Key Takeaways

• Legacy giving lets donors support a cause through their estate plan or will, often via a bequest; National Estate Planning Awareness Week each October is a good prompt to consider it.
• It’s accessible to everyone. A bequest doesn’t affect a donor’s current finances, so donors of any income level can participate.
• Donors leave a lasting legacy, often through a named fund, legacy society, or public recognition of their gift.
• Tax advantages can be significant, including estate tax reductions, capital gains avoidance, and tax-free IRA distributions for donors 70½ and older.
• Donors retain control over how their gift is used through the language in their will or trust.
• It tends to boost, not replace, annual giving: many donors give more to their favorite causes after including them in an estate plan.
• Setting up a gift is straightforward. Choose a gift type, consult a financial or legal advisor, add the provision to an estate plan, and notify the nonprofit.
• For organizations like Vegas Stronger, legacy gifts ensure long-term, life-changing support — housing, treatment, and basic needs — for vulnerable community members for years to come.

What Is Legacy Giving?

Legacy giving, also called planned giving, is the process by which a donor creates a financial or estate plan to donate something of value to an organization at a later time. Donors most often allocate these gifts by making a will that includes a bequest, which is received after the donor’s death, but there are other options as well. Because planned gifts are taxed differently than standard donations, they typically involve coordination between an estate planning attorney and the receiving nonprofit.

Each October, National Estate Planning Awareness Week — held during the third full week of the month — was adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008 to help the public understand estate planning and why leaving a legacy matters for financial wellness. It’s a natural moment to consider how a will can reflect the causes closest to a donor’s heart.

Why Legacy Giving Is Good for Donors

Here’s why charitable estate planning is advantageous not only for great causes and the nonprofits that champion them, but also for donors.

It’s Not Just for the Wealthy — Anyone Can Do It

Because a charitable bequest in will documents doesn’t affect a donor’s everyday cash flow, nonprofit planned giving is accessible to anyone who makes a will, regardless of income. Small-dollar and first-time donors, in fact, make up a large share of planned gifts at many organizations — opening meaningful philanthropy to people who might never see themselves as “major donors.”

Donors Create a Lasting Legacy 

Planned gifts let donors leave something behind after they pass, which is why these programs are often called legacy societies. Whether honoring a family member or building a personal legacy, donors make a lasting impact on a cause that matters to them, and organizations often recognize these gifts with public acknowledgment or named funds.

There Can Be Real Tax Advantages

Bequests are especially tax-advantageous for donors with large estates, since gifts of cash or assets are deducted against the estate’s value, reducing federal estate taxes for heirs. Charitable remainder trusts are tax-exempt, and real estate gifts can provide an income tax deduction while avoiding capital gains taxes. Donors 70½ and older can also use Qualified Charitable Distributions from an IRA to lower taxable income while counting toward required minimum distributions.

Donors Keep Control

Because planned gifts are typically part of a legal document like a will, donors can specify how or where their contribution is spent, giving confidence that their values will be honored later.

It Often Expands Overall Generosity 

Donors who add a charity to their wills tend to increase annual giving in later years, and even those who don’t still generally maintain existing giving levels — so a legacy gift rarely comes at annual giving’s expense.

How You Can Set Up Planned Giving to a Great Organization

Here are some steps to take if you’re ready to leave a meaningful legacy:

• Explore gift options. Planned gifts can include bequests, beneficiary designations, gifts of appreciated securities, IRA charitable distributions, charitable remainder or lead trusts, charitable gift annuities, and gifts of real estate or personal property, each with its own mix of income, tax, and legacy benefits.
• Talk with an advisor. Institutions typically encourage donors to consult their personal tax or financial advisors about the specific consequences of a planned gift before finalizing arrangements.
• Add the language to an estate plan. A bequest can be as simple as adding a provision to a will or trust designating a percentage, specific amount, or portion of an estate to a chosen organization.
• Let the organization know. Many nonprofits invite donors into a legacy society, where membership usually has no minimum gift level, lasts a lifetime, and can remain anonymous if preferred.

How Your Legacy Can Lift Up an Entire Community

Including a nonprofit in an estate plan is one of the most powerful ways a donor can protect the people who need help most, for years to come. Vegas Stronger is an excellent nonprofit beneficiary. The organization’s mission is to reduce homelessness by addressing its root causes — substance use disorders and untreated mental health conditions — through comprehensive, evidence-based care for the most underserved populations in Las Vegas. 

A legacy gift ensures this kind of support stays available for the next person who needs it. Interested donors can can contact the organization about including it in their estate plans. For anyone who wants their generosity to keep changing lives beyond their own lifetime, legacy giving is one of the most meaningful ways to make that happen.

Plan Your Legacy of a Healthier Las Vegas With Vegas Stronger

At Vegas Stronger, our mission is to end homelessness by addressing its root causes: substance use disorders and untreated mental health conditions. We provide comprehensive, integrated, and evidence-based treatment to the most underserved populations in Las Vegas. We aim to restore dignity, independence, and stability by addressing substance use disorders, mental illness, and social barriers to recovery. 

Many of these individuals lack access to essential resources like transportation, food, and shelter. Your thoughtfully planned giving to Vegas Stronger directly aids in providing these vital resources to each person we serve, offering a gift beyond measure: the chance for healing and a better life after overcoming homelessness and addiction. Read page 11 of our Impact Report to see the real results our donors are helping us achieve.

If you’re interested in including Vegas Stronger in your estate plan, please contact us at info@vegasstronger.org.