Estate Planning Tools 

You have made investments of your time and treasure throughout your lifetime and the Community Foundation can help you find ways to leave a legacy. With the Community Foundation you can establish a legacy fund or establish funds and become a part of the LifeTown Legacy Society and/or Better Together Legacy Society. 

"When Margaret talked about leaving a legacy, I told her there was no one better than the Community Foundation." 

- Mike Tracy

 

Learn About Leaving a Gift in Your Will

What are the benefits of leaving a gift in your will?

  1. You leave a lasting legacy to be remembered
  2. You lessen the burden of taxes on your family
  3. You may receive estate tax savings
Use the planned giving calculators to explore how planned gifts can benefit your financial, estate and charitable planning goals.

How do I leave a gift in my will?

The most common form of giving after your lifetime is a gift of assets (money and/or other property) that is made through your will or other testamentary arrangement. With the help of an advisor, you can include language in your will or trust specifying a gift be made to family, friends or your Community Foundation charitable giving fund as part of your estate plan.

What are my options?

A gift to your will can be made in several ways:
  1. You can gift a specific dollar amount or asset
  2. You can gift a percentage of your estate
  3. You can gift from the balance or residue of your estate
  4. You can make a beneficiary designation of certain assets

Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines: Language to Use in Your Will

The most common form of giving after your lifetime is a gift of assets (money and/or other property) that is made through your will or other testamentary arrangement. No funds are transmitted or irrevocably transferred to the designated fund until after your death. No estate tax will be owed on the amount given to charity.

Fulfilling your charitable wishes through your will and Community Foundation charitable giving fund can be done in one simple sentence, like the one below and can be used for estate gifts through:
  • Wills
  • Living Trusts
  • Retirement Plans Designations
  • Contingent provisions in any of the above estate documents

Sample Language to Use in Your Will

Percentage or Residuary of Estate
"I give, devise and bequeath _______________________ (describe dollar amount, property to be given, or proportion of residuary estate) to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, a nonprofit corporation located in Des Moines, Iowa 50309, tax identification number 42-6139033, to benefit the Better Together Fund (the Community Foundation's grantmaking program)."

Alternatively, you may establish an endowment for a specific purpose through your estate by stating, "I give, devise and bequeath ______________ (describe dollar amount, property to be given, or proportion of your residuary estate) to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, a nonprofit corporation located in Des Moines, Iowa 50309, tax identification number 42-6139033, to be added to the __________________ Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, of which distribution and spending policy instructions are already provided."

Provisions for Community Foundation County Affiliate Donors
All affiliate foundations of the Community Foundation are component funds of the Community Foundation and are thus under its sole legal control. The language above may be amended to state "to the (name of Community Foundation affiliate here), an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines..." Please contact one of our gift planning specialists for customized language.

Contact our team of gift planning specialists to learn more about making a gift to the causes you care about through your will or developing customized gift language to meet your giving goals.

Important: When making a planned gift (such as a gift in your will, life insurance, retirement plans), please contact the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines when you choose to name the Community Foundation as a beneficiary so that we can ensure your charitable intention(s) is/are fulfilled.

The appropriate wording for making a gift depends on the type of gift, state law and the donor's unique circumstances. The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines urges all prospective donors to seek the assistance of personal legal and financial advisors in matters relating to their gifts, and the resulting tax and estate planning consequences.

Tax ID Number of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines
42-6139033