June 6, 2018

Legacy Donors Will Transform the Madison Area's Future

David Koehler

Gabriel Neves and James Tye's legacy gift will support Clean Lakes Alliance.

Over the past 18 months, Madison Community Foundation welcomed an astounding 101 new Legacy Society member households—individuals and couples who have included a gift of any amount in their will or estate plan to create a permanent legacy of giving.

Melinda and Mark Heinritz's legacy gift will support women and girls, schools, and libraries.

These generous people come from all walks of life and the causes they will support forever through their planned gifts touch every corner of our community and beyond.

MCF’s new Legacy Society members include James Tye and Gabriel Neves, who will create a named fund to benefit Madison’s lakes; Melinda and Mark Heinritz, who will provide permanent support to A Fund for Women, Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools and Madison Public Library Foundation; and Ismael and Stacy Ozanne, who will help ensure that opportunities they had growing up in Madison remain available for future generations.

And the list goes on—101 of our generous neighbors who have identified charitable causes that reflect their values and who have made it a priority—part of their legacy—to ensure these efforts always receive support.

The Ozanne Family's legacy will support causes that benefit Madison residents in perpetuity.

Based on what some Legacy Society members have shared about their future gifts, and on our own experience receiving estate gifts, we estimate these donors will provide $40 to $60 million to create or expand named endowment funds—permanent sources of philanthropic giving and reliable revenue for our community’s nonprofits.

But the impact is much larger than dollars. It’s continued investments in opportunities where we know we can be stronger as a community. It’s the ability to have audacious dreams about what is possible, and then make them happen. It’s promises for our neighbors to experience thriving community centers, clean lakes, parks, splash pads, stronger nonprofits, vibrant arts, successful schools and libraries, and so much more.

MCF 75th anniversary volunteers Jane Coleman, Carol Toussaint, Kathleen Woit, and Diane Ballweg

Inspired by the generosity of our community, this legacy campaign took place in celebration of MCF’s 75th anniversary. We were fortunate to receive help from extraordinary volunteers, including MCF’s past leaders Carol Toussaint, Jane Coleman and Kathleen Woit, and our current board chair Diane Ballweg. We extend our deepest gratitude to these influential community champions; it was a career highlight for me and others to advance this effort alongside such women of wonder.

We also thank MCF’s Legacy Society, now numbering 242 individuals and couples. We are humbled by their generosity and trust in MCF, and grateful for the future they make possible—where opportunities are realized, potentials are reached, lives are enriched and our community keeps getting stronger.

Stay in touch with your questions, comments and observations at mcfblog@madisongives.org.