Published on September 1, 2017
Have you ever asked yourself, “What is the purpose of life?” What will endure from the hard work, failures and successes, good decisions and good fortune you have created throughout your life? Do you hope that this world, even if only the small part of the world you reside, is a better place because you lived?
Of course you do. We all do. But how do you create a lasting legacy?
We most commonly look at how we spend our time. We volunteer where we worship, or at our children’s schools or with causes near and dear to our hearts. We might drop off last season’s clothes or donate an old lamp for charity or back-to-school supplies for children in our community. When we think of financial support, we might send in a contribution at the end of the year or in response to a request or call for help. But how many of us think beyond the Now when it comes to impacting causes that mean something to us and making a transformational difference? The answer is: Not enough.
Through planned giving, you can ensure that Alive will be in a position to not only continue our sacred service but improve and expand it so that anyone that seeks our services will be able to die with dignity regardless of ability to pay.
Between simply not knowing or assuming they are not in a position to make an impactful gift, many people miss their opportunity to truly effect the change they wish to see. But we want to change that. We want to educate others so they will have the information needed to discuss a planned gift with their financial advisor. We suspect you will be amazed at the potential you have to make an impact here in Middle Tennessee.
If Alive cared for someone you love, then you know firsthand the compassionate and loving care we provide in the most sacred of spaces in the human experience. If you are a physician that has ever delivered the heartbreaking end of life diagnosis, or if you simply believe as we do that the culture of death and dying must change in our society, then we would be honored to partner with you to ensure our mission continues into perpetuity. Our vision is to be the national and international leader in hospice care, palliative care, grief support and education about the end of life, but we cannot do this without significant support from people just like you.
Planned giving is the term used to describe the many vehicles a person can use to make a transformational gift that will create a lasting legacy – a gift that otherwise may not be feasible in their lifetime. In most cases, including a charitable gift in your estate planning will benefit not only your charity but your heirs as well. It is absolutely worth your time to educate yourself and speak with someone trained in charitable estate planning.
Alive has been the beneficiary of bequests that have allowed us to increase the number of people we serve, the level of care we provide, and the education and outreach we share throughout our community. It is a true to joy to walk alongside a supporter who realizes they can make a gift of magnitude that will ensure Alive will be in a position to not only continue our sacred service but improve and expand it so that anyone that seeks our services will be able to die with dignity regardless of ability to pay.
Alive Hospice has a dedicated staff of development professionals who would be honored to share their knowledge and explore your options of making a planned gift. We accept gifts of stock, bequests, charitable remainder trusts and several other forms of estate planning. It would be our pleasure to work with you, your family and your financial planner to create a lasting legacy that you gives you pride. We will be forever grateful for being the recipient of your generosity with your most personal asset: your life’s work.
To discuss planned giving options, please contact Heather Kantor, Major Gift Officer at 615-456-4314 or hkantor@alivehospice.org.