Your support makes our work possible

Your gifts help preserve Holy Wisdom Monastery as a place where all are welcome to experience the beauty of nature and find a spiritual home. A gift to support any part of the monastery’s work, can be made in several different ways.  Gifts any size are welcome, appreciated and 100% tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. (Benedictine Life Foundation of Wisconsin, Inc. is a 501(c)3 public charity as defined by the IRS.)

Your financial gifts can be made in a variety of ways:

• Share a gift of cash.
• Apply for a matched gift from your employer.
• Donate stock, securities, land or other appreciated property.
• Include Benedictine Life Foundation as a beneficiary of a trust, IRA or pension.
• Establish a charitable gift annuity.
• Consider a bequest.
• Give life insurance.

Designate your gift to the areas of interest to you:

• Where Most Needed supports numerous costs connected with carrying out the important work of supporting our Benedictine ministries.
• The Ecumenical Endowment supports spiritual offerings for people requesting scholarships and helps build the sisters' community through recruitment and formation.
• The Environmental Endowment helps fund the restoration and maintenance work at Holy Wisdom Monastery, as well as the college internship program.
• Missionary aid helps fund the school building project of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Nairobi, Kenya.
• Restore the Land, Renew Your Spirit building campaign.

Direct giving

• A gift of cash (check) may be sent directly to the Benedictine Life Foundation, P.O. Box 5070, Madison, WI 53705-0070. Please indicate with a note or in the memo section of your check how the gift is to be used.
  
• We are happy to set up an automatic monthly withdrawal from your checking account at your request.

Gifts of stock
Many choose to direct a gift of appreciated stock to the work of the monastery.  We have an account with Merrill Lynch (DTC #5198, A/C #670-07A30 in the name of the Benedictine Life Foundation) to facilitate the transfer of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other securities. 

Gifts of property 
Gifts of property (whether autos, equipment or real estate) are accepted if they will be useful to the monastery or can be liquidated by the monastery.  Please consult your tax advisor before planning any gift of property, as complex rules may apply.  Properly executing a gift of property can often result in additional benefits to the donor.

Planned giving                      
Consider making a gift to Benedictine Life Foundation part of your estate plan.  Estate gifts will be used to help liquidate the sisters’ mortgage financing on the new monastery building.  If you prefer, you may designate some or all of your estate gift to other areas of need.

• Will—bequests can be a fixed amount or a percentage or the remaining value of your estate after loved ones are cared for.
• Charitable Gift Annuity—strengthen your own financial future while supporting the work of the monastery by purchasing a gift annuity.  An annuity is an investment that pays a constant rate of return.  A portion of the interest income may be tax free and a portion of the principal gift can be deducted the year of establishing the annuity.
• Life Insurance—your gift of a new or existing life insurance policy is a gift that can give you a current deduction for the premium amount as well as provide a future benefit to the monastery.
• Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT)—the purpose of a trust is to set aside money to provide an income for yourself or another person.  These trusts offer the additional advantage of establishing a tax-deductible gift to qualified nonprofit organizations.
• Living Trust—a living trust is a flexible legal document through which you control the administration of your assets.

All of the above gift vehicles can be used to honor or memorialize the special people in your life.  For more information on supporting the work of Holy Wisdom Monastery, contact Betsy at (608) 836-1631, ext. 120.

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