In Lexington, Virginia, charitable giving is simply the act of giving money or property to a charitable cause, without the expectation of direct compensation. This is usually done for selfless reasons.

In life, charitable giving usually simply involves writing a check or handing cash over to the charitable organization of the donor's choice.

What if, however, you want to give all or most of your assets to a charity, to really make a big difference? This is often 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 allowing you to have your assets transferred to a charity after your death.

There are many ways to give a charitable gift that does not take effect until after the donor dies. The simplest and least complex way to do this is a simple testamentary gift in a will - wherein a certain amount of the donor's money is transferred to the charity upon the donor's death.

Charitable Trusts in Lexington, Virginia

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.

In a charitable trust, the money that is donated is still legally owned by the donor. But this is largely a formality, as the charity receives possession and control over the money. The charity is then free to use that money, but exclusively for the purposes laid out in the trust instrument.

The most common kind of charitable trust in Lexington, Virginia is a charitable remainder trust. This allows you to give as much money or property as you want to a charity. The money is then invested by the charity. The investments are usually fairly conservative, sacrificing large returns for security. The charity then returns a portion of these returns to the donor, or another person named by the donor, while keeping the rest. This lasts for a set period of time, at the end of which the charity gets complete ownership of the original fund.

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

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