"Beth Wolfer, 55, a single mother of three in Salt Lake City, said she needed a will that cost less than that. After testing out various online sites, she settled on FreeWill because as a fund-raiser for Best Friends Animal Society she wanted to offer it to donors as a way to raise money... Ms. Wolfer said she finished her will in less than an hour"
“The American Heart Association alone has raised more that $30 million in new, planned giving through us,” cofounder and co-CEO Patrick Schmitt told Forbes.
"You can also find free online help from services like FreeWill... For a simple power of attorney form, FreeWill co-founder Jenny Xia Spradling said it should take about 20 minutes."
Gifts to charities from individual retirements accounts continue to grow, according to a new study.
"On average, charities reported a 67 percent increase in the number of IRA gifts they received in 2019."
Before the internet, people hoping to get their affairs in order had to find financial planners, lawyers, and local funeral directors in the phone book, then set up in-person consultations... Technology means they no longer have to. With sites like Schmitt’s, it’s possible to generate a legal will in 20 minutes, no human interaction required.
Laurie Macdonald, 66, had put off writing a will for years when she discovered FreeWill, a no-fee, online will-writing service. The former Florida program director of Defenders of Wildlife had once begun drafting a will with an attorney but never finished. FreeWill allowed her to get it done
Grand Plan: They founded FreeWill, a free online estate planning tool that encourages users to leave money to charity.
Making Headlines: FreeWill has earned $404 million in nonprofit commitments.
