By Rebecca Harris
JACKSON – The Catholic Foundation was established in 1973 to help donors with planned giving gifts to support parishes, schools, and ministries in our diocese. Donors wish to express their gratitude to God for a lifetime of blessings. Due to the pandemic many of us have been thinking about our mortality. After all, each day on the news we are told how many people are dying of COVID in our country. That starts us thinking about – what if? We should also be asking ourselves what happens? What will happen to the things in my life if I have no will. Who decides where my possessions go if I have no will?

Those are important questions to ask yourself. Our loved ones may not know our intentions. The Catholic Foundation can help you think about how to plan out your will. They offer an estate planning kit to help understand the benefits of smart estate and gift planning. With the guidance of your own estate planner, you can determine what strategies work best for you.

What is planned giving?
A planned gift is a charitable donation that is structured during a donor’s lifetime, and it typically funded upon or after death. Planned gifts are a way for you to create a lasting legacy for future generations and support the ministries that matter most to you. Most planned gifts options require no cash outlay during your lifetime. Just as you plan for your future, so must parishes, schools and diocesan ministries like retired priests and seminarian education must plan for their future.

Are you ready to start your will?
Creating a will is not as difficult as it sounds. The Catholic Foundation can provide you with a will planning workbook; and is here to help with the bequest wording that you will need if you wish to leave a parish, school or ministry in your will. The will planning workbook can then be taken to your estate planning to help you execute your plan.

The Foundation office can also provide you with a funeral planning guide to take the burden of planning a funeral off your loved ones by providing them with your funeral wishes.

The Founcation is here to help!
The staff at the Catholic Foundation is here to help you determine which opportunities will work best for you. You do not have to be wealthy or at a certain stage of your life to make a difference. The Foundation hopes that when you are working on your estate planning that you consider your parish, Catholic school or other Catholic ministry in your decisions. A bequest in your will to your parish will have a long-term impact and you are putting your Catholic values in action.

The Catholic Foundation would be happy to work with you on the various ways to give and answer any of your questions. Please contact Rebecca Harris at the Catholic Foundation at 601-960-8477.