Planned giving is more than a financial decision—it’s a way to create a lasting legacy that reflects your values and supports the causes you care about most. Whether you’re considering a bequest, a charitable trust, or naming a charity as a beneficiary, planned giving offers a unique opportunity to make an enduring impact. Here are 10 reasons why planned giving is important.
1. Leave a Lasting Legacy
Planned giving allows you to leave a legacy that speaks to your values and passions. Your gift can fund scholarships, medical research, environmental conservation, or other initiatives that reflect the issues closest to your heart.
2. Support Long-Term Sustainability for Charities
Charities often rely on planned gifts to fund major projects, endowments, or long-term initiatives. Your planned gift provides them with financial security and helps them plan for the future with confidence.
3. Make a Bigger Impact Than You Might Realize
Planned giving enables donors to contribute more than they might be able to through regular donations. By incorporating gifts into your estate, you can allocate a larger portion of your assets to causes you care about without affecting your current financial situation.
4. Maximize Tax Benefits
Planned giving can reduce estate taxes, provide income tax deductions, and help avoid capital gains taxes on appreciated assets. These tax advantages make it a financially savvy way to support charities.
5. Align Your Wealth With Your Values
Your estate represents a lifetime of work and achievement. Planned giving allows you to align your wealth with your personal values and ensure your resources contribute to meaningful change.
6. Inspire Others to Give
When you include a planned gift in your estate plan, you set an example for others, including family, friends, and your community. Your generosity can inspire others to consider their own legacy and the impact they can make.
7. Provide Flexibility and Control
Planned giving offers flexibility. You can specify how your gift will be used, whether it’s unrestricted funding, endowment support, or a targeted program. Additionally, many planned gifts can be modified during your lifetime to reflect changing priorities.
8. Honor Loved Ones
Planned giving can be a meaningful way to honor someone special. Whether it’s a scholarship in their name or funding a program they cared about, your gift can create a lasting tribute to their memory.
9. Strengthen Your Estate Plan
Incorporating planned giving into your estate plan can provide clarity and structure, ensuring your wishes are carried out while supporting the causes you care about. It’s also an opportunity to revisit your overall financial strategy and ensure it reflects your current goals.
10. Contribute to a Better Future
Planned giving is a powerful way to contribute to a better world. Your gift can fund education, improve healthcare, protect the environment, or support vulnerable communities—creating a ripple effect of positive change for years to come.
Why Planned Giving Matters
Planned giving is more than a financial transaction; it’s a statement of what you stand for and the legacy you want to leave behind. By thoughtfully planning your charitable contributions, you can make an enduring impact that benefits both the organizations you support and future generations.
Ready to Explore Planned Giving?
Learn more at the Buried in Work Planned Giving Hub.
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