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

In life, charitable giving usually simply involves writing a check or handing cash over to the charitable organization of the donor's choice.

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 usually 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 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 Hinsdale, Illinois

Charitable trusts are arrangements that involve handing possession (but not necessarily ownership) of money or property over to a charity, either during the donor's life, or after their 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 common type of Hinsdale, Illinois 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.

You should make sure the charity is registered with the Internal Revenue Service, and (if applicable) the taxation authority of .

Do I Need a Hinsdale, Illinois 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 experienced attorney in Hinsdale, Illinois, who will be able to help you navigate the legal details, making it easier to give effect to your intentions.