“The Council’s services gave me a connection to the sighted world.”
October is National Estate Planning Month. Being included in a donor’s estate plan is one of the most meaningful gifts the Council can receive. Gordon Jackson was diagnosed with a rare retinal disease long before he came to Wisconsin in 2001. A longtime writer and editor, Gordon’s vision was deteriorating to the point where he wasn’t sure if he would be able to continue with his career. After moving to Madison, Gordon was connected with the Council, where he received vision rehabilitation services and found magnifiers and other adaptive products in the Sharper Vision Store. “Without the Council’s services, I don’t think I would have been able to continue working for as long as I did,” Gordon says. “The Council kept me positive and showed me that I could keep moving forward in life.”
More than two decades later, Gordon’s experience with the Council remains one of the reasons he chose to include the organization in his future plans. Now retired and living in South Dakota, Gordon still keeps in touch has named the Council as the beneficiary of one of his investments.
Planned giving is an increasingly popular way for people to give back to organizations that have had an impact in their lives. “Living with vision loss sort of creates a community,” Gordon says. “The Council supported me, so I will support the Council. It’s a thank you for everything they’ve done for me. The assistance I’ve received from the Council has been invaluable to my life.”
If your family’s financial security is already accounted for, designating the Council to receive a gift from your estate enables the Council to make that same kind of impact on somebody else’s life. Gordon’s future gift and those like it help ensure that Wisconsinites who are blind or low vision can continue to access the services, support and opportunities they need to live with dignity and empowerment for years to come.
If you would like to learn more about naming the Council in your will or trust, or about other planned giving approaches such as stock gifts or naming us as a beneficiary of a retirement account, contact Development Director Debbie Rasmussen at [email protected] or 608-237-8113.