If given the choice between paying taxes (most often an involuntary act), or making a charitable gift (a voluntary act), most people would choose the latter because it gives them the benefit of knowing who the money will benefit and how it will be used.  The former choice, on the other hand, simply pays to the U.S. Treasury for use as they see fit.  Charitable planning increases the impact in those areas your family cares about most. You can make gifts of cash, stocks, bonds, real estate, or other assets in a variety of ways. Some of these ways can provide income to you during your life and the remainder to charity or can provide income to the charity with the remainder to your final beneficiaries, all while providing tax benefits today and possibly in the future. There are many ways to make charitable gifts. Our attorneys are well-versed in the use of the many flexible strategies utilized for those interested in philanthropic activities. Some of the options available to you include the following:

• Charitable Remainder Trusts,
• Charitable Lead Trusts,
• Charitable Gift Annuities,
• Endowment Funds,
• Donor Advised Funds,
• Conservation Easements,
• Gifts of Life Insurance,
• Private Foundations.

Charitable planning leaves a loving legacy that can last for as long as you would like (even permanently in some situations) to help the organizations, people, or causes you value so dearly.