Your Charitable Intentions: Plan to Plan!

Charitable giving is deeply personal, and our goal is to help you experience its rewards fully – clarifying your charitable goals and ensuring your plan reflects what matters most to you. Because circumstances evolve over time, we are committed to making sure your giving remains as meaningful and effective as you intend it to be.

Even with thoughtful planning, life and community needs continue to evolve. Families grow and change, advisors retire, nonprofit organizations merge or shift direction and philanthropic priorities often deepen as donors learn more about the issues shaping our region. Periodically reviewing your plan ensures it stays aligned with your intentions and the evolving needs of the community.

A simple way to maintain alignment is to treat your charitable planning like any other important part of your financial life and review it every so often. That does not mean you need to overhaul your plan every year – just a moment to confirm that what is written down still reflects what you want.

We make it easy. If you have a fund at the Community Foundation, we encourage you to schedule an annual check-in with our team to keep your giving intentional. Together, we can review:

• Fund purpose – Would you like to develop or refresh a brief statement explaining why you care about certain causes and what you hope your giving will accomplish over time? Our Giving Guide is a great place to start.
• Lifetime giving – Are there ways to get more engaged now, such as bringing children or grandchildren into the conversation?
• Successor advisors – Are the people you've named still willing and able to carry out your wishes?
• Beneficiary designations – If your fund is named in a retirement account or life insurance policy, is it correctly listed and do your tax and financial advisors have copies?
• Estate documents – Does your attorney have the correct fund name and language in your will or trust, if applicable?
• Community Foundation's mission – Have you considered leaving a portion of your fund to support our work after your lifetime through the Better Together Fund?

The Community Foundation is your home for charitable giving, and these conversations are truly our pleasure. Even a brief annual check-in can give you peace of mind and strengthen the lasting impact of your generosity.

Ready to connect? Reach out to a member of our team to schedule a conversation.