Planned Giving is finding ways to make charitable gifts now or after your lifetime while enjoying financial benefits for yourself.

Planned gifts are sometimes referred to as “stop-and-think” gifts because they require some planning and, often, help from your financial advisor. Unlike cash donations, they are typically made from assets in your estate rather than disposable income and come to fruition upon your death.

The most common planned gift is a bequest in your will or living trust. Other planned gifts include a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust.

To make a charitable bequest, you need a current will or revocable living trust.

Your gift can be made as a percentage of your estate or you can make a specific bequest by giving a certain amount of cash, securities or property. When your life on earth comes to an end, The Catholic Foundation receives your gift.

• Simplicity: Just a few sentences in your will or trust are all that is needed. The official bequest language for The Catholic Foundation of the Archdiocese of Mobile is:

  “I, [name], of [city, state, ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to The Catholic Foundation of the Archdiocese of Mobile [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”

• Flexibility: Because you are not actually making a gift until after your passing, you can change your mind at any time.
• Versatility: You can structure the bequest to leave a specific item or amount of money, make the gift contingent on certain events, or leave a percentage of your estate to The Catholic Foundation of the Archdiocese of Mobile.
• Tax Relief: If your estate is subject to estate tax, your gift is entitled to an estate tax charitable deduction for the gift’s full value.

When planning a future gift, it’s sometimes difficult to determine what size donation will make sense. Emergencies happen and you need to make sure your family is financially taken care of first. Including a bequest of a percentage of your estate ensures that your gift will remain proportionate no matter how your estate’s value fluctuates over the years.

When you include the The Catholic Foundation, Archdiocese of Mobile, a parish, school or other Catholic organization in your estate plan, your generosity helps us together, as the Catholic Church, continue the mission of Christ in the world today. Thank you for ensuring that we can impact those we serve well into the future.