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

In life, charitable giving typically 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. Thus, people often put off this donation until after their 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 Metropolis, Illinois

Charitable trusts are typically used for very large donations, and can be made during the donor's life, or after their death.

In a charitable trust, the property is still technically owned by the donor, but the recipient retains possession and control over it. As the trustee, the charity is free to use the money for any purpose laid out in the trust agreement. With a charitable trust, trustees are usually only permitted to use the money to advance their organization's charitable mission.

The most prevalent type of charitable trust in Metropolis, Illinois 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.

Wanting to help a charitable cause is, of course, a good thing. Nonetheless, 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 accountable for taxation in

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