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It is with great joy that I announce the pending release of my first book publication, Middle Class Philanthropist: How anyone can leave a legacy . It will be available for purchase November 1, 2013. Predating democracy, capitalism, organized religion, and as old as humanity itself, philanthropy exists because things often go wrong, and things can always be better in our world.  Nothing about philanthropy requires a person to have excessive amounts of money to make a difference.  In Middle Class Philanthropist: How anyone can leave a legacy, Melinda Gustafson Gervasi redefines the conventional view of philanthropy, providing simple and practical tools by which anyone can leave a legacy. Purchases can be made by clicking on this image of the book cover.

It's official, I am now a parent with children who raise funds for causes.  And the first is their non-profit school, Madison Waldorf .  Currently in the sprint towards the finish of it's Spring on-line auction, one can bid on a variety of items and services: yoga, Beerfest, baseball tickets, drawing lessons, and thanks to me a free will and powers of attorney .  Valued at $350, it can be had for less based on this morning's winning bid.  Save some money on necessary papers, and help a non-profit school at the same time.

Save a tree, save money -- stop the mailings!  Image by M. Gustafson Gervasi, 2013 When a client decides to make a bequest to a non-profit in his or her will, a smile is guaranteed to emerge on my face.  What a lovely way to plant the seeds of a legacy, and you don't have to be millionaire to make a difference (the theme of my upcoming book).  Such a smile made an appearance on my face earlier this year when a client, facing a terminal diagnosis, took his belief in stewardship and named a list of nearly 40 non-profits he had supported during his lifetime. Stewardship was his motivation; carefully overseeing the distribution of his final estate.  Sadly, my smile has faded.  Not only did this kind man loose his battle, passing away quite quickly.  Many of the non-profits he listed have poured a jaw dropping amount of literature into my office.  Some have been via email, but most have been hard copies. Yes, contacting the attorney who informed th...

Late last year I blogged about how Gilda's Club decided to change its name, and it appears that the non-profit listens to members and the general public.  Following huge outcry, the organization has opted to keep the name.  In my original post I did not realize that it was only the Wisconsin Chapter proposing the change,a fact that is much more apparent in the news coverage.  For more on the story, visit NPR's coverage. When first hearing of the change it reminded me of a topic I routinely address with clients -- when including a non-profit in your will, it is essential to include the phrase "or its legal successor organization" because as shown here, names change.  Sometimes it is minor, such as adding "Inc." or "Foundation" other times it is more drastic. I will leave you with a clip, honoring the comedian from which Gilda's Club emerged.  Thanks for reading, and I will be back next week with more thoughts on illness, death and taxes for ...

Image credit:  www.sxc.hu - free image Kudos to you if you have 1) completed a will, and 2) named a charity as either a primary or contingent beneficiary.  Welcome to a minority of Americans who have taken charge of what will happen to assets upon death and who will oversee the process.  However, there is one lingering question I would ask about those named charities -- does the language take into account the fact that non-profits routinely modify and change their name?  If not, it's time for a will update in my humble opinion. Earlier this week my local newspaper ran a story about how the non-profit Gilda's Club was changing its name to Cancer Support Community .  The reason, younger folks fighting cancer, the groups target audience, were born after Gilda Radner's death and do not know who she is.  Thus they do not make the connection to younger people fighting cancer.  I tested this on my law student working with me today, who was born in 198...

This past Mother's Day I read a moving article in my local news paper that profiled the parents behind the non-profit Mikayla's Grace.  Created as a method of healing after the death of their prematurely born daughter, Mike and Melissa Terrill hope to ease the pain for parents suffering a similar loss. The couple's second pregnancy did not goes as planned, and in June 2010 their infant daughter was born 3 months premature, weighing just over 1 pound.  She lived for 36 hours.  My heart went out to this couple as I read their story.  My daughter was born 1 month premature the following month.  Unlike them, her weight was strong and she came home as planned. In an effort to address the pain of other parents, the non-profit they created supplies boxes with items to ease the process: notebooks to write down information (ofen mom and baby are in separate rooms), a tin for a lock of hair, disposable cameras, and a kit to make an hand or food inprint). The fact t...

According to this report, a $20 million foundation has been created in the name of Robert and Eleanor Franke . Having built a fortune with a career in railroad industry, Franke wanted to give back. While I love hearing about such generous giving, I hope amounts like $20 million don't discourage middle class folks from being charitable. Every penny can make the difference in the world of a non-profit. Ways to make a difference include naming a non-profit: in your will as a primary or contingent beneficiary in your will; on your life insurance as a primary or secondary beneficiary; as a primary or secondary beneficiary on your retirement accounts; creating a charitable trust; or leaving the charity a specific item to auction or sell (vehicle, collection, home, etc.). As always, seek legal counsel prior to making or changing your estate plan.