Planned Giving

Interested in helping CUB well into the future? Please consider making a planned gift to Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin. It’s another way to support CUB in addition to a cash or credit card donation. By including Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin in your legacy giving your gift will last for generations, ensuring an independent voice for Wisconsin’s utility customers well into the future.

We recommend you consult with your attorney or tax advisor about the various tax benefits and restrictions that may apply to your specific situation. You and your advisors are welcome to contact Richard Storck at CUB with any questions. Contact Richard at storck@cubwi.org or (608) 251-3322.

Include Citizens Utility Board in your will.

Family obligations and the need to provide for retirement, coupled with the high cost of living, make it difficult for many people to consider substantial charitable gifts now. But there is a way to have the satisfaction of making a meaningful lifetime gift without sacrifice. In fact, you can get current income tax and financial benefits. It is called a life income gift. You irrevocably transfer some assets to Citizens Utility Board now, and in return, you (and a survivor, if you wish) receive income for life. As a result, the assets are used to carry out our mission.

The charitable gift annuity enables you to make a gift to support Citizens Utility Board and at the same time improve the quality of life for your family. In exchange for your gift of cash or marketable securities to Citizens Utility Board, we agree to pay you (and a survivor or other beneficiary) a fixed amount annually for your lifetime. The transfer is part gift and part purchase of an annuity. The rate of return is attractive and the payments are guaranteed for life.

A trust is a legal agreement that specifies how the assets placed under the trust will be managed. The charitable remainder trust is an attractive method to achieve a variety of goals while providing income for life and knowing that after your lifetime, the property remaining in the trust will be used by Citizens Utility Board as you specified.

Some of our supporters no longer need their life insurance that was purchased years ago to provide for children or other family members. If that is your situation, please consider donating the policy to Citizens Utility Board. You may claim a charitable deduction for approximately the policy’s cash surrender value, and the proceeds are completely removed from your estate.

Individuals with very large estates can use a charitable lead trust to benefit Citizens Utility Board and pass principal to family members with little or no tax penalty.

Many individuals today have large qualified retirement plans such as an IRA, 401(k), or Keogh plan. These assets have been growing tax-free for years. Once the owner begins to receive payments from the qualified plans, the distributions are taxed. The plans are also included in the owner’s taxable estate. A retirement plan may be an excellent source of funds for making a gift to Citizens Utility Board.