Your Legacy.
WFMT's Future.

When you include WFMT in your estate plan, you continue to make Chicago a better place to live, learn, and grow by sustaining the future of public media in our community.

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Have you already included WFMT in your estate plan?

Let us know so we can welcome you to the Newt Minow Legacy Circle and ensure your wishes are honored.

Let us know

Planned Gifts

In addition to gifts of cash and securities, a growing number of supporters are choosing to make planned gifts that help strengthen the future of WFMT.

Planned gifts such as bequests, beneficiary designations, and IRA qualified charitable distributions ensure that WTTW can continue to provide best-in-class programs that are free and accessible to all for generations to come. Explore the giving vehicles listed below with your financial or legal advisor to discover which planned gifts are right for you.

Gifts in Your Will or Trust

The simplest and most popular way to make a planned gift. You can name WFMT as a beneficiary of your will or trust, either for a specific amount or a percentage of your estate.

"I give to Window to the World Communications, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, the sum of $_______ (or _______% of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate) for its general purposes."

If you have already included WFMT in your will or trust, please let us know.

Beneficiary Designations

Naming WFMT as a charitable beneficiary of your retirement plan, life insurance policy, savings bonds, brokerage account, or donor-advised fund can be an easy, tax-smart way to support the programs you love.

Simply ask your policy administrator or IRA custodian for a change-of-beneficiary form (or find it on your provider’s website), designate the percentage you would like WTTW to receive as a charitable beneficiary, and return the completed form to your provider.

IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions

Using your IRA to make qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), also known as the IRA charitable rollover, can be a tax-smart way to support your philanthropy and help satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD).

Learn more

Donor Advised Funds

A donor-advised fund (DAF) can provide an opportunity for you and your family to create a long-term charitable giving plan. After establishing a donor-advised fund with a community foundation or charitable division of a for-profit financial institution, you may serve as the fund’s advisor and make grant recommendations for charities including WFMT.

Learn more

Charitable Gift Annuities

A charitable gift annuity is a simple way to support the future of WFMT and enhance your financial security at the same time. With a charitable gift annuity, you agree to make a gift to WFMT and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life. The balance of your gift is then used to support our work. For more information about charitable gift annuities and other life income gifts, please contact us.

WTTW Endowment Gifts

Endowment gifts to WFMT provide both immediate support and lasting impact. Your endowment gift is carefully invested, and a portion of the annual income is used to address immediate needs. The remaining funds are reinvested to sustain long-term financial stability for WFMT as part of your legacy.

Newton Minow

Newt Minow Legacy Circle

The Newt Minow Legacy Circle honors WTTW and WFMT supporters who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to our future by establishing a bequest, trust beneficiary designation, or other planned gift. The Legacy Circle is named in honor of former WTTW and WFMT board chair and FCC Chairman Newton N. Minow, who dedicated more than 60 years of service to PBS and was the first donor to tell us that WTTW and WFMT were included in his estate plan. Newt’s commitment to the public interest always came first, and we celebrate his legacy by encouraging others to make similar commitments to our future.

Benefits of Newt Minow Legacy Circle membership include:

  • Private, behind-the-scenes studio tour of WTTW and WFMT for you and your guests
  • Invitations to exclusive WTTW and WFMT events and receptions with our on-air personalities
  • WTTW Passport, with exclusive and unlimited access to an on-demand library of trusted public television programming
  • Subscription to The Guide, our WTTW and WFMT member magazine

Have you already included WFMT in your estate plans? Please let us know so we can share our gratitude and welcome you into this special circle of supporters.

Let us know

Resources

Share Your Gift Intent with WFMT

Download the confidential intent form to ensure your legacy wishes are accurately recorded and honored by our team.

Download the form

Request Your Free Estate Planning Guide

A comprehensive toolkit to help you organize your affairs, understand tax implications, and plan your philanthropic legacy.

Get the guide

Meet the WFMT Planned Giving Advisory Committee

Learn about the dedicated professionals guiding our planned giving initiatives and providing expert counsel to our supporters.

Learn more

Connect With Us

For more information about making a planned gift to WFMT, please contact our planned giving team. We are here to help!

(773) 509-5608 [email protected]

For Professional Advisors

If you are a professional advisor, please feel free to contact us with any questions about WFMT or for assistance with your clients' charitable planning.

Legal Name:
Window to the World Communications, Inc.

Address:
5400 N. St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625

Federal Tax ID:
36-2246703

Request Information

Please be sure to consult with a qualified professional advisor or attorney regarding your philanthropic goals and intentions. The information provided on this website is not intended to constitute tax or legal advice applicable to your specific situation. WFMT is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization.