Investing with Faith / Kimberly Pohovey

Bequests to parish, school or ministry allow us to leave a legacy of love

“The good leave an inheritance to their children’s children ” (Prv 13:22).

Most of us hope to do just that. We work hard, make sacrifices, save what we can and manage our resources wisely. And we encourage our children, nieces and nephews to do the same.

For good or for ill and whether we realize it or not, we are always setting an example for those who come after us.

Our words of wisdom matter, of course. But our actions—the priorities we set and the choices we make—exercise a more significant and lasting influence over the people closest to us.

A powerful witness. How we handle money isn’t just about money. What we do with God’s blessings is an important part of our faith witness.

Supporting charitable work, strengthening our communities and bringing the compassion of Jesus Christ to those in need makes a difference. And that is also true when we generously share some of our financial resources in the form of a bequest.

A charitable bequest made through a will or trust allows a person to leave a legacy gift that witnesses to their lifelong love for a particular Catholic parish, school or ministry. A bequest is an eloquent testimony to one’s deeply held values and convictions.

An inspiring example. Such gifts set a worthy example for donors’ surviving family members as well as for the larger community. That is because the legacy left by a bequest gives much-needed support to important causes, but also extends well beyond the financial support it may give to the Church’s mission and ministries.

Bequests encourage others to be generous by underscoring the value of Christian stewardship. They reinforce the unity of believers here with all those who have already left this world to meet the Lord in the next. In essence, they create a legacy of love others will be eager to embrace.

Size does not matter. Many think that a legacy gift has to be large to be significant. Nothing could be further from the truth. Bequests of any size are significant to the benefitting parish, school or ministry.

And often, folks find that they are able to leave a more sizable gift through a bequest at the end of their life than they would otherwise think possible.

Bequests are not written in stone. It’s important to note that bequests made in a will or trust can be updated at any time as a donor’s circumstances evolve and change.

There’s no need to feel “locked in” to a particular amount, and no reason to worry about having enough to take care of one’s own needs.

It’s easy. Leaving a bequest to the ministries and institutions most important to you couldn’t be simpler.

The Catholic Community Foundation is happy to provide sample language for people to use when including a charitable bequest in their will. Just contact us at ccf@archindy.org or 317-236-1482.

Already made a bequest? If you have already provided for a gift to the Church in your will, or intend to, we encourage you to let us know.

Being fully informed of your plans helps us to be better stewards of your bequest when the time comes so that we ensure that we are following the gift intention of the donor. You can do so by completing the Charitable Gift Intention Form at www.archindy.org/GiftIntention.

If you would like more information about making a bequest to support the Church’s mission in central and southern Indiana, please contact us. We are always happy to further discuss bequest information with donors—you can reach us at ccf@archindy.org or 317-236-1482.
 

(Kimberly Pohovey is the director of major and planned gifts for the archdiocese. Tax or legal information provided herein is not intended as tax or legal advice. Always consult with your legal, tax or financial advisors before implementing any gift plan. For more information on the Catholic Community Foundation, visit www.archindy.org/CCF, e-mail ccf@archindy.org, or call 317-236-1482.) †