Create Your Charitable Legacy.

A few thoughtful decisions today can provide for the people you love—and help the causes you care about thrive for generations. For many of us, making a will sits somewhere on a list of things we know we should do someday. August, recognized as National Make-A-Will Month, offers a useful reason to move “someday” a little closer.

A will is, first and foremost, about taking care of the people who matter to you. It gives you the opportunity to put your wishes in writing, determine how your property should be distributed and help make things clearer for the people you leave behind.

As the American Bar Association puts it, “A will lets you control what happens to your property.” But a will can express something else, too: what mattered to you during your lifetime. Your gift does not have to be complicated to be meaningful. Sometimes a few lines in a will can help write the next chapter of a story you have spent a lifetime creating

By including a charitable organization in your estate plans, you can create a legacy that extends your values into the future, helping ensure that the people, places and causes you care about can continue to thrive.

Why Create a Charitable Legacy?

A legacy gift is not simply about leaving money behind. It is about carrying something forward. Perhaps an organization has been part of your life for decades. Perhaps you have seen firsthand what its work can accomplish. Or perhaps you simply believe that future generations should have access to the same opportunities, resources and support that matter to you today. 

Discuss ways to create a lasting impact, "The donors who decide to include Common Ground in their estate plan make such a meaningful impact to our organization, helping us support over 200,000 people last year alone.,” says Anne Bradley Director Of Development of  Common Ground. “Every gift is appreciated and no minimum gift amount is required to be recognized as part of our Living Legacy Society." 

A planned gift allows that belief to become part of your story. And you do not necessarily need extraordinary wealth to create an extraordinary legacy.One common approach is a charitable bequest. A provision in a will or trust leaving a specific amount, a percentage of an estate, particular property, or all or part of what remains after other beneficiaries have been provided for.

Bequests are the most common form of planned giving. Research published by the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners found that 68% of surveyed planned-gift donors had made a charitable bequest, more than any other planned-gift vehicle in the study.The association also notes that, for charities large and small, “bequests are the largest source of planned giving revenue.”

The Impact Is Growing

Americans are increasingly using their estate plans to support charitable causes. According to Giving USA 2026, Americans gave a record $617.2 billion to charitable organizations in 2025. Charitable giving through bequests grew especially quickly: bequest giving increased 19.7% in 2025, reaching approximately $62.19 billion.

Yet many people have not completed an estate plan. An AARP study found that, despite widespread agreement about the importance of wills, only about half of Americans age 50 and older had one. This is a reminder that creating or simply reviewing your plan does not have to wait.

Leaving a Gift May Be Simpler Than You Think

For many donors, creating a charitable legacy can begin with a conversation. If you already have a will, speak with your estate-planning attorney about adding or updating a charitable provision. If you are creating your first will, we can discuss if charitable giving is one of your priorities. As attorneys, we can help ensure that your wishes are properly documented and consistent with applicable law.

Depending on your goals and financial circumstances, you might consider:

A specific bequest: Leave a particular dollar amount or asset to an organization.

A percentage of your estate: Designate a percentage for charity while leaving the remainder to family or other beneficiaries.

A residual bequest: Leave all or a percentage of what remains after other gifts and obligations have been fulfilled.

A beneficiary designation: Certain retirement accounts, life insurance policies and other financial accounts allow you to name a charitable organization as a beneficiary.

More advanced charitable planning: Donor-advised funds and charitable trusts may be appropriate for some individuals and families and can be explored with legal, financial and tax advisers.

It is important to remember that not every asset passes through a will. Assets such as IRAs and life insurance policies with named beneficiaries generally pass according to those beneficiary designations. Reviewing those designations should be part of your estate-planning conversation.

A Gift That May Also Offer Tax Advantages

Thoughtful charitable estate planning can sometimes provide tax advantages, although the results depend on the donor, the type of asset and the estate. For example, charitable bequests to qualifying organizations may be eligible for the federal estate-tax charitable deduction. Retirement assets can also present special planning opportunities because individual beneficiaries generally may owe income tax on taxable retirement-plan distributions.

Designating charitable organizations to receive retirement assets as part of an estate plan can be a tax-efficient strategy in certain circumstances.

That does not mean every charitable gift will create a tax benefit. Tax and estate laws are complex and change over time, which is why an attorney, CPA, financial adviser or other qualified professional should review your individual circumstances.

The goal is not simply to reduce taxes. It is to build a plan that takes care of the people you love while directing your resources toward the purposes that matter most to you.

What Will Your Legacy Say?

A legacy is built over a lifetime—in the people we love, the communities we strengthen and the values we choose to pass forward. Making a will is one way to put those intentions into words. Including a charitable gift is one way to ensure that the things you care about today can continue making a difference tomorrow.

This Make-A-Will Month, consider taking one simple step: make your will, review the one you already have, or speak with an attorney about adding a charitable legacy to your plans. Your gift does not have to be complicated to be meaningful. Sometimes a few lines in a will can help write the next chapter of a story you have spent a lifetime creating.

This information is provided for general educational purposes and is not intended as legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Please consult your attorney, tax adviser and/or financial professional regarding your individual circumstances.