In San Benito, Texas, "charitable giving" refers to the act of transferring money or property, for selfless motives. It necessarily means that the donor does not plan on receiving any direct compensation for whatever they have given.

Most charitable donors, while they're alive, give their gifts in the simplest way permitted: handing the money or property they wish to donate over to the person or group they want to assist.

What if, however, you want to give all or most of your assets to a charity, to really make a big difference? This is frequently not practical while the donor is alive, since they presumably have expenses, and want to maintain for themselves the lifestyle to which they're accustomed. Thankfully, there are a few arrangements authorizing you to have your assets transferred to a charity after your 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 San Benito, Texas

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

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.

In San Benito, Texas, a "charitable remainder trust" is the most frequent kind of charitable trust. This permits 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 (usually 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 produce, becomes the legal property of the charity, to dispose of as it pleases.

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

Do I Need a San Benito, Texas Attorney?

Making a substantial charitable donation is a generous and admirable act. Nonetheless, good intentions don't always lead to good results. To guarantee 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 San Benito, Texas lawyer handle these negotiations on your behalf, since they will likely understand the legal and financial complexities involved.