Today, I am writing about what some might consider a sensitive topic: making your estate plans. It is, of course, highly personal and, for some, challenging to undertake for any number of reasons.

If you do not have a will (or trust), I want to urge you to make one. It is truly the only way to ensure that your loved ones, possessions, and causes you care about are handled according to your wishes.

August marks National Make-a-Will Month, and Horizons is offering you a straightforward and cost-free way to create a will with our partner, FreeWill. FreeWill makes basic estate planning about as simple as it can get. You can designate where all of your assets will go, whether that’s to family, friends, to charitable organizations, or some combination of those three.

You are no doubt as aware as I that our community has been coming under sustained and alarming attack. Even as I believe that we will overcome these challenges – as we have so many others – the lesson of these times is clear: our LGBTQ community cannot take for granted that our rights and freedoms are truly safe.

In FreeWill, you can designate any charitable institution – including those advocating for and serving our LGBTQ community – you choose. I ask you to consider making a charitable bequest to Horizons, as your bequest will help to ensure the strength of our community for LGBTQ generations to come. You can even designate such a bequest for Horizons’ LGBTQ Community Endowment Fund, which is a permanent source of funding for our community.

If you have a more complex estate, you can still use the tool to print out a set of documented wishes, saving you time and money with your attorney. We encourage you to explore our Professional Advisors Directory to find an estate planning attorney who is a good fit for you.

Join the many others who have already secured their planned gift. With your help, we can meet the needs of our community now — and for generations to come.