Especially for Millennials, a generation known for both its shaky finances and strong social commitment, estate planning can be a way to help out a beloved cause without actually going into hock.

As Russell James of Texas Tech University noted in his research on the subject, among “adults aged 55 and above who have completed a will or trust there is an increased trend to include a charity as a beneficiary,” with likelihood of estate giving going up by nearly a quarter from 2000 to 2010. Planned giving, including estate planning, has become a major facet of fundraising drives at virtually every level.

The appeal is simple: it’s a way of knowing that ideas and causes you care about are being taken care of.
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