Research that shows nearly $17 billion will transfer from one generation to the next across Northeast Wisconsin in the next decade is leading to the launch of Give Forward.
The Give Forward website, GiveForwardWI.org, provides information about the region’s transfer-of-wealth opportunity and planned giving strategies, while connecting people with local community foundations. The participating foundations are Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, Door County Community Foundation, and Oshkosh Community Foundation.
“Each community foundation brings a unique understanding of the people, priorities, and opportunities in the communities we serve,” said Annie Dart, Vice President of Donor Relations and Communications for the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation. “We can help donors and their professional advisors explore charitable strategies that align with their goals while ensuring their gifts have a meaningful and lasting connection to the community and our region.”
The regional estimate is part of more than $700 billion expected to transfer across Wisconsin over the next 50 years, according to research conducted by the University of Minnesota Extension in partnership with Wisconsin community foundations. The study shows that if just 5% of this wealth stays local through philanthropic investments, it could generate $5.5 billion in new community resources to support areas such as education, the arts, housing, and basic needs.
“Communities are entering a significant moment of opportunity as wealth moves from one generation to the next,” said Tony Shields, President and CEO of the Wisconsin Philanthropy Network. “The choices made during this historic transfer of wealth will shape our future. When individuals and families choose to include their community in their planning, they help ensure that the wealth built in Wisconsin continues to create opportunities across the state for generations to come.”
To help turn this opportunity into lasting impact, four Northeast Wisconsin community foundations are partnering to launch Give Forward. The regional initiative invites individuals, families, and professional advisors to consider how they can use a portion of their assets to strengthen the communities that have shaped their lives and contributed to their success.
