Why Make-a-Will Month Is the Right Time to Think About Your Legacy

August is National Make-A-Will Month, which makes it a good time to think about something most of us are very good at putting off: making a will.

There are plenty of reasons to have one. A will helps make your wishes clear, provides direction for the people you care about, and allows you to decide what happens to the things you have worked for over a lifetime.

But it can also answer a bigger question: What do you want your impact to look like years from now?

For many people, the causes they support are an important part of the life they have built. A gift made through a will can extend that support into the future, creating an impact without changing the financial decisions you need to make today.

And for ALICE families across New Jersey?

That future support matters.

Sound interesting? Contact George.Xuereb@UnitedWayNNJ.org to learn more specifics.

A Legacy Rooted in Community

ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These are the workers we rely on every day who earn more than the Federal Poverty Level but still cannot afford the basics, including housing, food, health care, technology, and transportation.

Today, 1.3 million New Jersey households are struggling to cover those essentials.

They are our neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family members. They help keep our workplaces, businesses, and communities moving, often while living paycheck to paycheck themselves.

United Way of Northern New Jersey is working toward a future where ALICE workers can earn enough to meet their needs, build savings to weather an emergency, and have greater opportunity to achieve long term financial stability.

That work is not accomplished through one program, one donation, or one year. Meaningful change takes sustained investment.

That is where the idea of legacy becomes powerful.

Your Values Can Continue Your Story

We usually think about our legacy in personal terms. The people we helped. The relationships we built. The values we passed along. The community we helped make a little stronger.

A charitable gift included in a will can become another part of that story.

For someone who has supported ALICE during their lifetime, a legacy gift can help make sure that commitment continues. It can support future efforts to strengthen financial stability, respond when families face unexpected crises, expand access to critical resources, and address the barriers keeping hardworking New Jersey households from getting ahead.

And legacy giving is not reserved for people with extraordinary wealth.

A meaningful gift does not have to be enormous to matter. When combined with the generosity of others who share the same commitment to their community, individual gifts can become something much bigger.

Make-a-Will Month Is a Good Place to Start

Thinking about a will may never make the top of anyone's summer bucket list. But August's National Make-A-Will Month offers a useful reminder to consider what you want the future to look like, both for the people closest to you and for the community around you.

For now, that may simply mean starting the conversation. Think about the people, organizations, and causes that have mattered to you. Consider the values you want reflected in your plans. And, if you already have a will, consider whether it still represents what matters to you today.

A legacy is about more than what we leave behind.

It is about what we make possible for those who come after us.

And for ALICE families across New Jersey, your belief in a stronger, more financially stable community can continue making a difference for years to come.

Interested in learning more? Contact George.Xuereb@UnitedWayNNJ.org

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