Here are the most common ways to significantly increase your ministry impact through your Will:

• Add “Charity” to your family. Some families treat charitable organizations like an additional child. For example, if a family has three children, they might add a fourth child named “Charity” and divide the assets in their Will into four equal parts. Each of their children would receive 25%, and the remaining 25% would be divided among their favorite charitable organizations.

• Percentage. Other families commit a percentage of their estate to the charitable organizations they love, dividing the remainder among their heirs.

• Cap. Others prayerfully decide to “cap” their children’s inheritance, leaving the rest of their assets to ministry. This approach is used when the parents want to provide a modest gift to bless their children and eliminate concerns of creating dependence or giving too much too soon.

• Update an existing Will. An attorney can add, delete, or change an item in your Will with an additional statement called a “codicil.” Here’s an example: “I give, devise, and bequeath twenty- five percent (25%) of my residuary estate to [charity name] whose address is [city, state, zip code]. Like a Will, a codicil must be dated, signed, and witnessed.