Charitable Giving in San Jose, California

Find the right Charitable Giving attorney in San Jose, CA

Charitable giving in San Jose, California is the transferring of money or some other asset to a charitable cause.

The vast majority of charitable gifts are made using the most simple method feasible: giving the gift to the intended beneficiary.

Some generous donors will sometimes give basically everything they own to charity. This is a wonderful thing to do, but it's not really practical - after all, just about everybody has bills to pay. One solution to this is to put off such a generous donation until after death. This allows the donor to meet their obligations during life, while having the satisfaction of knowing that a cause they care about will be given a large amount of help after their death.

If you want to make a donation that's effective after your death, there are a few ways to do this. The most frequent method is also the simplest: leaving the charity whatever property you want to give to it in your will - this is known as a "testamentary gift."

Charitable Trusts in San Jose, California

Charitable trusts are normally used for very large donations, and can be made during the donor's life, or after their death.

Under a charitable trust, the money going to the charity technically still belongs to the donor. Nonetheless, the charity, acting as a trustee, has power to use it for charitable purposes (what the money can and can't be utilized for should be clearly laid out in the trust).

In San Jose, California, a "charitable remainder trust" is the most typical kind of charitable trust. This authorizes the money or property to immediately pass to the charity of the donor's choice, so they can benefit from it as soon as possible. The charity takes the money, and invests it (typically in reliable, but not necessarily high-yield, investments). They keep most of the income that this generates, but return a portion of it to the donor on a regular basis, for a set period of time. When this time runs out, the original donation, along with all the income it will produce, becomes the legal property of the charity, to dispose of as it pleases.

If you wish to set up a charitable trust in you should check with the IRS and equivalent state agencies to confirm that the charity you want to help is registered with them. This will help make sure that your money is utilized for a good cause (and not to line somebody's pockets) and that your contribution will be tax-deductible.

Do I Need a San Jose, California Attorney?

If you wish to set up a charitable trust, you should consult with the organization directly. They commonly know the simplest way to direct any charitable giving to their organization. You should also speak with a seasoned trusts and estates attorney in San Jose, California, who can help ensure that your intentions are carried out.

Talk to a Wills, Trusts & Estates Law Attorney now!

Life in San Jose

San Jose, California is a large city filled with families, universities, young professionals trying to make it in the Silicon Valley, and a diverse population! Some of San Jose's most visited attractions are the Children's Discovery Museum, Happy Hollow Park and Zoo, the HP Pavilion Center, the Tech Museum, San Jose Museum of Art, History Park, Winchester Mystery House, J. Lohr Winery, and Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park.

San Jose is also filled with great dining areas such as Santana Row, and great shopping with many malls such as Westfield's Valley Fair and Oakridge Shopping Centers. San Jose is also home to the Silicon Valley, an area that gave birth to companies such as Apple and Google, and a great place for small start-ups. Therefore, there is something for every type of professional in Silicon Valley.

To serve the Silicon Valley's legal needs, many law firms have office locations located in, or near, San Jose. These firms house some of the sharpest legal minds in the country. All in all, no legal need goes unattended in San Jose, California.

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