Charitable giving in Fort Myers, Florida is the transferring of money or some other asset to a charitable cause.
In general, it's extremely easy to make a charitable donation to a cause you want to help. Whether it contains writing a huge check, or dropping spare change in a donation jar, a huge majority of charitable gifts are made simply by giving money away, with no intermediary or other complicated legal arrangements.
What if, however, you want to give all or most of your assets to a charity, to really make a big difference? This is commonly not practical while the donor is alive, since they presumably have expenses, and want to maintain for themselves the lifestyle to which they're accustomed. Thankfully, there are a few arrangements permitting you to have your assets transferred to a charity after your death.
There are many ways to give a charitable gift that does not take effect until after the donor dies. The simplest and least complicated way to do this is a simple testamentary gift in a will - wherein a particular amount of the donor's money is transferred to the charity upon the donor's death.
Charitable Trusts in Fort Myers, Florida
Legal arrangements recognized 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.
Under a charitable trust, the money going to the charity technically still belongs to the donor. Nonetheless, the charity, acting as a trustee, has power to use it for charitable purposes (what the money can and can't be utilized for should be clearly laid out in the trust).
In Fort Myers, Florida, a "charitable remainder trust" is the most frequent kind of charitable trust. This authorizes the money or property to immediately pass to the charity of the donor's choice, so they can benefit from it as soon as possible. The charity takes the money, and invests it (typically in reliable, but not necessarily high-yield, investments). They keep most of the income that this generates, but return a portion of it to the donor on a regular basis, for a set period of time. When this time runs out, the original donation, along with all the income it will produce, becomes the legal property of the charity, to dispose of as it pleases.
Many charitable donations are deductible from your state and federal taxable income. But, in order for your donations to count, the charity should be registered with the IRS and equivalent institution in .
Do I Need a Fort Myers, Florida Attorney?
If you want to set up a charitable trust, you should first speak with a representative of the charity you want to support. You should also talk with an accomplished attorney in Fort Myers, Florida, who will be able to help you navigate the legal details, making it easier to give effect to your intentions.
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