National Estate Planning Awareness Week
How will you be celebrating the big event? Everyone’s favorite holiday is next week!
Well, okay, there probably won’t be any family reunions or fancy dinners in honor of National Estate Planning Awareness Week. After all, to some it can feel like celebrating your own demise. No one wants to think about end-of-life plans, let alone talk with a fundraiser about it.
But you know the truth—having your estate in order is worth getting excited about.
While estate taxes have a long and sordid history, the most important part is that good planning will save loved ones a lot of time, money and heartache. Recognizing the importance of a good plan, in 2008 Congress passed a resolution to encourage “the distribution of estate planning information by professionals to all Americans” with National Estate Planning Awareness Week.
How can you help your donors get their estates in order?
- You don’t have to be a tax lawyer; there are more than enough lawyers and financial advisors willing to help, and most of your donors already talk to one or the other.
- You don’t have to be an expert in every last detail of giving vehicles. But it’s good to know the basics of how each one functions. Learn the basics of things like Donor Advised Funds, Qualified Charitable Distributions, and Charitable Gift Annuities, as well as simple wills.
- You do need to inspire donors to think about the kind of legacy they want to leave, and you can help them remember how important a good plan is for the people they love. In fact, here’s an article you can use as content for any of your communication lines.
You know how important it is—now spread the news about National Estate Planning Awareness Week! If you need help thinking about how to approach your donors, give us a call today.