Ways to Give: Estate Gifts
First Article in a Series

Here at AIM at Melanoma, we are fortunate to be frequently asked an important question: What are the different ways we can give? Generally, people want to know if there are impactful ways to give in addition to writing a check. The answer is YES! This article is the first in a monthly series in which we will share ways to give that might be a good fit for your circumstances and that can increase your impact on our mission.

Estate Gifts

An “estate gift” is a fancy way of saying a gift that is designated in your will.

If you are a close reader of AIM’s newsletters, you’ve probably seen mention over the last year of our partnership with FreeWill, a company that offers a free, online estate planning tool for anyone to create a will (or a Revocable Living Trust if you’re in California). Once signed, the document you create is a legal, valid will. The tool allows you to not only create the will, but as part of the process to designate gifts to charitable causes, such as to AIM at Melanoma.

We first discovered FreeWill through the AIM community. Several years ago, we were notified that a number of people had included us in their estate plans created through FreeWill. After further research, we decided to partner with FreeWill to offer their service to anyone and everyone who needs to create a will. Important note: There is no requirement to give to AIM or another non-profit; the service allows you to create a will with or without charitable giving.

We’re thrilled with the response: Dozens of community members have created a will and designated a gift to AIM as part of their process. Thank you!

Over 65% of Americans do not have a will. But we ALL need one, no matter who we are, how old we are, or how healthy we are. Having an up-to-date will—even a simple one—is an essential way to protect the people we love.

So if you don’t yet have an estate plan, check out FreeWill. And if you are seeking an impactful way to give to AIM, designate a gift in your will.

One of our donors who used FreeWill said it best:

AIM resources helped me and my family through my husband’s diagnosis and treatment. I’m forever grateful, and I give regularly, but not as much as I’d like to. I decided to designate a gift in my estate to say thank you and to further melanoma research so other families in the future don’t have to suffer as we have.

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