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

In general, it's quite easy to make a charitable donation to a cause you want to help. Whether it includes 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 intricate legal arrangements.

What if, on the other hand, a donor wishes to give everything they own (or a substantial chunk of everything they own) to a charity? This is quite 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 authorizing a person to have as much of their money as they want transferred to a charity of their choice 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 prevalent 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 Vassalboro, Maine

A charitable trust is an arrangement by which a large amount of money can be given to a charity after the death of the donor, or during the donor's life.

The money is still technically owned by the donor, but the charity, serving as a trustee, has the right to use it for charitable purposes, with the exact scope of this right having been laid out in the trust agreement.

If a person decides to set up a charitable trust in Vassalboro, Maine, they typically 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 (typically 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.

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

Do I Need a Vassalboro, Maine 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 advantageous to have a Vassalboro, Maine lawyer handle these negotiations on your behalf, since they will likely understand the legal and financial complexities involved.