Legacy Planning Resources
We love helping people put together thoughtful legacy plans that fit their goals, values, and stage of life. But we also know that a full, comprehensive deep-dive isn’t right for everyone. We’ve put together all sorts of legacy-related tools and resources that our team and our clients use all the time. Whether you’re just starting to think about your legacy, or you’ve had a plan for years and want to look through it from a different angle, we hope these resources are helpful to you. If you get stuck or want to chat with one of our expert legacy consultants, let us know!
How to Guides
Blog Post Resources
Fun Team Feature: Favorite Recipes & Ideas for Passing Yours On
I grew up in Wisconsin, which means a few things: I can only cheer for the Packers. My car automatically stops at tiny roadside cheese shops. I eat my apple pie with a slice of that cheese: cheddar, the sharper the better. There’s nothing so delicious as a slice of my...
“How to Fund a Trust” with Attorney Jason Heinen
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? We’ve done whole blog posts on the types of...
Foundations and Endowments: What’s the difference, and should your nonprofit have one?
First off, it’s important to know the difference between an endowment and a foundation. An endowment is an invested fund set up to provide long-term support for a specific nonprofit organization or cause. A foundation is a type of nonprofit organization that supports...
The Pros and Cons of a Charitable Trust
Charitable Trusts: We love them, but they’re not for everyone! Charitable trusts are so powerful, we sometimes call them “give it twice” trusts. First off, here’s a quick overview of the different types of charitable trusts, and who might consider one. But while they...
4 Tips for Storing and Sharing Your Digital Assets
As legacy planners, we get a lot of questions about how to store important documents, photos, and other digital assets for the long haul...and how to securely share them with trusted loved ones who will play a role in our estate plans. We've written all about setting...
Including Pets in Your Legacy Plan
If you have a pet, I’m sure you’ve made plans for their care at some point. Maybe you were taking a vacation or had a busy workday and just wanted to ensure they were properly taken care of. Most of us don’t bat an eyelash at these forward-thinking plans for our furry...
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...
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 “deep-dive” with clients. I learn about their family and their goals. I...
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...
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 created a full legacy plan–and want to set up trusts or donor-advised...
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. Our family friend, Jean, loved to throw a good party. The woman had closets full of colorful, seasonal...
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...