Your estate gift to Bridge Communities can help change the lives of families experiencing homelessness in DuPage County, achieve your financial goals, and leave a lasting legacy of generosity.
How will you be remembered?
Your decision to make an estate gift is a personal statement about what you care about and who you are.
Your estate gift to Bridge Communities can help change the lives of families experiencing homelessness in DuPage County, achieve your financial goals, and leave a lasting legacy of generosity.
There are many way to make a lasting legacy and receive the assurance that your personal goals will be achieved in perpetuity.
To help you get started on your plans and legacy, you can use FreeWill, an online tool that guides you
through the process of creating your will or trust. It’s easy to use, accessible online, and can be
completed in 20 minutes. You can use this resource on its own, or use it to document your wishes before finalizing your plans with an attorney.
Have you already included a gift in your will or trust? Please fill out this form to let us know! We would love to thank you for your generosity.
To learn more about how you can Create Your Legacy, please contact Kristin Short at 630-403-5101. All inquiries will be held in strict confidence.
Cornerstone Society
The Cornerstone Society honors those who have made a commitment to the future of Bridge Communities through an estate gift, such as a bequest, living trust, life insurance, charitable gift annuity or other arrangement.
When you designate Bridge Communities as the recipient of your estate gift, you are inducted into the Cornerstone Society. The names of members who choose to be recognized (as opposed to those who wish to remain anonymous) will be listed in Bridge Communities' annual report and other publications related to the Cornerstone Society. Members will also receive invitations to special recognition and mission events.
Zed and Cheryl Francis are charter members of the Cornerstone Society for Bridge Communities. As longtime volunteers and donors to Bridge Communities, they felt it was only natural to include Bridge Communities in their estate plans. To assure that the Francis' philanthropic goals will be achieved, they have created a new family foundation as part of their estate plans. The foundation will provide funding for Bridge Communities along with other charities important to the Francis'.
You can also become a member of the Cornerstone Society. If you are interested in exploring your planned giving options, please contact Kristin Short at 630-403-5101.
Assets You Can Give to Bridge Communities
Do you have an IRA, 401(k), life-insurance policy, or any other assets not included in your will? If so, these are called non-probate assets and you must plan your beneficiaries for them separately. Use this online tool to make your plans and designate us as a beneficiary of one or more of these assets.
Under your will or other estate planning agreements, you can provide not only for your loved ones, but for organizations like Bridge Communities. These special gifts will make a lasting impact on the services that Bridge can provide to families facing homelessness. When making or revising your will or other estate plan agreements, you should obtain the assistance of an advisor or attorney.
Assets Options to Consider:
Cash - maximize your charitable deduction and deliver immediate benefits to Bridge Communities.
Life Insurance - use an unneeded policy to make a lasting donation. Donate an unfulfilled policy and use the annual premium payments as your annual contribution to Bridge Communities.
Real Estate - make a gift to Bridge Communities through a transfer of developed residential or commercial real estate. Consider donating your rental property to help Bridge Communities grow its capacity to serve more needy families.
Retirement Plans - The balance of your retirement plan may be worth more when donated to Bridge Communities than to your heirs.
Appreciated Securities - The IRS allows you one of its most significant tax breaks for gifts of appreciated securities. The donation of securities is easy through Bridge's partnership with The Northern Trust Bank.
Personal Property - Support Bridge Communities with a donation of appraised personal property, such as jewelry, equipment or artwork. All donations are subject to appraisal and marketability.