Welcome to the Great Wealth Transfer! This much-cited era, happening right now, is reportedly the time when trillions of dollars will pass from one generation to the next over the coming decades in various forms, ranging from cash and stock to real estate, businesses, and other assets.
Understandably, most conversations about this transfer focus on the assets themselves.
Who will inherit the family business?
What will happen to an investment portfolio or a family home?
How should an estate plan be structured?
Those are important questions. And at the San Antonio Area Foundation, we also encourage individuals and families to consider another one: What values do we want to pass along, too?
A recent Kiplinger article exploring the Great Wealth Transfer makes the point that strong legacies are built not simply by transferring assets, but by intentionally passing along values of generosity through shared charitable experiences and conversations. It encourages families to involve younger generations in philanthropy early, making giving a collaborative, multigenerational experience rather than a one-time financial transaction.
For many people, generosity is one of those values. And generosity can be part of a legacy at nearly any age or stage of life. Whether you are creating your first will, updating one after a major life change, raising a family, planning for retirement, or simply thinking more intentionally about the future, here’s some food for thought:
A charitable legacy isn’t simply about the gifts that are made after you’re gone.
It’s also about helping the people you care about understand why giving has been important to you. In many ways, the conversations, traditions, and shared decisions surrounding generosity can become just as meaningful as a financial inheritance itself.
August is Make-A-Will Month, making this a good time to begin mapping out your legacy or revisit plans you’ve already made.
A will isn’t only for older adults or people with significant wealth. It is an important planning tool that can help you care for the people and causes that matter to you and make your wishes clear. The Area Foundation has tools to create your will online for free, as well as sample bequest language you can share with your estate planner or attorney.
Charitable gifts through wills make a significant difference.
According to the latest Giving USA report, charitable bequests totaled more than $62 billion in 2025, increasing nearly 20% over the previous year. Bequests were the fastest-growing source of charitable giving, underscoring how important these gifts have become to nonprofit organizations and the communities they serve.
A charitable bequest can be surprisingly simple.
You might leave a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your estate to your donor-advised fund or designate another type of charitable fund at the Area Foundation to continue supporting the organizations and community priorities that matter most to you. A meaningful legacy does not require an enormous estate.
You can invite others to carry your generosity forward.
For example, by naming your children or other loved ones as successor advisors of your donor-advised fund at the Area Foundation, you’re inviting them to continue a tradition of generosity by recommending grants to the organizations and causes they believe will make a difference. That opportunity can itself be a meaningful inheritance.
For individuals and couples with especially large estates, charitable planning also may provide tax benefits.
This consideration applies to relatively few families because the federal estate tax exemption is $15 million per individual in 2026, but when it does apply, gifts and bequests to qualified charities generally are deductible in determining the taxable estate. Your attorney, CPA, and financial advisor can help determine whether estate tax planning is relevant to your circumstances.
For most people, however, estate taxes aren’t the reason to consider a charitable bequest.
A gift through your will can simply be one more way to express what matters to you. You can provide for family and loved ones while also supporting the causes, organizations, and community that have been meaningful throughout your life.
Estate plans are designed to pass along what we have. A charitable legacy can also pass along what we value.
This Make-A-Will Month, consider what you want the next chapter of your story to make possible. The Area Foundation would be honored to work alongside you and your professional advisors to explore charitable bequests, donor-advised and other charitable funds, and creative ways to build a legacy that reflects what matters to you.
The team at the Area Foundation is ready to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and consider how your generosity can make a lasting difference in our community.
This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.
