We do not wake up every morning thinking about what our legacy will be when we are gone. We have families to care for, jobs to complete, and communities to nourish. That might leave us with little time to think about those big questions.
Maybe that is why more than 40% of Americans said the main reason they have not made an estate plan is that they simply have not gotten around to it yet, according to Caring’s 2025 Wills and Estate Planning Survey. More than 50% of those without a plan reported that they have yet to even start making or even thinking about their will.
This month, consider finding time to pencil some legacy planning into your schedule. August is Make-a-Will Month and a perfect opportunity to evaluate what matters most to us and how we want those values to influence our communities after we are gone. For many Americans, the most meaningful things they will leave behind are memories and relationships, according to the Trust & Will 2026 Estate Planning Report. Many also cited their values, community impact, and principles as significant parts of their legacy.
People are also reading…
Financial assets amplify the power of those important lessons, memories, and values. With a will, you decide how to use your estate to ensure your family’s security and hometown’s future. Many Nebraskans are beginning to treat their communities as another member of their family, recognizing the essential role the places we call home have in improving quality of life, in creating the margin of excellence that makes our hometowns places we love, not just places we live.
In Howells, many young couples are leading the way by including their community in their estate plans. Trent and Nevada Mastny, for instance, designated the Howells Community Fund’s unrestricted endowment as a beneficiary on their life insurance policy. To paraphrase Nevada, it is never too early to think about leaving your impact with a legacy gift.
Lauren Sheridan of Neligh modified her estate plan to set aside 5% of her trust to benefit the Neligh Area Community Fund’s unrestricted endowment. It was an easy decision, she told us, knowing that she and others have benefited from the contributions of those who went before. She considers her gift to be part of that long line of people paying it forward to the places that give them purpose, friendship, and a sense of self.
She also shared this sentiment that I think rings true for many Nebraskans who have made space in their estate plans for the communities they love:
“I continually try to do meaningful things to try to make the world a better place. I just hope my gift creates opportunities for young families, businesses, community projects, and leaders that will keep moving forward in Neligh. It’s not one and done.”
Every day I hear stories of community members pulling together to create outcomes in the places they love. Behind many of these stories are people who had the generosity and foresight to consider their communities when deciding how to create their legacy. I think of Noral Wait, whose estate gift to Seward has capitalized an endowment for youth engagement. Or individuals like Rudy Elis, whose gifts to northeast Nebraska empower young Nebraskans to pursue careers that maximize their talents. Across the state, gifts like these are helping volunteers create communities where excellence is the standard.
If you are new to estate planning, Nebraska Community Foundation has resources to help you familiarize yourself with the many ways to make a charitable planned gift, some of which come with tax-wise benefits. Visit www.fivetothrivene.org, or contact our director of gift planning, Todd Mekelburg (tmekelburg@nebcommfound.org), to learn more about how you can create your own legacy in the place you love.
