National Make-a-Will Month: Charitable Bequests Create Legacy of Enduring Impact

August 3, 2026

Creating a will or updating your estate plan are tempting items to leave off the to-do list. In the hustle and bustle of everything we have to do each day, it’s easy to keep delaying something many prefer not to think about.

However, August is National Make-a-Will Month, which offers an annual reminder to take the time to plan the legacy we hope to leave behind.

Creating or revising your will isn’t about doom and gloom. It’s an opportunity to take some control over an uncertain future. And for the charitably minded, adding charitable bequests to your will is a powerful way to ensure a legacy of lasting impact.

The Power of Estate Gifts

Legacy giving is one of the fastest-growing types of philanthropy. According to the latest Giving USA report, charitable bequests totaled more than $62 billion in 2025, increasing nearly 20% over the prior year.

A big reason why is that giving through your will is an easy, powerful way to make a difference. Instead of tapping into assets now, you can include charitable giving in your estate plan to ensure future support for causes and charitable organizations that are important to you. Also, you have lots of giving options through your estate plan. With a bequest of cash, real estate, stocks or other assets, you can create future support for your charitable priorities.

The Community Foundation is here to help you navigate your planned giving options. Our expert team will work in collaboration with your professional advisor to help you maximize your giving power. With an estate gift to the Community Foundation, you can create an endowment that fuels your legacy of support forever.

Your Philanthropy Partner

By including a gift to the Community Foundation in your will or estate plan, you lock in future support for an endowed charitable fund at the Community Foundation.

A bequest from your estate launches your charitable fund, which through careful investment the Community Foundation will shepherd and grow for generations to come.

Year after year, your endowed fund will fuel grants – in your name or anonymously, if you prefer – that change lives and transform our community. With the Community Foundation as your partner, your bold impact for Broward will never end.

Join Our ‘Legacy Society’

The dedicated local residents who make estate gift commitments to the Community Foundation are welcomed into our Legacy Society. They are invited to special events and receive e-newsletters, magazines and other updates about the work of the Community Foundation. Membership in the Legacy Society is one of the ways we say “thank you” today to these philanthropists whose future gifts will shape a brighter future.

The Legacy Society includes 200 visionary philanthropists whose future gifts will one day launch endowed charitable funds, in their names, that produce grants to support their charitable passions for generations to come. Combined these future gift commitments exceed $500 million in future support that will shape a brighter future for Broward.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ESTATE GIFTS.

CLICK HERE FOR SAMPLE TESTAMENTARY LANGUAGE YOU CAN USE FOR AN ESTATE GIFT.