Charitable Giving in San Rafael, California

Find the right Charitable Giving attorney in San Rafael, CA

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

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

Some generous donors will sometimes give practically 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 common 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 Rafael, California

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

The money is still technically owned by the donor, but the charity, serving as a trustee, has the permission to use it for charitable purposes, with the exact scope of this right having been laid out in the trust agreement.

The most common kind of charitable trust in San Rafael, California is a charitable remainder trust. This allows you to give as much money or property as you want to a charity. The money is then invested by the charity. The investments are usually fairly conservative, sacrificing large returns for security. The charity then returns a portion of these returns to the donor, or another person named by the donor, while keeping the rest. This lasts for a set period of time, at the end of which the charity gets complete ownership of the original fund.

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 Rafael, California Attorney?

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

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

Life in San Rafael

San Rafael, California is a city in Marin County, which lies north of San Francisco, at the other end of the Golden Gate Bridge. Its population is currently about 58,000 people.

The area now known as San Rafael, California was originally populated by members of the Coast Miwok tribe of Native Americans.

Modernly, San Rafael's economy is one of the major centers for the entertainment industry outside of Hollywood. George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars series of films, did most of his early work in San Rafael and the surrounding areas. Nowadays, it is still a center of the entertainment industry, but it focuses more on the high-tech aspects of the business, like special effects. A large number of software companies (particularly game developers) also have headquarters in San Rafael.

As a result of this, there are many lawyers in San Rafael who have developed sophisticated practices around the entertainment industry. Of course, San Rafael, California lawyers can also handle a wide range of other legal issues. If you need legal advice in San Rafael, there's probably a San Rafael, California attorney who can help.

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