In our world, with the increase of technologically advanced gadgets that can fill waking hours with information, entertainment and mind-numbing activity, most everyone has experienced that hour when a touch of pristine silence would be as good as gold. Silence seems almost impossible to come by.
It is ironic in an age when communication could be so meaningful – if not critical – to family, friends and loved ones, many Americans impose an almost unnatural silence. It is the silence imposed by the absence of a valid and updated last will and testament. And this is one occasion where silence is far from golden.
Filling The Silence
As is often the case when someone chooses not to speak, another voice will fill the moment. In other words, a judge will decide who should be appointed to oversee the final business of your estate. This can easily be someone to whom you have no personal connection – an individual without any knowledge of your specific hopes and dreams. This person will make every decision regarding who will serve as the guardian of any minor children, how specific assets will be divided among family and the final distribution of all assets.
And while all of this can be devastating enough to loved ones, the real heartache can easily come in the fact that one final opportunity for a personal message went unused. Apart from the way we almost always think of a will – as a legal document outlining asset distribution — the last will and testament can carry a message of hopes and specific wishes for those left behind. Even though it is a legal document, a will can contain personal communication and affords each of us a way to deliver a carefully prepared final letter.
Your Philanthropic Intent
The charitable voice has always been an important aspect of the last will and testament. Even a superficial glance around our communities testifies to the lasting impact of bequests to charitable organizations like the Foundation for Community Care.
Charitable bequests can be made in much the same way any transfer is made by will: it can be in the form of a specific amount or asset; as a percentage of the value of the estate; or value to be transferred through a trust designed to meet specific objectives over a designated period of time.
Whatever form it takes, the charitable bequest represents a lasting imprint of your will – an imprint that touches all who are touched by this organization from this day forward. These bequests are vital to our mission. We count it an honor and consider it an issue of stewardship to give tangible voice to your charitable intent and add you to our Legacy Society.
At the Foundation for Community Care we can help answer any questions you might have, help you identify options that will best fulfill your objectives and even provide you with a copy of our Guide to Planning Your Will and Trust to assist your own professional advisors. Of course, there is never any cost or obligation for the information and service we provide and it is in no way designed to replace the counsel of your personal advisors. If we can help, please call us at 406-488-2273, email at [email protected] or stop by our office at 221 2nd St. NW in Sidney.
Reader Comments(0)