We Each Play a Part in the Future of Lancaster County
You can become a part of The 24 Club, a group of engaged individuals committed to seeing the Lancaster County community thrive through legacy giving.
The Lancaster County Community Foundation is entrusted with stewarding our community’s endowment. With more than 540 funds and the ability to accept complex assets, we are your partner in philanthropic giving. Gifts made through the Community Foundation can be distributed to any 501(c)(3) that meets due diligence standards.
Leaving a legacy gift allows you to support the causes you care about without having to change your lifestyle today. Whether you are already working with a financial planner or just want to find out more, the Forever Lancaster team is here to talk you through your options.
What does it mean to leave a legacy gift?
Leaving a legacy gift means making a plan today to leave funds to an organization or cause you care about in the future. This plan can be relatively simple and can be changed at any time. When you leave a legacy gift through the Community Foundation, you become a part of The 24 Club, joining people across the county who are committed to giving towards the future of Lancaster.
Members of The 24 Club connect with the Community Foundation through yearly events, learning opportunities, and newsletters.
Who can leave a gift?
Planned gifts are an opportunity for people from all income levels to leave a lasting impact on their community. There is no minimum to include an organization in your will and no out-of-pocket cost.
Why a legacy gift through the Community Foundation?
By taking a little time today, you can contribute meaningfully to tomorrow. Writing an organization or cause you care about into your will helps to ensure it has a more sustainable future. A recent study by FreeWill showed that the average planned gift was $5,000, whereas the average cash gift hovers around $280.
The Community Foundation can accept complex assets such as appreciated stocks and real estate to create a fund that benefits organizations of your choosing. If you’re interested in leaving a gift that more broadly benefits Lancaster County, a legacy gift can also go directly to the Community Foundation for general or specific use.
Additionally, leaving a gift through your will gives you the opportunity to pay tribute to a loved one or name a fund in honor of your family.
How do you leave a gift?
Leaving a gift to an organization can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. Some examples:
- Naming an organization as an additional beneficiary on life insurance, employer-paid group life insurance, retirement, or IRA.
- Leaving a portion of an estate to an organization.
- Creating a charitable gift annuity (age 60 and up) at the Foundation.
- Leaving the remainder of an existing Donor Advised Fund.
- Listing the Community Foundation as the beneficiary of a trust.
The Forever Lancaster team is here to provide helpful information and resources on the options available to you. We’re happy to call, text, email, or meet in person to get to know you better. You can dream big about the future of Lancaster County. We’re here to help you find what works best for you!
Ready to leave a gift now?
To leave a gift at the Community Foundation:
- Fill out this letter of intent to let us know more about how you’d like your gift used (gifts can be left for the benefit of an organization of your choosing through the Foundation OR directly to the Foundation).
- Include the Community Foundation EIN number 20-0874857 in your plans as needed.
- Use the bequest language below in your will to direct a gift to the Community Foundation. Please speak with a trusted attorney or financial advisor as you consider the best way to give.
Bequest language
- I give and bequeath ____________________ [describe gift] to the Lancaster County Community Foundation (the “Foundation”) for general charitable uses and purposes, in accordance with the provisions specified in the Articles of Incorporation the Foundation, all of which provisions are hereby incorporated by reference and conclusively assented to and adopted.
- The Fund hereby created shall be known as ________________________________ __________________ (“Fund”).
- The Fund shall be disbursed to support the charitable purposes identified by me and in the manner provided on file at the Lancaster County Community Foundation.
- It is intended that the Fund shall be a component part of the Foundation and that no term, covenant, or condition of the Fund shall affect the status of the Foundation as an entity that is a qualified charitable organization.
- Any term, covenant, or condition of the Fund which is determined by the Foundation to be inconsistent with such intent shall be void ab initio and shall be deemed amended, modified, or deleted so as to eliminate such inconsistency.
- If in the sole discretion of the board of directors of the Lancaster County Community Foundation, any suggested designation or condition becomes, in effect, unnecessary, incapable of fulfillment, or inconsistent with the charitable needs of the community or area served, the board of directors may redirect distributions to other charitable causes in the community.
- The Foundation shall charge the Fund to the extent sufficient for reasonable and proper compensation for services and expenses.
