Create Your Legacy With a Gift in Your Will or Trust
Discover the Benefits of This Simple Yet Significant Gift
Would you like your values to live on long after you’re gone? They can, through a gift in your will or revocable living trust to CARE.
This gift, which is known as a bequest, is among the most popular ways friends like you choose to provide long-term support for our mission. Why? In part because it is simple to set up—and because giving through your will or trust provides flexibility to protect both your loved ones and your favorite causes.
How It Works
With a gift in your will or trust, you can leave a percentage of your estate or a certain amount of cash, stock or property to people and/or charitable organizations. If you choose to include a gift to support CARE, your generosity will further our mission after your lifetime.
This is one of the most meaningful ways to invest in our future. As you create your will, you will need to include specific language about your gift. We would be happy to provide this language to you. If you already have a will and want to add a gift to support CARE, your estate planning attorney can add an amendment, called a codicil.
Tip: Be sure to use the correct legal language when including a gift in your will or trust so you can ensure your legacy is honored as you intend. Contact us to request this special wording.
5 Reasons Our Supporters Love This Option
1. You can set it up with ease. Adding a gift to your will or trust is actually quite simple. You can work with an estate planning attorney or use an online will creation program. In most cases, your gift can be completed in as little as one sentence.
2. You can change your mind at any time. A gift in your will or trust only takes effect after your lifetime, giving you the freedom to update or amend it whenever your circumstances or wishes change.
3. You remain in control. Since you’re not actually parting with assets today, you don’t need to worry that you won’t have enough to live on in the future should your financial situation change. This flexibility allows you to balance your generosity with your concerns about living expenses and future medical costs.
4. You have many options. You can donate a specific amount, but that’s not your only choice. Most of us don’t have a clear sense of the size of our estate, and because the value will likely change through the years, gifting a percentage of your estate is a perfect option. Whatever your estate’s final value, you can use a portion of it to benefit CARE and rest easy that your loved ones will also be taken care of.
5. You have a say. It is your gift, so feel free to share your preferences about how you would like to make a difference. You can choose to create an unrestricted gift, which allows your generosity to meet our most pressing needs. Or you can give to a specific program or fund. Be sure to let us know so we can work with you to accommodate your request.
Even giving a small portion of your estate—10%, 5% or even 1%—can make a significant impact at CARE.