United Way
of Whatcom County

3 Alternative Giving Channels with FreeWill

November 3, 2022

At United Way of Whatcom County, we love keeping our fantastic donors (that means you!) up to date with the latest available giving channels to support the life-changing work we do. While workplace campaigns, sponsorships, and cash donations make up a large bulk of the funds we receive, there are other ways to give. These alternative giving channels not only allow you to make a difference in our community today, but let you leave a legacy of generosity and change for tomorrow. While various avenues for making these kinds of gifts exist, FreeWill makes it simple and easy to give.

What is FreeWill?

FreeWill is an online platform that allows you to create your full, legally-binding will. It also provides a variety of intuitive channels that let you make current and planned charitable donations to the causes you care about most. Charitable giving is integral to FreeWill’s design. Since its founding, people using this platform have committed more than 6.6 billion dollars to nonprofits close to their hearts.

Giving Channels Through FreeWill

 

Legacy Giving: Bequests

Regardless of estate size, a will is an incredibility important document to have and the only way to ensure your final wishes are carried out. FreeWill makes it simple to create your will and leave planned gifts to the causes you care about most. Bequests allow you to pledge a gift of money, property, or other assets. This type of giving is not fulfilled until distributions of your estate take place, meaning bequests are meant as future gifts to an organization.

FreeWill has a dedicated United Way form that allows you to complete your will and give directly to your United Way of choice.

How It Works

Will creation and planned giving with FreeWill are 100% free and a great way to create or start your will.

  1. To get started, go to freewill.com/UnitedWay.
  2. After inputting your information, you will come to page that allows you to leave a legacy gift. United Way of Whatcom County should auto-populate in this section. Select our United Way and designate your gift amount.
  3. After you’ve made your gift, it’s time to sign your will. Make sure you have two witnesses present.
  4. That’s it!

For those with larger estates, mixed families, loved ones with special needs, or other situations that may require legal counsel, this platform can still be a great tool to get started. FreeWill provides you with forms and summaries of your wishes that can be shared with your attorney, streamlining the process.

Naming a Contingent Beneficiary

Another way to include charitable giving in your will is by designating United Way of Whatcom County as a contingent beneficiary. As you plan the distribution of your estate, you will be asked to name contingent beneficiaries in addition to a primary. Naming a contingent beneficiary allows you to provide an alternative person or entity to inherit your assets in case the primary beneficiary is not able to receive them for any reason. Whether you’ve already designated assets to United Way elsewhere in your will or haven’t but want to include us in some way, this is a great way to incorporate legacy giving into your last wishes.

Create your online will today. It only takes 20 minutes!

Stock Donation

FreeWill also allows you to donate stock directly to United Way of Whatcom County. Appreciating assets can have an enormous impact when donated and go far in helping fund the work that we do.

In addition to stock, you may consider gifting other appreciation assets as well, including real estate or other property.

Make a stock donation to United Way of Whatcom County.

Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)/IRA Distributions

Adults 70.5 and older who have a traditional IRA are eligible to make tax-free donations from their IRA to satisfy their Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). This is true even if you don’t itemize deductions on your tax return. Reduce your tax-burden and invest in the wellbeing of your community with a QCD donation to United Way of Whatcom County.

Give a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) Gift

Every Gift Makes a Difference

Whatever giving channel you use, you can feel great knowing your gift will help change the lives of children and families in Whatcom County.

From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU. Your generosity is the driving force behind everything we do. Since the beginning, United Way has focused on giving back to the community through the power of collective impact. Whether your gift is for today or tomorrow, we are so thankful for your commitment to seeing your community changed for the better, and for generations to come.

Your gift to United Way of Whatcom County helps fund all these incredible programs, including Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library! Our mission is financial stability for every person in Whatcom County, and we invite you to join us in making a difference in our community!

Make a gift to United Way of Whatcom County today.