Ten Things You Can Do Today to Leave a Legacy®

  1. Prepare a will. Fully 50% of Americans die without a will. Without one, you lose control of the assets you worked a lifetime to acquire.

  2. Leave gifts in your will for the charitable organizations that have made a difference in your life. Fewer than 10% of households in the United States actually make a charitable bequest. Imagine the positive impact in your community if everyone made even a modest donation to a favorite non-profit organization.

  3. Leave a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your estate to your favorite charities. The provision can be part of a new will or added to your existing will as a codicil.

  4. "Endow" your annual gift to your favorite charity by making a bequest equal to 20 times that amount.

  5. Name your favorite charity as the beneficiary of your IRA or pension plan.

  6. Name your favorite charity as the beneficiary of a new or existing life insurance policy.

  7. Make a gift of a new or existing life insurance policy to your favorite charity.

  8. Remember deceased loved ones with memorial gifts to charities.

  9. Encourage family members and friends to leave gifts to charities in their wills.

  10. Ask your financial advisor to include charitable giving as part of his/her counsel to other clients.