Charitable Giving in Lakewood, Colorado

Find the right Charitable Giving attorney in Lakewood, CO

Charitable giving in Lakewood, Colorado is the donating of money or some other asset to a charitable cause.

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

What if, on the other hand, a donor wishes to give everything they own (or a substantial chunk of everything they own) to a charity? This is quite generous, of course, but it's rarely possible during life, considering the expenses and obligations we all have. On the other hand, most people don't think they'll be needing their money after they die. Knowing this, many arrangements have been created authorizing a person to have as much of their money as they want transferred to a charity of their choice 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 prevalent 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 Lakewood, Colorado

Legal arrangements identified as "charitable trusts" are also used to give large amounts of money to charity. It can be used to make the gift immediately, or it can be set to take effect after the donor's death.

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

If a person decides to set up a charitable trust in Lakewood, Colorado, they typically 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 (typically 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.

Wanting to help a charitable cause is, of course, a good thing. However, some people seek to take advantage of our good intentions through fraudulent charities. If you want to help ensure that any money you donate to an organization is directly used for a charitable cause, and that your donation will be tax-deductible, you should check to see that the organization is truly tax-exempt. You can find this information from the IRS and/or the agency responsible for taxation in

Do I Need a Lakewood, Colorado Attorney?

Making a substantial charitable donation is a generous and admirable act. However, good intentions don't always lead to good results. To ensure that your donation has the most positive impact possible, you should discuss the matter in detail with representatives of the organization(s) you want to donate to. It might be advantageous to have a Lakewood, Colorado lawyer handle these negotiations on your behalf, since they will likely understand the legal and financial complexities involved.

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

Life in Lakewood

Lakewood, Colorado is the most populous city in Jefferson County, Colorado. It has a population of about 142,000 people, making it the fourth most populous city in the state of Colorado.

Lakewood is home to several historical landmarks that give the city some of its local character, including the Old Lakewood School complex, which was built in the 1920s.

Lakewood is also home to the Denver Federal Center, which is the largest concentration of federal agencies outside of Washington, D.C. This makes the federal government one of the largest employers in Lakewood, Colorado.

These federal agencies employ a large number of people with legal training, especially Lakewood, Colorado lawyers.

However, the vast majority of Lakewood, Colorado attorneys work in private practice. This means that if you need legal services, it's very likely that there's a Lakewood, Colorado lawyer who can help.

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