Hi John,
Updating or creating your will or other estate plan may seem like a daunting task, but often, it's much easier than it may sound. It is an important, simple step that provides peace of mind.
There are countless reasons why you should prioritize updating your estate plan, but because National Estate Planning Awareness Week starts on October 16, here are our top 3 reasons:
1. Provide for your loved ones and the causes you care about. And while you’re updating your will, don’t forget to update your beneficiary designations! Certain assets — like retirement accounts, life insurance policies and financial accounts — transfer separately through a beneficiary designation instead of through your will.
2. Protect family members with special needs, minor children and companion animals.
3. Leave your loved ones with a current, updated plan to carry out your instructions and wishes.
And a very important bonus reason:
4. When you include a gift to KQED in your will or trust or name KQED as a beneficiary of your retirement plan, life insurance, donor-advised-fund succession plan or other financial account, your future gift will be MATCHED today!
On August 1, 2023, we launched the KQED Legacy Challenge to help fund the future of inclusive, participatory and community-powered public media in Northern California. Generous friends of KQED have created a pool of matching gift funds. Their goal is to encourage our supporters, members, viewers and listeners to include a gift to KQED in their will or other estate plan — and offer them the chance to see their future gift in action right now.

The Bay Area depends on KQED as a critical source of trusted journalism and quality programming, and we in turn depend on the Bay Area community’s support. When you include a gift to KQED in your will or other estate plan, you help ensure KQED will have the long-term financial security to pursue the stories that must be told.

P.S. The Challenge will only run until matching gift funds are exhausted. If you have questions or would like to discuss your giving options, please contact my gift-planning colleagues at 415-553-2230 or email [email protected].