Alexandria Leave A Legacy invites area nonprofit leaders to a free, educational seminar entitled, “Nurturing Legacy Donors: Practical steps to inspire legacy giving” presented by Kim Embreston, CFRE, West Central Initiative. The seminar will take place from 11:30-1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, 2014, at Grand Arbor, 4403 Pioneer Road SE, Alexandria. Alexandria Leave A Legacymembers are free; non-members are $10 for lunch.
Participants of the workshop will take home clear, immediate actions they can use to build better relationships with potential legacy donors. Embretson is the Vice President of Development at West Central Initiative in Fergus Falls Minn.
Alexandria Leave A Legacy is comprised of a group of local nonprofit leaders who work collaboratively to identify ways to increase the community’s awareness and understanding of charitable giving. Local nonprofits deliver vital programs and services for our community. The community relies on local nonprofits to feed the hungry, deliver necessary health care or supportive services, preserve our history, teach our children and present the arts. These nonprofits rely on the community for their survival and support. While many charities receive some support from government agencies, the majority of their funding comes from the public.
A common misperception is that you have to be wealthy like Bill Gates to leave your legacy. Whether you think of yourself as rich or poor, or somewhere in between, your gift can make a difference. Gifts can be made in several ways, depending upon what your charitable goals include. You can leave money to your family and to your favorite charity. Some people think they must choose between leavinga gift to their family or their favorite charity. You can do both, and some charitable gifts may actually save your family money by decreasing inheritance taxes and some gifts may provide needed income streams.
The desire to give back is part of human nature. It not only shapes our daily living, it also inspires others to work to improve the quality of life for family, friends, and the entire community. When you leave a legacy through charitable giving, your gift empowers others to do good deeds that advance the community.
No matter the size of the gift, all will have a positive impact. What’s more, you feel better by helping address needs in the Alexandria area. Including a charitable gift in your will or estate plan can help to ensure your favorite organization’s work well into the future.
How will you leave your legacy? You can start today with these simple steps:
- Make sure you have an up-to-date will (or living trust) that reflects your charitable objectives. Without these documents, you surrender control of your property and assets to the courts.
- Contact your financial advisor (a financial planner, lawyer or accountant) and ask for help in establishing a charitable gift.
- Think beyond cash—you can leave stocks, bonds, real estate, insurance policies and personal property to charitable organizations.
- Make your preferred charity a beneficiary of your life insurance, pension plan or IRA.
- Contact your charity and begin the conversation of how you might achieve your charitable giving goals and help the nonprofit extend their mission for greater benefit of the Alexandria area community.