The Gift of Legacy

Plan for your future, and help us plan for our community’s.

For most people, making a planned or deferred gift from their estate is the largest and most meaningful donation they will make in their lifetime. Planned gifts of all sizes are also a key component in Opportunity Council’s work in making lasting and sustainable changes to fight poverty and help our community. We are both humbled and honored to be a part of your legacy.

Benefits of giving through your estate:

“Estate planning” used to be something just for wealthy, older people to consider, but times have changed. More and more often, people start considering what they want to leave behind earlier in life. Regardless of income or age, we each face major life events that can impact our financial situation and lead us to consider our legacy. Planned or deferred gifts do not affect your current economic stability and are revocable if your circumstances change. Additionally, estate planning now can help:

  • Ensure economic freedom and security
  • Reduce your tax burden and that of your heirs
  • Take the burden of decision making and a potential source of conflict away from family members
  • Offer you peace of mind
  • Serve your community for many years to come
  • Ensure your legacy is one of helping others and making the world a better place

Bequests & Other Planned Gifts

Of the many types of planned giving vehicles, bequests and beneficiary designations are popular for their ease and simplicity.

Bequests: To donate cash or publicly traded securities to Opportunity Council through your will, you may name the organization as a beneficiary. You may find this sample language helpful for creating or adjusting your will.

Beneficiary Designations: You may also make a lasting gift by designating Opportunity Council as your choice of beneficiary for your life insurance, retirement plan, or donor advised fund. In fact, donating IRA and retirement plans to charity often costs less than passing those funds on to your children. Please speak to your attorney or financial advisor about what will work best for you and your family and for exact details.