You may not be loaded like billionaire investor Robert F. Smith and have the ability to pay off student loans for an entire graduating class, but you can make a difference with the wealth you steward. There are opportunities all around you to pay it forward and your giving doesn’t have to end at your death. It can be included in your estate plan.

 As an estate planning attorney, I encourage my clients preparing a Will or Trust to think about their favorite charity, a cause they’re passionate about, or their church and consider leaving a final gift. Oftentimes we think about planned giving as something only the wealthy can indulge in. Sure, your plan will look different depending on the size of your gift but that shouldn’t stop you from giving.  You may never be publicly recognized like the Roberts, the Oprahs, the Warrens and the Bills & Melindas of the world, but you can have a positive impact on an organization, church or individual despite the size of your estate.

And yes, I practice what I preach….as parents of two little people; we are raising our children to think about wealth creation beyond meeting our financial needs as a family. At ages five and eight, our children are already engaged in projects that use family wealth to meet the needs of others. Currently as a family, we are giving and raising funds through our nonprofit, Servants Without Borders to fund 32 scholarships for students in Grade 7 at the Cheery Children Education Centre in Nairobi, Kenya.  Our commitment to using family wealth as a force for good is also reflected in our estate plan. Our hope, regardless of the size our estates at death, is that our children will continue what we started–using family wealth as a force for good!

Don’t get intimated by the words “planned-giving” or the size of your gift. You can have a positive impact on the world through your giving during your lifetime and beyond.

 To learn more about our #ShowerKiberaKids campaign please visit:  https://www.gofundme.com/ShowerKiberaKids