We plan for vacations, new jobs, birthdays, anniversaries and many other milestones we hope to share with the people we love.

Estate planning is another way of planning for the future, but it can be one of those things that is easy to put off.

National Estate Planning Awareness Week, October 19–25, is a reminder to take a little time to think about what matters most and how you want those things to be cared for in the future.

An estate plan can help provide direction for your loved ones and make your wishes known. It can also be an opportunity to think about the causes and organizations you want to support long after you are gone.

For some people, that might mean leaving a gift to a college that played an important role in their life. For others, it might mean supporting an organization that represents something they have believed in for years.

At Pima Foundation, we see planned giving as an opportunity to create that kind of lasting connection.

A planned gift, or as we like to call it, a legacy gift, can support Pima Community College and its students well into the future. Through an estate plan, donors can designate Pima Foundation as a beneficiary and help provide opportunities for future generations of learners.

There are several ways to create a planned gift. A bequest through a will or trust is one of the most common. Donors may also consider charitable trusts, retirement plan assets, life insurance and other giving options. Each situation is different, which is why the Foundation recommends working with qualified legal and financial professionals when making these decisions.

And planning doesn’t have to mean knowing all the answers today, but rather just starting a conversation.

Ask yourself, what do you want to protect? Who do you want to provide for? What organizations or causes have meant something to you? And when you think about the future, what do you hope your generosity will make possible?

Those questions can lead to meaningful conversations with your family, your financial advisor or your attorney. And if philanthropy is part of your plans, maybe it involves a conversation with Pima Foundation.

A legacy gift is more than a financial decision, it can be a way to carry something forward.

For Pima Foundation donors, that might mean helping a future student earn a degree, supporting a program that prepares students for a career or strengthening opportunities at Pima Community College for years to come.

I know the word legacy can give a feeling that we are leaving something behind. But, what if we looked at it instead as something we help build ahead of us.

With that in mind, for this Estate Planning Awareness Week, take a moment to think about the future you want to help create and the people, places and possibilities you want to be part of it.

To learn more about planned giving with Pima Foundation, visit our planned gifts page or contact Diana Cannon at 520-206-4646 or via email diana@pimafoundation.org