Updates

Leave a Legacy Plan for Miracles

<p>Plan for Miracles</p>

The Superpower of Thoughtful Planning

All charitable gifts make a difference, and some giving options have “superpowers” — unique advantages that allow for greater impact while aligning with your interests and values. These strategies empower you to make a significant contribution without immediate financial strain, offering flexibility and control over your assets.

Flexibility: A Gift in Your Will

You might want to make a major gift but are hesitant to part with assets you might need in the future. A gift in your will is a popular, enduring option because it allows you to:

  • create a carefully planned, meaningful charitable gift today
  • incur no immediate out-of-pocket cost
  • retain control of the gift property for life, with the ability to easily revise your will if your goals or circumstances change
  • make your gift in honor or in memory of someone special
  • enjoy the satisfaction of knowing your future gift will have a powerful impact on Texas Children’s patients

You have considerable flexibility in how you specify a gift in your will.

You can give:

  • specific property or a specific amount of money
  • a percentage of your estate
  • funds that are left in your estate after all other obligations are met

Example: Grace wants to include a charitable gift to Texas Children’s in her will. She considers donating 100 shares of stock but realizes the value of this gift could change significantly over time. Instead, she decides to leave a percentage gift — 40% of her estate to each of her two children and 20% to Texas Children’s. When Grace passes, her executor will distribute her assets according to her instructions.*

Adding a gift to your will may even allow you to make a larger gift than you might have initially considered. We can help you explore how this approach can fit into your overall estate plan.

Stealth: A Charitable Beneficiary Designation

Not all property passes under your will. Some assets pass directly to named beneficiaries. While this gift option is often overlooked, it’s easy to name Texas Children’s as the beneficiary of:

  • life insurance policies
  • IRAs and other retirement accounts
  • some donor-advised funds 
  • bank accounts (through a payable on death, or POD, designation)
  • stock and mutual fund shares (through a transfer on death, or TOD, designation)
  • real estate (through a TOD designation, allowable in more than half of U.S. states)

Like a gift in your will, you can change your beneficiary designation if your needs or goals change. You can name Texas Children’s as a: 

  • primary beneficiary (first in line to receive the funds) 
  • secondary or contingent beneficiary (receiving funds if the primary beneficiary cannot) 
  • partial or percentage beneficiary (receiving a specified portion of the funds)

Example: Years ago, when David’s wife passed, he filed a Change of Beneficiary form on his life insurance policy, making his two grown children the primary beneficiaries and Texas Children’s a contingent beneficiary. Now, both children are married with families of their own and are doing well financially. David plans to leave other assets to them and makes Texas Children’s the sole beneficiary of his life insurance policy. He meets his charitable goals while still retaining all his assets for use during retirement—all with the peace of mind of knowing that, if his situation changes, he can easily make another beneficiary change.*

Your advisors can help you implement this simple but effective option to best meet your planning goals. 

 

*Examples are for illustrative purposes only.

Abercrombie Legacy Society

Join a Tradition of Compassion:

The J.S. and Lillie Abercrombie Legacy Society
NICU Awareness Month with RN Annie Marsella


By including Texas Children’s in your estate plan, you can help ensure that children and women receive the care they need, regardless of their family’s ability to pay, while creating a lasting legacy rooted in compassion and hope. As a member of the Abercrombie Legacy Society, you will be recognized for your generosity and your commitment to advancing life-saving care for future generations.