Writing Your Tulsa Estate Planning Blog

There are many ways to leave a charitable legacy. One of the best is the increasingly popular donor advised fund.

Giving to charity is not as simple as writing a check and sending it in the mail. Sure, it can be done like that, but if you want to make sure you are getting the best possible tax benefit for the charitable gift, then you need to do more planning.

This is especially true for wealthy people, who would like to create a charitable legacy that will outlive them.

While you can create a charitable legacy through several different methods, donor advised funds are popular a good way to do so as the Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog recently explained in “The Rise of Donor Advised Funds.”

With a donor advised fund, you can invest money now that will be used for charity later. The donor gets an immediate tax benefit and can invest however much he or she wants.

Contributions can be made over time or all at once, whichever is more beneficial. The donor does not have to actually advise how the funds are invested, if not interested in doing so. However, they can, if they are interested.

If you are considering a donor advised fund or any other type of charitable legacy, it is important to seek out the advice of an estate planning attorney. That way you can make sure you are leaving your legacy in a way that makes the most sense for your personal situation and the type of legacy you want to leave.

Reference: Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog (May 18, 2017) “The Rise of Donor Advised Funds.”

If you want to be remembered for charitable giving, then you should get started with an estate plan.

At this time of year, it can seem like giving to charity is something done with little forethought. It can require no more than dropping loose change in a bell ringer’s bowl at the grocery store or putting a new toy in a designated box at the mall.

While anonymous giving like that is helpful, having a true charitable legacy requires more work and considerable forethought.

People who want to be remembered for being charitable benefactors, need to get comprehensive estate plans as the Port Huron Times Herald explains in “Plan today to make a difference tomorrow.”

With an estate plan, you can set up your charitable giving to be ongoing after you pass away. If you want, you can leave one time gifts in your plan but also create new legal entities that will continue to give to charity indefinitely. You can even dictate what charities these entities will give to and for what purposes.
The entities can be relatively simple trusts or they can be complex family foundations.

Without proper planning, however, creating a charitable legacy is nearly impossible. Attempts to do so can easily fall afoul of the law and IRS regulations. Thus, if you would like to leave a charitable legacy, visit with an estate planning attorney to review your options.

Reference: Port Huron Times Herald (Nov. 25, 2016) “Plan today to make a difference tomorrow.”