The Art of Gift Planning: The Family

Imagine you are grocery shopping at Christmas time. As you approach the door to the store you hear the familiar bell ringing. Without a second thought you donate to the Salvation Army (A highly respected charity). Later that night, you and your spouse of 40 years engage in a conversation about your life together, and how you would like to live out you remaining years. This conversation leads to talking about how to give your estate to your children and grandchildren. Perhaps, this question is even more difficult if you do not have children.

Unlike the gift to the Salvation Army, distributing your estate requires thought, and in the Christian home, prayer. The larger the estate, the larger the issues. Money does not build character, it magnifies it. For some adult children receiving a large bequest would secure a future; provide for a debt free college education for grandchildren. For others, this large bequest would be spent on vacations and a bigger boat. And what about the special need’s child, or the one who has an addiction? You see there is no cookie cutter plan, and without professional training, the do-it-yourself approach rarely has a good outcome.

By adding your Foundation to your advisor team you gain expertise in the gift planning aspect of your financial and estate plans. The Foundation is uniquely qualified because we combine a proven record of charitable gift planning and trust administration with a Wesleyan perspective of wealth and possession. Often a gift to charity can enhance and even maximize gifts to family.