Retired from ABS Global, Dr. Dennis Funk is a former dairy science professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison and previously worked in research with the Holstein Association. He has been a National Dairy Shrine member since college days at Iowa State University. A longtime annual contributor to NDS, Dr. Funk and his partner recently established a lasting legacy for our organization through their estate plans.

What does National Dairy Shrine mean to you?

Like a lot of people, I became a member in college and have remained involved with the dairy industry my entire career. While on the faculty of UW-Madison I took on a more active role as a member as my students applied for and received many NDS scholarships. I feel strongly about what NDS does for the industry.

What NDS mission is most near-and-dear to your heart?

That’s really like picking a favorite child! I appreciate and have nominated dairy leaders for the adult awards programs. And since I live close to the museum, I feel passionate about the ways it celebrates the history and evolution of the industry. But what most inspires me today is the Dairy Shrine scholarship program. Seeing the scholarship applications and quality of students who are applying gets me excited for the future and what the organization does to inspire and support college education.

Why did you provide for NDS in your estate plan?

During the pandemic, my partner and I decided to update our wills and leave a proportion of our final estate to charity.  As we considered so many worthwhile charities, National Dairy Shrine stood out. It’s not a megacorporation; we know the organization runs lean without a lot of overhead. We have confidence that NDS will be good stewards of the funds.

Is your estate gift earmarked for a specific NDS project?

The funds we’ve designated to Dairy Shrine are unrestricted. We hope to help bolster the reserve fund so that monies can be used to support the area of greatest need. We feel comfortable the money will be used judiciously for causes we care about.

What was involved in making this provision?

Our attorney helped us set everything up.  It is fairly straightforward with the charity designations made proportionally. The executor of our estate will be responsible for ensuring our plans are followed.

Thinking about providing for National Dairy Shrine in your estate plan? Contact Mike Opperman, Dairy Shrine Executive Director, at [email protected]