Meet Kelsey: Demonstrating Her Values and Creating Important Moments for Loved Ones
Nonprofits shouldn’t only focus on conversations with established donors who “have it all together.” Legacy planning created space for this young woman to do important self-reflection–even in a season of major transitions.
How to Fund a Trust
Trusts are essential to legacy planning, yet they can be complex. That’s probably why trust-related questions are some of the most common we get from our clients: what are they, how do they work, and how are they funded?
Meet Denny and Bonny: Using a Legacy Plan as a Leadership Tool
Our clients Denny and Bonny have a deeply-rooted belief in giving back to the nonprofits and ministries that mean the most to them. When they created their legacy plan with Apex, they reached some practical goals–caring for their adult children and maintaining the vacation home that means so much to their family–but celebrated their financial philosophies, too. By involving their children in managing a donor-advised fund, and breaking eventual inheritances into bite-sized and tax-efficient pieces, they’re leading by example. Here’s their story.
Pros and Cons of a Charitable Trust
Charitable trusts are so powerful, we sometimes call them “give it twice” trusts. But while they mean a huge gift to charity and a tax-efficient income stream to loved ones (or you!), they’re not without some caveats.
5 Ways to Be More Intentional With Your Legacy
Here’s what to ask a nonprofit before making a major gift. But if you’ve done your due diligence, giving during life can be an amazing way to make a difference–and you’ll get to witness it! This can also help your heirs understand your values and giving priorities, and inspire them to be more generous themselves.
7 Charitable Giving Tools (And Who Should Consider Them)
Our focus is on legacy planning…but we’re always helping donors identify the most effective ways to give charitably–starting now! There are CRUTs and CRATs and DAFs and ILITs and QCDs, and while we’ve just scratched the surface of the many charitable giving tools out there, all the acronyms can seem like alphabet soup. If you’re just wanting an overview, here’s a crash course on the most common giving vehicles…and when they might be a good fit.
6 Non-Cash Giving Strategies
We often share that 91 percent of an average American’s estate is made up of non-cash assets like real estate, retirement funds, stocks, securities, or business- or farm-related goods. It’s […]
3 Foundational Questions to Ask Before You Start a Legacy Plan
“Uffdah: it’s a common refrain in our house,” says Apex CEO Christy Boysen. She can rattle off, in detail, the family traditions that are non-negotiable on her calendar: lefse-making and […]
Things to Know Before Setting Up a Trust
What is a trust, and how does it work with a legacy plan? Where does a will fit in? These are all powerful documents, and it’s important to understand how […]
Plan (and Fund) Your Own Funeral As a Gift to Your Family
When you make key decisions about how you want to be remembered, you’ll make it the celebration you want while eliminating a significant burden for your family.