Door County Maritime Museum
Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc.
One History…Three Ports of Call | Sturgeon Bay | Death’s Door | Cana Island
120 North Madison Avenue | Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235-3416 | 920.743.5958 | www.DCMM.org
Bequest Gifts to the Door County Maritime Museum
An excellent way for you to support the Door County Maritime Museum’s mission is to leave a bequest
in your will, living trust or with a codicil. Leaving the Door County Maritime Museum (DCMM) a
bequest in your will or estate plan represents a long-term investment in the financial health of an
organization you care about and provides a lasting legacy, continuing the tradition of preserving maritime
history that you cherished during your lifetime.
Bequest Benefits
You can choose to designate that a bequest be used for a general or specific purpose so you have the
peace of mind knowing that your gift will be used as intended. A bequest is generally a revocable gift,
which means it can be changed or modified at any time. One significant benefit of making a gift by
bequest is that it allows you to continue to use the property you will leave to the Museum during your
lifetime. Bequests are also exempt from federal estate taxes. If you have a taxable estate, the estate tax
charitable deduction may offset or eliminate estate taxes, resulting in a larger inheritance for your heirs.
Types of Bequests
There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to DCMM:
• Specific Bequest. A specific bequest involves making a gift of a specific asset such as real estate,
a car, other property or a gift for a specific dollar amount. For example, you may wish to leave
your home or $10,000 to DCMM.
• Percentage Bequest. Another kind of specific bequest involves leaving a specific percentage of
your overall estate to a charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to
DCMM.
• Residual Bequest. A residual bequest is made from the balance of an estate after the will or trust
has given away each of the specific bequests. A common residual bequest involves leaving a
percentage of the residue of the estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 30% of the
residue of your estate to DCMM.
• Contingent Bequest. A contingent bequest is made to charity only if the purpose of the primary
bequest cannot be met. For example, you could leave specific property, such as a vacation home,
to a relative, but the bequest language could provide that if the relative is not alive at the time of
your death, the vacation home will go to DCMM.
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Door County Maritime Museum
Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc.
One History…Three Ports of Call | Sturgeon Bay | Death’s Door | Cana Island
120 North Madison Avenue | Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235-3416 | 920.743.5958 | www.DCMM.org
Bequest Language
In order to make a bequest, you should speak with your attorney. Your attorney can help you include a
bequest to Door County Maritime Museum in your estate plan. We have provided some basic bequest
language to assist you and your attorney.
1. Specific Bequest
If you are considering making an outright bequest to DCMM, we recommend the following language:
Bequest of a Specific Dollar Amount
I hereby give, devise and bequeath _________ and No/100 dollars [$DOLLARS] to Door County
Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc., a nonprofit organization located at
120 North Madison Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235, Federal Tax ID #23-7054730, for Door
County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc.'s general use and purpose.
Bequest of Specific Personal Property
I hereby give, devise and bequeath [DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY] to Door County Maritime
Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc., a nonprofit organization located at 120 North
Madison Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235, Federal Tax ID #23-7054730, for Door County
Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc.'s general use and purpose.
Bequest of Specific Real Estate
I hereby give, devise and bequeath all of the right, title and interest in and to the real estate
located at [ADDRESS OR DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY] to Door County Maritime Museum &
Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc., a nonprofit organization located at 120 North Madison
Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235, Federal Tax ID #23-7054730, for Door County Maritime
Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc.'s general use and purpose.
2. Percentage Bequest
If you are considering making a bequest of a percentage of your estate to DCMM, we recommend the
following language:
I hereby give, devise and bequeath ____ percent [___%] of my total estate, determined as of the
date of my death, to Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc., a
nonprofit organization located at 120 North Madison Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235, Federal
Tax ID #23-7054730, for Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society,
Inc.'s general use and purpose.
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Door County Maritime Museum
Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc.
One History…Three Ports of Call | Sturgeon Bay | Death’s Door | Cana Island
120 North Madison Avenue | Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235-3416 | 920.743.5958 | www.DCMM.org
3. Residual Bequest
If you are considering making a residual bequest to DCMM, we recommend the following language:
I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation
Society, Inc., a nonprofit organization located at 120 North Madison Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, WI
54235, Federal Tax ID #23-7054730, [ALL OR A PERCENTAGE] of the rest, residue and
remainder of my estate to be used for Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation
Society, Inc.'s general use and purpose.
4. Contingent Bequest
If you are considering making a contingent bequest to DCMM, we recommend the following language:
If [primary beneficiary] does not survive me, then I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Door
County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc., a nonprofit organization
located at 120 North Madison Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235, Federal Tax ID #23-7054730,
[DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY] to be used for Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse
Preservation Society, Inc.'s general use and purpose.
Restricted Bequests
If you are considering a bequest but would like to ensure that your bequest will be used for a specific
purpose, please contact us. We would be happy to work with you and your attorney to help identify ways
to give and meet your charitable objectives. We will also work with you and your attorney to craft
language to accomplish your goals and establish appropriate tribute recognition.
If you are making a restricted bequest, we recommend that your attorney include the following provision
to give DCMM flexibility should it no longer be possible for DCMM to use your gift as you originally
intended:
If, in the judgment of the Board of Directors of Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse
Preservation Society, Inc., it shall become impossible for Door County Maritime Museum &
Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc.to use this bequest to accomplish the specific purposes of
this bequest, Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc. may use
the income and principal of this gift for such purpose or purposes as the Board determines is most
closely related to the restricted purpose of my bequest.
Contact: Sam Perlman – Deputy Director & Development Manager, sperlman@dcmm.org
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