Every August, National Make-A-Will Month asks us to do something most of us keep putting off: sit down and write, or update, our will. It’s easy to see why people procrastinate when it comes to estate planning. It’s the kind of task that’s important but never urgent, so it keeps getting pushed to next month. But a will is really a document about the people, places, and causes you love. 

According to Caring.com’s 2024 Wills & Estate Planning Study, only about one in three Americans currently has a will in place. That means most families are leaving decisions about their homes, savings, and belongings up to state law rather than their own wishes, and it means most people are also missing a simple, no-cost opportunity to support the organizations and causes that have meant so much to them. 

At Park City Community Foundation, we see Make-A-Will Month as more than a legal to-do. It’s an invitation to think about legacy and to consider making your will a force for good in your community. 

Your Will Is a Values Document 

A will isn’t only about dividing assets. It’s a statement of what matters to you. Alongside naming guardians for children or deciding who inherits the family cabin, your will can also say: this place and the people who make it strong matter to me too. 

For many of our donors, that means including a gift to Park City Community Foundation, either as a fixed amount, a percentage of the estate, or what’s left after other bequests are fulfilled. This kind of gift, often called a charitable bequest, is one of the simplest and most flexible ways to build a lasting legacy in Park City and Summit County. It costs nothing during your lifetime, can be updated any time your circumstances change, and can be directed toward the issues you care about most, whether that’s affordable housing, early childhood education, mental health, or our Community Fund that allows us to respond where the need is greatest. 

A Gift That Outlasts You 

A charitable bequest becomes part of the resources our community can rely on potentially for decades — funding local nonprofits, responding to emerging needs, and keeping Park City a place where people can afford to live, work, and their families can thrive, long after the gift is made. 

We’ve seen firsthand what this kind of long-term thinking makes possible in our own community, through the work of partners tackling Park City and Summit County’s greatest challenges. A will that includes a charitable bequest extends that work indefinitely — it’s philanthropy on a timeline longer than any single career or lifetime.  

Why It’s Easier Than You Think 

Many people assume estate planning requires a complicated legal process or a large fortune. In reality, three simple lists get most people started: 

• Your assets — real estate, savings, retirement accounts, life insurance, and personal property. 

• The people you’d like to honor with a gift. 

• The organizations that have shaped your life through which you’ve already made an impact. 

That third list is where this community comes in. If Park City has been part of your story — if you’ve watched a neighbor find stable housing, a local student get a sports scholarship, or a nonprofit step up in a moment of crisis — a charitable bequest is a way of saying thank you as part of your legacy. 

Getting Started This Month 

You don’t need to have all the answers to begin. Here’s a simple way to use Make-A-Will Month to your advantage: 

• If you don’t have a will yet: Start with the three lists above, then talk to an estate planning attorney about turning them into a legal document. Many donors find the process takes far less time than they expected. 

• If your will is out of date: August is a natural nudge to review it, especially if your family, finances, or the causes you care about have changed. 

• If you already have a will: Consider whether it reflects everything you value today, including any local organizations close to your heart. 

However you approach it, we’d be glad to talk with you about what a legacy gift to Park City Community Foundation could look like, with no obligation and no pressure. These conversations are some of the most meaningful we have all year, because they’re about what you hope Park City and Summit County look like for the generations that follow. 

Your will is one of the few documents that lets you speak for the future. This Make-A-Will Month, consider letting it speak for the community you love. 

Learn more about planned giving on our website. If you’d like to explore the idea of including Park City Community Foundation in your estate plans, please reach out to Alexis Brown, VP of Development at alexis@parkcitycf.org or 435-731-4303.