Give Forward community initiative debuts as Northeast Wisconsin faces historic wealth transfer

BROWN COUNTY – When it comes to making plans for your estate, it’s a common misconception that you have to choose between giving back to your community and still wrapping your family in security. Annie Dart, Vice President of Donor Engagement and Communications at the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, cleared this up while explaining the impact of the newly launched Give Forward program in Northeast Wisconsin.

Just a week old, the program aims to educate the community and provide a unified opportunity to give back to the place that supported you. But first, to accurately inform the community, it is important to do some myth-busting and lay some groundwork.

A frequent misconception is that only people with lots of wealth can participate in charitable programs like Give Forward, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. No matter the amount, the difference it makes is priceless. Dart gives the example that even by donating a small percentage, “you can establish an endowed fund at a community foundation, and those dollars can live on forever and grow.”

Another common misconception is that you don’t control where your contribution goes. With Give Forward, you are in charge and can decide what is important for you to support in the community that raised you. In fact, you can also choose how you’d like to donate — from farmland, to funds, to appreciated stock; it all makes a difference.

The possibilities are limitless when it comes to how you choose to support your community. As everyone’s different priorities weave together, they create a strong community backed by its people.

Northeast Wisconsin is about to experience a historic transfer of wealth from one generation to the next. This sets the scene for Give Forward, which, with the help of the community, hopes to make an impact.

According to research conducted by the University of Minnesota Extension in partnership with Wisconsin community foundations, about $16.8 billion will transfer from one generation to the next over the next 50 years. This brings the idea of estate planning to a new level, and Give Forward hopes to educate the community and make the process as simple as possible so everyone can see themselves in it and reinvest in the community that invested in them.

There is truly something for everyone at Give Forward when it comes to planning estates. Dart says, “It takes people to invest in our community to make sure we continue to have all the resources we do to support each other.”

The bottom line is getting the community aware and thinking about what kind of legacy they would like to leave behind someday. If you would like to learn more or are considering making a contribution, visit giveforwardwi.org.