THE TERMINOLOGY:
WHAT IS A BEQUEST?
LEAVE A LEGACY® Southeast Michigan is a nine-county-wide campaign encouraging people to name non-profit organizations in their wills. The campaign, which is driven by the efforts of volunteers from non-profit groups, and financial, estate planning and law firms, is sponsored by the Planned Giving Roundtable of Southeast Michigan — a group of professionals in legal, financial, and allied fields as well as fundraising professionals whose focus is planned giving.
The campaign resulted from a growing concern for non-profit organizations, who because of increasingly less government funding, are fighting to exist. And the problem worsens because this forces non-profit groups to rely more on public support; however, although 81.5% of people in Southeast Michigan give annually, only 2.8% leave a charitable bequest at death. LEAVE A LEGACY is addressing this problem by educating people about the importance of planned gifts for the charities we depend on and support.
Carpenter Dominic Mason died in 1989.
Tomorrow, he’ll renovate the playroom at the local homeless shelter.
As a carpenter, Dominic renovated homes for his clients. As a child, he and his mother found a home in a shelter when times were hard. A counselor there showed Dominic a future filled with opportunity, and he never forgot that life-changing vision. Thanks to a bequest in his will, a few more children will have a chance to build their dreams. Include your favorite cause in your will or estate plan. Contact a charitable organization, attorney, financial advisor or local LEAVE A LEGACY® program to learn how.