Make-A-Will Month 2024
The Power of Planned Giving
August is National Make-A-Will Month—an annual reminder to review your future plans and ensure your wishes are recorded. Here at NYF, Make-A-Will Month 2024 is special. As we continue to honor Founder Olga Murray’s memory, 2024 has become a year focused on legacy.
This post includes new details on NYF’s Legacy Circle and the benefits of early estate planning. We also share more about our new partnership with FreeWill, a free, supportive estate planning resource.
The Nepal Youth Foundation prides itself on building transformational change with slow and steady strength. We make long-term promises to individual children and families, devoting focused attention to creating sustainable, generational triumphs. We devote tremendous effort to refining each program, improving upon our remarkable outcomes year after year. And in everything we do, we think ahead, considering the practical long-term needs of the Nepali children and young people in our care.
Olga’s Legacy
In a time of shortened attention spans and instant gratification, Olga built NYF on principles deeply rooted in wisdom she acquired over nearly a century of lived experience. She knew that truly sustainable social change requires hard work, patience, and committed supporters.
Olga was adamant that at NYF, “we finish what we start.” Launching NYF’s Legacy Circle was just one of the ways Olga committed to ensuring her life’s work continued beyond her lifetime. She became the Legacy Circle’s original member by including NYF as a beneficiary in her estate plans. And NYF’s team set to work raising awareness of the power of planned giving.
Legacy gifts like Olga’s help ensure our proven, transformative programming can withstand unexpected disasters like pandemics and earthquakes. They allow us to maximize the care we offer to the children we serve. Most of all, these remembrances provide the stability we need to continue serving Nepali children long into the future.
The Legacy Circle
The Legacy Circle is NYF’s way of saying Dhanyabad, or Thank You, to those who remember us in their estate plans.
To join this special group of NYF supporters, all you need to do is let us know you’ve included us in your will or other plans. No minimum bequest is required.
There are many ways to make a legacy gift, including gifts of cash, stock, real estate, retirement funds, life insurance, and more. To learn more about these giving approaches (and ways they may lower tax burdens for your family), please explore our Planned Giving page!
If you have included NYF in your estate plans but are unsure whether NYF is aware of this, please share those details through this form provided by FreeWill.
NYF is currently developing ways to honor the deeply committed individuals who have chosen to join our Legacy Circle. Legacy Circle members receive:
- An enamel lapel pin designed exclusively for NYF’s Legacy Circle.
- Annual Special Impact Report packets including stories, photos, and detailed updates from our programming.
- Small annual gifts (often Nepali tea) with an invitation to a personal meeting with U.S. Executive Director Ryan Walls.
- Early invitations to events like Founder’s Day.
Three Reasons to Make Your Will Now
Many people are surprised to learn that around two-thirds of American adults do not have an up-to-date will.
Reasons for this include not knowing where to start, feeling overwhelmed by the process, and believing only extremely wealthy people benefit from these documents.
Fortunately, starting your estate planning is easier than ever with free tools like FreeWill. And there are many reasons to create or update your estate plan during Make-A-Will Month 2024. Here are just three:
1. A formal will is an important legal document for everyone to have.
All adults, whether you’re 18 or 80, and whether your estate is large or small, should have a will. Your will allows you to distribute your property and protect your loved ones after you pass away.
When you consider your belongings, you may find that you have more property than you realize: your home, vehicles, furniture, clothing, books, sentimental items, and more. With so many assets stored digitally today, you may also possess financial accounts your loved ones are unaware of.
No matter what your age, stage of life, or socioeconomic status, maintaining an up-to-date record of your wishes for your property will ensure that those wishes are carried out, no matter what happens. Many people also find that keeping estate plans up-to-date encourages them to live more fully in the present and enjoy the people they have safeguarded for the future.
2. It provides peace of mind to you and your family.
Times of loss are highly stressful for families. Creating a will prevents family conflict that may arise when wishes for property are unclear. A will gives your family guidance and reassurance that they can fulfill your wishes during this difficult time.
Your will can also name a legal guardian for your minor children and identify who should care for your pets.
Depending on your state’s laws, the absence of a will may result in your estate being distributed by a court system that does not understand your values or your relationships. It may also increase the tax burden on your heirs.
Your up-to-date will is a loving gift to your heirs and beneficiaries, giving them peace of mind during a challenging time. Knowing you have prepared this gift for them gives you peace of mind, too.
3. It lets you create a legacy that lasts beyond your lifetime.
Olga lived to be 98 and a half—an incredible, full, inspirational lifetime she lived to the fullest.
None of us live forever. But Olga has shown us that your power to make a positive impact on the world can last long after you leave it.
Leaving a gift for a nonprofit in your will costs you nothing during your lifetime. But it makes a tremendous positive impact on causes close to your heart for years to come. And as the children who benefit from your gift grow up and invest in the next generation, their triumphs become part of your transformative legacy.
NYF and FreeWill: Make-A-Will Month 2024
This Make-A-Will Month, making a will is easier than ever through FreeWill. FreeWill is a free online tool that will walk you through the process step-by-step. At the end, FreeWill provides you with your completed document, plus clear instructions on how to make it legally binding in your state (for example, letting you know whether you need witnesses or a notary).
Those living outside of the United States or who have more complex estates may still benefit from using FreeWill’s tool as a starting point. Take the completed document with you when you visit your lawyer or financial advisor to use as an outline.
If you choose to leave a gift for a nonprofit like NYF in your will, FreeWill makes that process simple, too.
If you’ve already completed your formal will, this month is a great time to review it! Estate attorneys recommend doing so every three to five years, or whenever you experience a big change (getting married, moving states, or welcoming a new child or grandchild). Things often change faster than we realize, so regularly updating your preferences is important.
You may also wish to make sure you’ve named beneficiaries for your life insurance policies or retirement accounts.
Through NYF’s new partnership with FreeWill, information on estate planning is available right on our website. Click here to start today!
Dhanyabad!
Thank you for everything you do to help support transformative change in the lives of Nepal’s children.
NYF’s entire global team—and the children and families we serve—are so grateful for the tremendous progress your love has made possible since Olga founded this organization in 1990. From all of us: dhanyabad.