Omaha Charitable Planning Attorneys

Many people want to include charitable giving in their estate plan, such as leaving behind property or money for a charity that was dear to them. This can be achieved with something as simple as a standalone trust document that provides for a charity, or it could be a little bit more complex.

Planning for charitable contributions in your estate plan can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Money can be donated as part of your will, or you can establish charitable lead trusts or charitable remainder trusts to give benefits to both your loved ones and a charity of your choice. When preparing your charitable plan, it’s important to understand the many options available to you, including:

• Public Charities: You may choose to donate a portion of your estate to public charities that accept donations from multiple sources, including private donors.
• Charitable Lead Trusts: This type of trust will provide a steady stream of income to one or more charities in your name for a specific period of time, while providing the remaining funds to your trustees, such as your children or other family members.
• Charitable Remainder Trusts: Remainder trusts are the opposite of lead trusts. Tax-exempt funds will be distributed to your trustees and the remaining funds will be delivered to the charity, allowing you to claim a partial tax-deduction.
• Private Non-operating Foundations: Foundations can be set up with the sole purpose of providing donations and grants from your estate’s assets to public charities. These are often more complicated than charitable trusts and require additional oversite to maintain them.
• Private Operating Foundations: This type of foundation is directly involved in philanthropic endeavors and requires the most amount of management.

For additional information, please contact an Omaha estate planning attorney at Bottlinger Law L.L.C. at (402) 505-8234.