One of my colleagues often opens conversations about end-of-life giving by commenting, “John D. Rockefeller made a lot of money, and now, with sound financial planning, he’s dead.”
Regardless of how it’s packaged, estate/gift planning is preparing for one’s own death – not a favorite subject for many of us.
It’s a good idea to plan for that transition, and that includes thinking about causes and organizations important to us.
Support for church and charitable causes feels natural for those who embrace biblical stewardship, and a gift plan with Everence® Foundation can help you witness to your faith after your death.
One of the simplest ways to make a planned gift to your favorite charity is to incorporate a charitable gift into your will or trust.
You say in your will or trust that a portion of your assets should go to Everence Foundation, then work with your Everence representative to name the charities that will benefit.
When you die, the executor of your estate transfers your gift to the foundation, which then distributes the assets to the charities you’ve identified.
Charitable bequests have several advantages:
- You may be able to reduce estate and inheritance taxes because charitable bequests are deductible from your estate.
- A bequest plan through Everence Foundation simplifies matters for your estate’s executor because they only have to send the bequest to one organization. The foundation takes care of distributing the funds. You may change your distribution recommendations at any time.
- You’ll know that the support you’ve given to charities in life will continue after you’re gone.
Mitchell Stutzman is a Stewardship Consultant in the Everence office in North Newton, Kansas.