Gifts in Wills

Gifts in Wills

Your generosity can make a lasting impact for generations to come. By including Uplift in your will or estate plans, you help ensure that our mission continues well into the future. Legacy gifts such as bequests, trusts, or beneficiary designations are a powerful way to support our work while aligning with your financial goals.
 

How to Make a Gift Through your Legacy →

Join our Legacy Giving Circle and create a meaningful, enduring difference. To learn more about planned giving options, contact Ross Dessert at ross@uplift.org.

Beneficiary Designation→

Naming Uplift as the beneficiary of your retirement plan or life insurance policy is a quick and easy strategy, entirely separate from your will, that requires no lawyers or fees.
How it Works
  1. You request a "change of beneficiary" form from your plan administrator.
  1. You complete the form naming Uplift Organization as a full or partial beneficiary.
  1. You submit the form to the plan administrator and notify Uplift of the gift intention.
Benefits to You
  • Simplicity - these estate planning strategies require little paperwork.
  • You decide who is to benefit and you may change your mind at any time.
 
Notify Uplift of your designation

Designate a Beneficiary of your Bank and Investment Accounts →

You may also transfer assets directly to Uplift without going through probate by naming Uplift as a beneficiary via a Payable-On-Death (POD) form with your bank or, if assets are held in an investment account, by creating a Transferable on Death (TOD) deed with your brokerage firm.
How Bequests Work:
  1. You include a bequest provision in your Will or Trust designating a particular asset or a percentage to Uplift (EIN 43-1571915). [see sample bequest language]
  1. You inform Uplift of your gift so we may thank you and ensure that your wishes are clear and can be fulfilled
      2. Notify Uplift of your designation
  1. After your lifetime, your legacy gift lives on, helping Uplift to continue helping our homeless neighbors. Unrestricted gifts provide the greatest flexibility to address future priorities.
Benefits:
  • Bequest or trust designations can be changed at any time.
  • Your bequest or trust designation may not be subject to any potential federal estate tax.
  • If your gift includes real estate, you control the property during your lifetime.

Simple Bequest Language →

Here is sample language to include a bequest to Uplift while creating your Will or Trust, or by adding a simple codicil to an existing document:
I/We hereby give (% of my residuary estate, $ dollars, and/or specific asset) to Uplift (EIN # 43-1571915), a nonprofit organization with the address of PO Box 270175, Kansas City, MO 64127, for its unrestricted purposes.
 
 
 
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Short answer: Use “Gifts in Wills” or “Legacy Gifts,” not “Planned Giving.”
“Planned Giving” feels technical and institutional. “Gifts in Wills” is plain English, donor-centric, and fits Uplift’s voice. Use “Legacy Gifts” as the umbrella term, and “Gifts in Wills” as the primary entry point.
Here’s a clean package you can copy into the site.

Page title options

  • Legacy Gifts
  • Gifts in Wills
  • Leave a Gift for Your Neighbors

Opening copy (pick one)

  • Legacy gifts keep care close for years to come. When you include Uplift in your will, you help make sure our vans keep rolling and our neighbors are never left alone.
  • A gift in your will is a simple way to care for your neighbors on the street. It costs nothing today and it sustains Uplift’s work tomorrow.
  • We are a volunteer-led nonprofit. Legacy gifts are how ordinary people keep this going long after tonight’s route.

Plain list of ways to give a legacy gift

  • A gift in your will or trust
  • Beneficiary designation from an IRA, 401(k), or life insurance
  • Transfer on death from a bank or brokerage account
  • A percentage of your estate instead of a fixed amount
  • A contingent gift if other beneficiaries are no longer living

Donor-centric microcopy

  • Your first responsibility is to your people. If you are able, consider a small percent for your unhoused neighbors.
  • Any amount matters. One percent in a will can fund thousands of meals over time.
  • You do not need to tell us, but we would love to thank and honor you if you do.

CTAs

  • Add Uplift to my will
  • Tell Uplift about my legacy gift
  • Ask a question about legacy gifts
  • Get sample wording for my attorney

Sample wording block

“I give ___ percent of my estate, or the sum of ___ dollars, to Uplift Organization, a nonprofit in Kansas City, Missouri, to be used for its general charitable purposes.”
(Add your exact legal name, address, and EIN here on the site once confirmed. Keep this one short and factual.)

Advisor box

  • Share this page with your advisor.
  • We are happy to confirm legal details and gift use.
  • We cannot offer tax or legal advice.

Tone guide for this channel

  • Use “legacy gifts” and “gifts in wills.”
  • Avoid “planned giving” except in a small footer link for professionals.
  • Keep language simple, neighbor-focused, unfancy.
  • Prefer “we” and “our neighbors” over “you” language. Example: “When we include a gift in our wills, we keep care close for years to come.”

Small FAQ

Does a legacy gift have to be large?
No. Many people leave a small percentage. It all adds up.
Can I choose how my gift is used?
Yes. Unrestricted gifts let us meet the most urgent needs. If you have a specific intent, we will work with you to word it clearly.
What if I have already included Uplift?
Thank you. Let us know so we can honor your intent.

Optional program name

If you want a quiet recognition circle, keep it simple and aligned to Uplift:
  • The Neighbor Circle
  • The Rolling Care Circle
      • Or skip the name and simply say, “We honor legacy givers privately unless they ask to be listed.”

Pledge card and form checkboxes

  • I have included Uplift in my will or as a beneficiary
  • I am considering a legacy gift and would like simple info
  • I prefer no recognition

One-line philosophy for the page footer

Legacy gifts are how ordinary people keep ordinary goodness going.