In Port Allen, Louisiana, "charitable giving" involves giving money or property to an individual or organization, expecting nothing directly in return.

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 considerable chunk of everything they own) to a charity? This is extremely 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 permitting a person to have as much of their money as they want transferred to a charity of their choice after their death.

If you decide to make a sizable donation to a charity that will not really occur until after your death, the easiest (and most commonly-used) method is to simply leave the desired amount of money or property to the charitable organization in your will.

Charitable Trusts in Port Allen, Louisiana

A charitable trust is an arrangement through which some amount of money or property is given to a charity after the donor's death, or during their life.

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 Port Allen, Louisiana, they normally 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 (normally 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 legitimate. Sadly, there are quite a few fraudulent charities out there. The best 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 Port Allen, Louisiana Attorney?

If you wish to set up a charitable trust, you should consult with the organization directly. They commonly know the easiest way to direct any charitable giving to their organization. You should also speak with a brilliant trusts and estates attorney in Port Allen, Louisiana, who can help ensure that your intentions are carried out.