To receive your copy of this free guide, download it here.

Everyone knows—or should know—the importance of having a will. A will ensures your wishes are known and followed; through it, the assets you spent a lifetime acquiring are distributed as you intend. Your will identifies who will manage your estate, care for your dependent children, and make healthcare decisions on your behalf.

However, despite the obvious benefits of having a will in place, some 70% of Americans do not.

At the Community Foundation, we believe that everyone should have a will. Because of this, we’ve decided to make a free Guide to Planning Your Will and Trust available to the whole community.

This 48-page booklet can help you gather and organize the information you’ll need to begin the process of creating a will. Please note that this is a planning tool only: To put together the actual document, you’ll need to meet with a qualified attorney.

In the guide, you’ll find information on choosing an estate plan that fits you, whether you’re single or married; checklists and worksheets for collecting the data that your attorney will need; explanations of the roles of executors, guardians, and the importance of Power of Attorney; help on prioritizing your estate planning goals, from protecting your family to continuing support of a favorite charity, and a Frequently Asked Questions section.

Since most people regularly give to charity each year, the guide describes how individuals can benefit a favorite charity or cause through their will. We hope that some people will choose to create a fund at the Community Foundation to serve as a lasting charitable legacy. What used to be an option to the very few through private foundations is now much more accessible: A named fund can be created for as little as $10,000, and any amount can be added to an existing endowed fund.

To receive your copy of this free guide, download it here. If you prefer, just give us a call at (574) 232-0041 and we’ll mail you a copy.