In Winchester, 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.
Some people, however, may be especially dedicated to a certain cause, giving rise to a desire to donate a very large percentage of their assets to it. However, during life, this is usually infeasible, since people have their own expenses that they have to cover. So, people often put off this donation until after their death.
If you decide to make a sizable donation to a charity that will not actually 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 Winchester, 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.
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.
The most common kind of charitable trust in Winchester, 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.
Wanting to help a charitable cause is, of course, a good thing. Nonetheless, some people seek to take advantage of our good intentions through fraudulent charities. If you want to help ensure that any money you donate to an organization is actually used for a charitable cause, and that your donation will be tax-deductible, you should check to see that the organization is actually tax-exempt. You can find this information from the IRS and/or the agency accountable for taxation in
Do I Need a Winchester, 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 Winchester, Virginia lawyer handle these negotiations on your behalf, since they will likely understand the legal and financial complexities involved.
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