Planned Gifts for Your Clients

Plan together now, give later. 

A simple, flexible and versatile way that you can guide your clients to ensure their generosity can continue forever is by including a gift to the Community Foundations in their will, living trust, retirement plan or life insurance policy. 

How to Include a Gift in Their Will

1. They can designate a gift to add to or to create an endowed fund. We can facilitate gifts of cash, securities, real estate or other tangible personal property.

2. Name their fund. If they are creating a new fund, it can be named in honor or memory of family members, friends, mentors, or pets. 

3. Tell us how the gift should be used. We will work with you and/or your clients to create an agreement for the fund, a simple signed document that clearly states their wishes. This Fund Agreement allows your clients to name the fund that will be created, identify any fund advisors, specify charitable interest areas, and even express a desire for anonymity. Easier than changing a will, clients can simply change the agreement with the Foundations at any time if they change their minds – without any costs or legal assistance.

Suggested language for your client’s gift:

“I give, devise, and bequeath [an amount, a percentage, or the rest and residue of your estate] to the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, a New York nonprofit corporation (Tax ID #23-7026859). This gift will be used to [establish OR add to] a fund. This will become a fund of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley. The Fund shall be named the your chosen fund name.”

Giving through Beneficiary Designations – Simple & Flexible 

One option that does not involve creating or updating a will is to name the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley as a beneficiary to receive all or part of a retirement plan, life insurance policies or other accounts. With your help, or alone, they can simply fill out a form that is entirely separate from their will. Not only is this an easy way to give, but it’s also flexible— as these choices can be reviewed and adjusted any time a client wishes.