Make Your Gift a Lasting Legacy
By Liv Newlon
Spring / Summer 2026 | Community 19
CREATING OR UPDATING your will can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’ t have to be. A thoughtful estate plan allows you to protect your loved ones, define your wishes and support the causes that matter most to you.
Estate planning is for everyone, explained Jill L. Miller, JD, LLM, principal of Jill Miller & Associates, P. C., a boutique trusts and estates firm with offices in New York and New Jersey. Miller, who also teaches estate planning at Columbia Law School, outlined ways to protect your intentions— and support MJFF— through estate planning.
A comprehensive plan typically includes four key components:
+ Will: Directs how your assets are distributed and allows you to designate charitable gifts.
+ Power of attorney: Names someone to manage financial decisions if you are unable to do so.
+ Health care proxy: Appoints someone to make medical decisions on your behalf.
+ Living will: Outlines your wishes for end-of-life care.
Together, these documents ensure your intentions are clearly defined and honored.
Understanding Estate Gifts: In your will, you have the chance to leave a bequest, or gift, to a nonprofit organization. A charitable bequest passes to the organization tax-free and creates a lasting legacy of generosity and impact.
If you choose to include a bequest in your will, it’ s important to work with an attorney to ensure the language is accurate and your wishes are properly documented.
Another simple, tax-efficient option is naming a nonprofit as a beneficiary of your retirement account( such as a 401( k) or an IRA). Because these assets can be heavily taxed when passed to individuals, directing them to a nonprofit allows the full value of the gift to go toward advancing a charitable mission. In many cases, you can make this change directly through your account provider without revising your will.
Estate gifts are flexible. If your circumstances or intentions change, you can update your plans by speaking with your attorney, tax advisor or financial institution.
For more information on estate planning, email plannedgiving @ michaeljfox. org.