Leave a Legacy of Impact
Planned giving is a powerful way to ensure your values live on and your generosity continues to strengthen our community for generations to come. By including United Way of Forsyth County in your will, trust, or other estate plans, you can help create lasting change for children, families, and neighbors in Forsyth and Dawson Counties—long after today.
How it Works
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Choose Your Gift Type – Decide whether to make a bequest in your will, name United Way as a beneficiary on a retirement account or life insurance policy, or set up another planned giving option that works for you.
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Work with Your Advisor – Consult with your financial or legal advisor to ensure your gift aligns with your goals, financial plans, and family needs.
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Notify United Way – Let us know about your planned gift so we can thank you, recognize your generosity, and ensure your legacy reflects your wishes.
Why it Matters
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Sustains Local Impact – Your gift ensures that United Way programs and partnerships will continue to meet community needs well into the future.
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Aligns With Your Values – You choose the focus areas or programs you care about most, creating a legacy that reflects your life’s passions.
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Maximizes Your Resources – Planned gifts can offer tax benefits and allow you to make a larger impact than you might have thought possible.
Ways to Give Through Planned Giving
Including United Way of Forsyth County in your will or living trust is one of the simplest ways to make a lasting impact. You can designate a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder after other gifts are made to loved ones. This option allows you to maintain control of your assets during your lifetime while ensuring your legacy strengthens our community for generations.
By naming United Way as a beneficiary of your IRA, 401(k), or other retirement plan, you can make a meaningful gift while potentially reducing taxes for your heirs. This method is often one of the most tax-efficient ways to give, as retirement funds left to individuals can be subject to income tax, while gifts to charity are not.
Life insurance can be a powerful giving tool. You can name United Way as the full or partial beneficiary of a new or existing policy, or even donate a policy you no longer need. This option allows you to make a larger gift than you might otherwise be able to give during your lifetime, with a relatively small investment.
Establishing a charitable remainder trust or charitable lead trust allows you to support United Way while also providing income for yourself or your loved ones for a set period of time. At the end of the trust term, the remaining assets are transferred to United Way to continue your legacy of community impact.
Beyond cash, you can give appreciated stock, bonds, mutual funds, or even real estate as part of your estate plan. These gifts may provide significant tax advantages while turning your investments into lasting benefits for children, families, and neighbors in Forsyth and Dawson Counties.
Create Your Last Will & Testament for Free
With FreeWill, your legacy and the future of our community is in your hands. FreeWill is a free, intuitive way to create your full legal will, or to begin your plans before consulting a lawyer. This tool is free to you whether or not you choose to include a gift to us and only takes about 20 minutes to complete.
Making a will gives you peace of mind today and leaves a legacy that supports the people and causes most important to you. Getting started is easier than you think and you can make changes for free at any time.
Visit FreeWill.com/UnitedWay to start writing your will (or make a new one to update yours).*
Leave a lasting legacy by choosing to leave a gift to Trident United Way (or any other charity of your choice) by using the drop-down menu.
Sign your will with two witnesses and you’re all set!
You can also use the tool to document your wishes and find an attorney near you.