How to remember Star of Hope in your will

At some point for all of us life ends! But your personal generosity and influence can continue for many years to come! One is to give back to causes you care about by supporting them in your will.

Many people do not know it, but you can donate to Star of Hope by naming them as a beneficiary in your will. These type donations are often called planned or legacy gifts. And they are a meaningful, effective way to create a lasting legacy, both for yourself and for Star of Hope as well other organizations you care about.

What can you donate in your will?

Many people choose to leave money in their will, but you can give any of your assets. This includes:

• Financial assets, like cash, stocks and bonds
• Real estate (you can even donate your house to charity!)
• Personal property, like your vehicle, jewelry or artwork
• You can also name a charity as the beneficiary of a non-probate asset, like your life insurance policy, retirement account or IRA

How do you donate in your will?

Once you decide you want to leave a legacy/planned gift, you’ll need to include this donation in your will.

Decide what you want to leave.

When it comes to leaving a bequest, you have a couple options. For example, you can:

• Name Star of Hope as the primary beneficiary for a specific gift, such as a certain amount of money or stock.
• Allocate a percentage of your total estate. Many people choose to leave 10% of their estate.

Name Star of Hope as a beneficiary in your will.

To identify Star of Hope, it’s helpful if you list:

• Full name
• Street address
• Employer Identification Number (EIN). This is a unique number issued by the IRS to a business entity.  Star of Hope can provide these three things for you.
• Primary beneficiary: Star of Hope will receive whatever assets you assign to them — for example, a cash gift.
• Secondary beneficiary: If your primary beneficiary passes away before you, your estate will go to the next beneficiary in line — in this case, Star of Hope.
• Residuary beneficiary: Star of Hope will receive any assets that you did not specifically name a beneficiary for in your will.

Let Star of Hope/other charity know about your gift.

Since charities rely on donations for funding, it is easier for them to forecast their finances if they know about your legacy gift in advance. And most charities are grateful for donations and want to thank donors like you!

If you plan to donate your assets to a nonprofit instead of passing them on to relatives, consider telling your loved ones so there aren’t any surprises.

Why donate to Star of Hope in your will?

A gift to Star of Hope in your Will or Estate will ensure that for many years to come we are able to bring life change to thousands of homeless men, women and children in Houston. Also, a Will or Estate gift allows you to be part of the Legacy of Hope Society, a very special group of donors who will help to make certain of our commitment to serve the homeless!

Transform the lives of the homeless – even after your lifetime!

Ready to learn more? Contact Wes Powell, Director of Planned Giving, by email at (713) 440-5302.