You may already have included charitable causes such as your alma mater, a national charity, or a medical center in your will; yet, many overlook making their church a beneficiary in their will. One of the easiest ways to make a charitable gift is through your will. If you are one of the more than 50 percent of adults who die each year without a valid will you forfeit this opportunity. Without a valid will, the laws of the state decide the disposition of your estate, and in no state are charitable gifts part of the distribution. There are several ways to include your church in your will:

• A fixed amount: Your will can state a specific amount which you would like to be given to your church or other cause of the Church following your death.
• A specific item or some designated property. Your will can direct that specific real or personal property be given to your church following your death.
• A percentage of your estate: It may be better to designate a percentage of your estate rather than a specific dollar amount. That percentage will then grow or shrink in the same proportion as your entire estate.
• A residual bequest: After all other bequests are granted, the residual (what remains) can be left to your church. The residual might also be left to your church in addition to a specific bequest named earlier in your will. By developing an estate plan, you can also leave the remainder of a trust to benefit your church. Through the use of a testamentary trust, a family member (or anyone named) can receive the income from designated assets for their lifetime or for a specific number of years. Following the death of that person (or at the end of the stated number of years) the remainder in the trust goes to the church.

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