Fundraising 101: 10 Things You Need to Know About Planned Giving

Some planned gifts are even simpler than a will. Everyone should have a current will that has been crafted by a competent estate attorney. However, most people would rather have their teeth cleaned than talk with an attorney about how to divide their assets after death. But most donors can change the beneficiary designations on their IRAs, qualified pension plans and life insurance policies without visiting an attorney. Many of these changes can be made online or by completing a standard form and sending it to the plan administrator. The same goes for naming a charity on a CD at the bank and for a number of other assets. There are important reasons why gifts from an IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) can make a great deal of sense to most donors, too, but you won't find tax law in my list of the top 10 things you need to know.