara O’Connor, Director of Development, at (608) 251-5047 x 812 or koconnor@midwestadvocates.org.