Legacy Giving & Estate Planning Services

Promote legacy giving by sharing personal stories that illustrate the impact of charitable bequests, highlighting tax advantages like estate tax deductions and income tax benefits, and providing simple tools such as sample bequest language or beneficiary designation forms. Hosting educational seminars, recognizing legacy donors publicly (with permission), and partnering with financial advisors to integrate charitable giving into estate plans can also encourage donors to include your organization in their long-term philanthropic vision.

Legacy gifts include bequests through wills or trusts, beneficiary designations on retirement accounts or life insurance policies, charitable remainder trusts that provide income during life and benefit a charity afterward, charitable gift annuities offering fixed payments, and donor-advised funds that allow families to recommend grants over time. Real estate, appreciated securities, and Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs are also common legacy giving vehicles that offer tax efficiency and lasting philanthropic impact.

Estate planning focuses on the legal and financial mechanics of transferring assets—wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, and tax minimization. Legacy planning is broader and values-centered, addressing how you want to be remembered, the principles you wish to pass on, and the impact you want your wealth to have. It includes educating heirs, establishing guardrails to protect wealth and relationships, and designing structures that reflect your philanthropic, faith-based, or family values across generations.

Minimize estate taxes by utilizing the federal estate tax exemption (currently over $13 million per individual), making annual tax-free gifts up to the exclusion limit, establishing irrevocable trusts that remove assets from your taxable estate, and coordinating charitable giving strategies like Qualified Charitable Distributions or charitable remainder trusts. Properly structuring asset titling, beneficiary designations, and life insurance policies can also reduce tax exposure while ensuring your wealth transfers efficiently to heirs and causes you care about.

A revocable living trust is a legal entity you create during your lifetime to hold and manage your assets, which you can modify or revoke at any time. It helps your estate avoid probate, maintain privacy, and ensure seamless asset transfer upon your death. You may benefit from a revocable living trust if you own real estate in multiple states, value privacy, want to plan for incapacity, or seek to simplify your estate settlement process for your family.

Ensure tax-efficient charitable gifts by donating appreciated securities instead of cash to avoid capital gains taxes, making Qualified Charitable Distributions directly from your IRA after age 70½ to satisfy required minimum distributions without taxable income, utilizing donor-advised funds to bunch donations in high-income years, and establishing charitable remainder trusts that provide income now and a future charitable gift. Coordinate with your financial advisor to align giving strategies with your overall tax and estate plan.

Without an estate plan, your assets will be distributed according to your state's intestacy laws, which may not reflect your wishes. Your estate will likely go through probate—a public, time-consuming, and costly court process. Minor children may not be placed with your preferred guardians, and your heirs could face higher tax burdens, family disputes, and delayed asset transfers. Proactive estate planning ensures your wealth reaches the right people efficiently, privately, and on your terms.

Review your estate plan every 3-5 years or after major life events such as marriage, divorce, the birth of children or grandchildren, significant changes in assets or income, relocation to another state, or changes in tax laws. Beneficiary designations, wills, and trusts should be updated to reflect current family dynamics, financial goals, and legal requirements. Regular reviews with your financial advisor and estate attorney ensure your plan remains aligned with your values and intentions.