How Generous of You! Choosing Charitable Organizations for Estate Giving

November 21, 2025

Estate planning is not just about deciding which of your loved ones will inherit your assets and belongings – it’s about intentionally designing the legacy you will one day leave behind.

For many people, charitable giving is an important part of that legacy. Including bequests to nonprofits and charities is a meaningful way to have an impact even beyond the span of your life. But with so many worthy causes to choose from, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which one(s) to make contributions to.  

Here are a few simple steps to help you identify charities that align with your passions, and some tips for maximizing your impact. 

1. Identify Causes You Care About

First, think about a few issues that you really care about: anything from animal welfare to food insecurity, reproductive rights, medical research, environmental conservation and sustainability, the arts, or any other charitable cause you feel passionately about. These can be broad or specific – you don’t need to narrow it down right away.

2. Decide Whether You Want to Give to Local or Nationwide/International Charities (or Both!)

Next, start thinking about where you want your money to go – would you rather support smaller, local charities or larger national or international organizations, or both? Here are some things to consider about each category: 

Local Charities

• Often have the most direct impact within your community, and your gift may go further when it comes to supporting specific needs and/or initiatives
• Frequently run primarily by volunteers and operate without paid staff (or with limited paid staff), and may have lower overhead costs 
• May have limited administrative capacity and may not be as well-equipped to receive and distribute large gifts
• Tend to be less stable over the long term

Larger National/International Organizations 

• Tend to have well-established structures, including strong governance and oversight frameworks
• Often have greater transparency and accountability because of public scrutiny, increased bandwidth as compared to smaller, volunteer-run organizations, and stricter regulations and requirements
• More likely to have long-term sustainability
• May have higher overhead costs, including line items such as large executive salaries
• Donors have less control over where their money goes and the populations they benefit

There’s no wrong answer when choosing between the two – ultimately, it just comes down to what aligns best with your personal values and experiences.

3. Ask Friends and Family for Recommendations

The best source of recommendations? Your friends and family! Personal experience is a powerful testament to which organizations are making a real difference in the world. 

4. Do Your Research

Once you have started to narrow down your list, take some time to research each charity. Visit sites like Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, Guidestar, and BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance for information about an organization’s financial practices, transparency, and governance. Searching for articles and media mentions via Google News can be helpful as well. 

You want to first and foremost verify that any organizations you plan to leave funds to are registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits. From there, look at:

• Mission and Values: Clear mission statement and documented values that align with their programs and initiatives
• Transparency: Clear and accessible financial records and program information
• Governance: Responsible leadership and management with oversight from a board of directors
• Reputation: A proven track record of positive community impact, ethical practices, and no accusations of wrongdoing or malfeasance
• Effectiveness: The most effective charities do the most good with the funds and resources they have. Experts say that the most effective charities can be orders of magnitude (up to and over 100x) as effective as others. 

Keep in mind that smaller organizations may not have the same available information as larger ones – this does not mean that they aren’t worth giving to! It may just take a little extra legwork to ensure your donations will be used as intended.

5. Reach Out to the Organization(s)

Once you have a final list of charities, it’s a good idea to reach out to each of them to let them know you are interested in planned giving and inquire about any requirements or specifications they may have.

Many organizations even have dedicated team members to guide you through this process and ensure your donations are used as intended, and some charities have donor recognition programs and may offer certain perks or benefits in exchange for your generosity. 

6. Document Your Wishes 

The most important step of all? Documenting your desired donations! Work with a qualified estate planning attorney to properly document your intentions in an estate plan. 

You have several options for structuring charitable gifts, depending on your goals. The simplest option is to include a bequest of funds or assets in your will or trust. If you go this route, you can choose a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your total estate. Another option is to designate a charity (or charities) as a beneficiary of a retirement account or insurance policy. 

A more advanced option would be establishing a donor-advised fund or charitable trust, like a charitable lead trust (CLT) or charitable remainder trust (CRT), which may offer tax advantages, and allows you to provide longer-term, more sustainable support to charitable causes, while also benefiting your heirs.

Whatever option you choose, it’s critical that you keep your documents up-to-date. We recommend reviewing and updating your estate plan at least once a year, or more frequently as your financial circumstances and/or philanthropic goals change. 

Your Life, Your Legacy

Selecting and vetting beneficiary organizations may seem like a lot of work, but the impact you can have through charitable giving far outweighs the cost of a few hours spent researching charities. With thoughtful consideration and guidance from experienced professionals, you can have an impact that lasts for generations. 

If you’re ready to create your legacy of love, call us at (301) 781-6683 to schedule a free estate evaluation!

Disclaimer: This article is current as of November 2025, and all content is provided for informational purposes only. None of the information provided in this article, or elsewhere on this website, shall constitute or be construed as legal advice. For information specific to your individual circumstances, call us at (301) 781-6683 today.