Charitable Giving in Peabody, Massachusetts

Find the right Charitable Giving attorney in Peabody, MA

In Peabody, Massachusetts, "charitable giving" involves giving money or property to an individual or organization, expecting nothing directly in return.

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 large majority of charitable gifts are made simply by giving money away, with no intermediary or other complicated legal arrangements.

Some people want to give a larger percentage of their assets to a charitable organization than would be feasible during life, so they establish some type of arrangement under which the money will be transferred upon the donor's death.

There are many ways you can donate some or all of your property or money to a charity after your death, if you wish to do so. Direct testamentary gifts are the most common and the most simple way to accomplish this. A testamentary gift simply entails transferring the money or property directly to the charity, through a provision in your will.

Charitable Trusts in Peabody, Massachusetts

Charitable trusts are normally 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 typically only authorized to use the money to advance their organization's charitable mission.

In Peabody, Massachusetts, a "charitable remainder trust" is the most recognized 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 generate, becomes the legal property of the charity, to dispose of as it pleases.

If you wish to set up a charitable trust in you should check with the IRS and equivalent state agencies to ensure that the charity you want to help is registered with them. This will help make sure that your money is used for a good cause (and not to line somebody's pockets) and that your contribution will be tax-deductible.

Do I Need a Peabody, Massachusetts 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 valuable to have a Peabody, Massachusetts 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 Peabody

Peabody is an Essex County city that is home to 55,000 residents of Boston's highly desirable North Shore suburban area. Peabody began as a farming community but has since shifted focus to more tourist friendly avenues like the massive Northshore Mall and Shopping Center, on of the areas largest, the historic Brooksby Farm, and the infamous host of the U.S. Senior and U.S. Women's Golf Opens, Salem Country Club. In 2009, Forbes Magazine dubbed Peabody the 14th most livable city in the United States. There are also a number of manufacturing, medical, and technology companies located in Centennial Industrial Park which is located a stone's throw from the Corwin Manufacturing Company. With such a thriving city there are bound to be some problems but you will be relieved to know there are a number of Peabody lawyers who can help sort those out. Peabody lawyers are familiar with local courts and their procedures; they can also lay out your legal options and help you weigh one against another. Peabody is known locally for its strong school system and sports programs. Ice hockey, soccer, and track are their strongest but the baseball program has been making outstanding progress too. Olympic swimmer Samantha Arsenault, professional wrestler Matt Bloom, pitcher John Tudor, and hockey player Bobby Hanson are just a few of the local notables.

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