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Legacy Planning Basics
If you’re a car dealership, it doesn’t take a lot of explaining for people to understand what you’re about and why they’d stop in to see you. When we say we’re legacy consultants, we sometimes get blank stares from people. People understand what a will is. They might...
These Resources Didn’t Exist, So We Created Them
“There are just no resources out there for people like me.” That’s what my mom told me when she stepped in to help settle the estate of a third loved one within just a handful of years. As she is known to do, she then poured herself an extra-strong cup of coffee and...
Meet Bruce and Sam: Sharing With Others, Artfully
“We’re kind of fun to be around,” Sam says, jokingly. She wears a colorful scarf and gestures wildly with her hands during our interview. Her husband, artist Bruce, is the yin to her yang. He wears a black quarter-zip, keeps his arms crossed, and thinks and nods...
Our Favorite 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.
7 Questions to Ask a Nonprofit Before Making a Major Gift
“We can give HOW much?!” That’s one of my favorite questions, and it’s one that comes up often with the people and families we work with. During meeting one of our legacy planning program, I do a...
Travel Can Be Risky: Here’s How to Prep for Your Next Trip
People often want help “getting their ducks in a row” before a major life change or milestone. Another reason people reach out to Apex: international trips. It’s smart to prepare well, communicate your travel plans with loved ones, and take precautions for your safety and security while abroad. We talked with Kara Rodriguez, Mission Director at Scalpel At The Cross, about the ways she helps her international medical teams prepare
Thinking Beyond the Checkbook: Consider Non-Cash Gifting Strategies
As a gift strategist at WaterStone, Stephanie Hoff helps donors envision creative and tax-efficient ways to make a difference for their favorite causes. We send some donors her way after they’ve...
What Makes Our Families Unique? Three 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
Want to set up a trust? Here are some tips, tricks, and ideas from our friends at Lake Elmo Bank: Apex: First off, what has been your path to this career? How does one end up in trust...
Top 5 Tax-effective Ways to Give at Year-End
As you begin to make year-end giving decisions, you might wonder how to make the biggest bang with your philanthropic buck. Here are some ideas for giving in a big way, even without impacting your day-to-day cashflow.
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.
Meet Pete: A Self-Proclaimed ‘Pseudo-Parent’
A self-proclaimed “pseudo-parent” invests in the next generation through strategic legacy gifts and support of Hudson Hospital Foundation’s behavioral health initiatives. Pete might not be what...
Our Team’s Favorite Family Heirlooms–and Some Tips for Preserving Yours!
“I shared pretzels with Paul Newman,” my mother brags as she looks at his photo. It’s a black-and-white print of one snapped by a family friend and photographer on the front straight at Road...
How to Allow For Grief In Your Legacy Plan
By definition, every single client we work with is thinking about their death. They’re planning for the day they’re no longer here–and making sure their loved ones and favorite charities are cared...
Legacy Planning for New Parents
Congrats on your newest family member! Your legacy plan might be the last thing on your mind as you welcome a new little one to your life, but make sure you have your bases covered. Here are the most important legacy plans to make to care well for your child.