In Maplewood, Minnesota, "charitable giving" involves transferring money or property to an individual or organization, expecting nothing directly in return.

Most charitable donors, while they're alive, give their gifts in the simplest way feasible: handing the money or property they wish to donate over to the person or group they want to assist.

Some people, however, may be especially dedicated to a certain cause, giving rise to a desire to donate a very large percentage of their assets to it. However, during life, this is frequently infeasible, since people have their own expenses that they have to cover. So, people often put off this donation until after their death.

If you decide to make a sizable donation to a charity that will not actually occur until after your death, the easiest (and most largely-used) method is to simply leave the desired amount of money or property to the charitable organization in your will.

Charitable Trusts in Maplewood, Minnesota

A charitable trust is an arrangement through which some amount of money or property is directed to a charity after the donor's death, or throughout their life.

While the money, for a time at least, is still technically owned by the donor, it is possessed and controlled by the charity, which acts as a trustee. The trustee is then able to use the money for the charitable purposes which have been laid out in the agreement that initially formed the trust.

The most common type of Maplewood, Minnesota charitable trust is known as a "charitable remainder trust." Under this arrangement, some of your money or property is directed to your charity of choice. The charity then invests the money, while giving a percentage of the income generated by these investments to you or a beneficiary of your choice, for a determinate period of time. Once this time is up, ownership of the original fund transfers to the charity.

Obviously, if you want to help a good cause, you want to make sure that any charity you donate to is valid. Sadly, there are quite a few fraudulent charities out there. The ideal way to do this is to check and make sure that the charity is registered as a tax-exempt organization with the IRS, and the tax authorities in

Do I Need a Maplewood, Minnesota 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 Maplewood, Minnesota, who can help ensure that your intentions are carried out.