Charitable giving in Placerville, 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 Placerville, California

A charitable trust is an arrangement by which a large amount of money can be directed to a charity after the death of the donor, or during the donor's life.

In a charitable trust, the money that is donated is still legally owned by the donor. But this is largely a formality, as the charity receives possession and control over the money. The charity is then free to use that money, but exclusively for the purposes laid out in the trust instrument.

If a person decides to set up a charitable trust in Placerville, California, they usually set up a "charitable remainder trust," since this is usually beneficial to both the donor (or their estate) as well as the charity. The operation of this type of trust is fairly simple: at a set time (usually the donor's death) the property that the donor wants to give to the charity is handed over, and the charity invests it. The charity benefits by getting to keep most of the money that these investments generate. The donor benefits because they also get a percentage of this income, for a period of time laid out in the trust agreement. Afterwards, the recipient of the donation gets it 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 Placerville, 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 Placerville, California, who can help ensure that your intentions are carried out.