Some people spend much of their lives supporting the causes and issues they care about, and some make sure their support continues after they’ve departed. They create a legacy of giving via their will, living trust, or retirement account as a powerful way to make an impact that goes on indefinitely.

August is Make a Will Month, and at United Way of King County, we ask that you consider leaving a legacy gift to help us continue our efforts to work side by side with communities to build an equitable future for everyone.

According to Trust & Will, a San Diego-based online service that helps thousands of people plan their estate plans, donations to a charity or non-profit explicitly stated in someone’s will or trust accounted for 8% of total giving in 2017, totaling over $30 billion.

Charitable bequests, Trust & Will says, are deducted against the value of an Estate. Under current tax law, there is no limit to the number of charitable bequests that can be made against an estate, and as a result, such donations can be a great way to lower estate taxes.

Giving to United Way helps us invest millions of dollars annually in programs, organizations, and initiatives that know how to tackle the big issues—ensuring everyone has access to resources, quality education, enough to eat, and a safe place to call home right here in our county.

It helps us continue our community partnerships, which we use to combat structural and institutional racism and reduce inequities to build an equitable future.  It also helps us advocate for public policy that benefits our communities. From city halls to the Olympia State House, we work with communities to ensure that policies are equitably and effectively implemented in ways that work for people in our community.

United Way’s partnership with FreeWill can help you protect the future of your loved ones and the community and causes you care about.

Jennifer Trice, United Way’s principal gift officer

You can help make this possible during National Make a Will Month—and beyond. If you don’t have a will yet, consider creating one with this free tool to help you plan for the future. By crafting this essential document now, you can have peace of mind for the future, protect your family, and create a brighter future for generations to come by supporting our mission.

We also offer the ability to create a revocable living trust, an estate planning tool for distributing your possessions to people and organizations when you pass away.

“United Way’s partnership with FreeWill can help you protect the future of your loved ones and the community and causes you care about,” said Jennifer Trice, United Way’s principal gift officer.

To take full advantage of your revocable living trust, you must transfer your assets and property to the trust during your lifetime. Once you (the trust’s Grantor and Initial Trustee) pass away, a Successor Trustee will distribute the property according to your wishes outlined in the trust agreement.

To learn more about revocable living trusts or to create one of your own, click here.

If leaving a bequest interests you, please contact Jennifer Trice at (206) 461-3245 or  jtrice@uwkc.org for more information.