Donating to a Charity Post-Mortem

By: Matthew Funeral Home
Tuesday, September 6, 2022

It feels good to help others. Whether you donate your time or money, helping a charitable cause is a good way to help those in need. It is not uncommon for altruistic individuals to leave some sort of charitable donation within their estate plan. Donating to a charitable cause upon death is a way to leave a positive legacy. 

Choosing A Charity

Many people choose a charity near and dear to their hearts. Common choices include charities associated with a terminal illness, religious charities, or a non-profit that helped you in some way throughout your life. 

Donating Money through Your Will or a Trust

When creating or editing your Will, you can set aside monies to be given to different individuals or entities. This includes donations to a charity of your choice. Additionally, you can establish a Trust for the charity. Trusts pay out funds over time, and may even collect interest. Because of this, Trusts can leave a lasting impact that continues to assist the charity long after your passing.

Naming a Charity as a Beneficiary

Beneficiaries to your estate are often loved ones, but charities can also be included as well. This allows individuals to leave assets to the organizations. This can include stocks, real estate, insurance policies, retirement accounts, and more. 

Tribute Donations

Some families choose to request donations in addition to or in lieu of flowers. When planning your estate and funeral plans, you may want to decide which charities should receive these donations. When making a record of this request, be sure to use the formal name, address, and website of the charity. This way, donations aren’t made to the wrong place. You may also want to set up a dedicated fund, to ensure that all donations go to the right charity.

Discuss Plans With Your Estate Planning Lawyer

It is always important to discuss any changes to your estate plan with a qualified and professional estate planning attorney first. They will be able to help you establish plans that make financial sense for you and your family while honoring your wishes. It is also important to discuss major changes to your estate with loved ones, so it doesn’t come as a surprise to them after your passing.

Matthew Funeral Home does not provide legal or financial advice via articles. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for legal or financial advice.
For over 50 years, Matthew Funeral Home has been serving the Staten Island community. We can help with almost every aspect of your loved one’s memorial service. Our family is here to serve yours, every step of the way.

Leave a comment
Name*:
Email:
Comment*:
Please enter the numbers and letters you see in the image. Note that the case of the letters entered matters.

Comments

Please wait

Previous Posts

How Does Cremation Work?

Most people understand that cremation is a process by which the remains of the deceased are burned and converted to ashes. But there are many steps to the process in order to ensure that everything...

What To Do When a Loved One Passes

When a loved one passes, there is going to be a lot of pain and grief. Loved ones will need to be contacted and brought together. But there are also a few practical steps that need to be taken, as ...

Combating Senior Loneliness After the Loss of a Spouse

After the loss of an elderly loved one, their spouse can feel incredibly lonely. After spending a long time with a partner, losing a spouse can be difficult. For many, this is a time of learning to...

Why You Should Consider Cremation

Cremation is a topic that many people may find uncomfortable or difficult to discuss. For a long time, it was not accepted by many major religions, most notably Catholicism. However, it is an impor...

Leaving Your Digital Assets Behind in 2023

The internet has evolved in many ways since the advent of the smartphone. And more people use social media and other websites to express themselves daily. Many elderly individuals have learned how ...

Essential Coping Tools When Dealing With Loss

After the loss of a loved one, you may feel like your whole life is turned upside down. And after dealing with funeral arrangements and families coming in from out of town, it can be hard to pick u...

Supporting a Bereaved Coworker

When a coworker has a death in the family, it can be important to support them during their difficult time. There is no clear-cut or easy way to help someone who is grieving. But lending a supporti...

Processing Anger in Grief

Anger is the second stage of grief, and it is often one of the hardest to deal with. Anger can be a raw emotion, and it is easy to be overwhelmed during your grief. This article will discuss how an...

What Does My Religion Say About Cremation?

Cremation is rapidly becoming more and more popular in America, with a projected over 54% of Americans opting to cremate in 2020. If you or a loved one are considering choosing cremation for your e...

Reasons You May Want to Contest A Will

After your loved one passes, their Will will be presented, if they have one. It is possible that you have some issues with how your loved one has divided their estate. Generally, an individual shou...