In Madison, Wisconsin, charitable giving is simply the act of donating money or property to a charitable cause, without the expectation of direct compensation. This is typically done for selfless reasons.
The simplest way to make a charitable gift is to just give the money or property directly to the organization you want to help.
Some people want to give a larger percentage of their assets to a charitable organization than would be feasible during life, so they formulate some type of arrangement under which the money will be transferred upon the donor's death.
If you decide to make a sizable donation to a charity that will not directly occur until after your death, the easiest (and most typically-used) method is to simply leave the desired amount of money or property to the charitable organization in your will.
Charitable Trusts in Madison, Wisconsin
Legal arrangements identified as "charitable trusts" are also utilized to give large amounts of money to charity. It can be used to make the gift quickly, or it can be set to take effect after the donor's death.
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 established the trust.
The most prevalent type of charitable trust in Madison, Wisconsin is a charitable remainder trust. Under this arrangement, you give a specific amount of money or property to a charity. The charity then invests this money, giving you or a named beneficiary a portion of the income generated from these investments for a set amount of time. Once this expires, the money that was initially invested goes to the charity, free and clear.
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 Madison, Wisconsin Attorney?
If you want to create a charitable trust, you should first talk with someone in charge of the charitable organization you wish to help. They will be able to assist you in setting up the trust, or advise you of their preferred method of donation. This will help you confirm that your donation is as effective in helping the charity as it can possibly be. It is also a good idea to speak with a Madison, Wisconsin attorney, who can help iron out the more technical details.
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