A significant gap exists between recognition of estate planning importance and actual preparation, with over 80% of people in the U.S. acknowledging its necessity but less than a third having a will or trust according to a 2025 Trust & Will Estate Planning Report. To address this disparity, the American Heart Association is offering a free educational webinar on February 26 focused on revocable living trusts and charitable remainder unitrusts.
The webinar's importance lies in providing accessible guidance on complex financial instruments that can secure personal assets while facilitating charitable giving. Estate planning without proper understanding can lead to unintended consequences for families and diminished impact for charitable causes. "Estate planning can be overwhelming without proper guidance. Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a legacy that protects their money and their generosity," said Lee Shapiro, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association.
The session will feature experts including Clare Ceplecha, JD, CFTA, Mary Alfred, JD and Samuel M. DiPietro, who will explain trust definitions, creation processes, maintenance requirements, and rules governing simple and complex trusts. Participants will learn how trusts function in charitable giving contexts and receive free resources about charitable trusts and revocable living trusts upon registration.
For individuals, proper estate planning through instruments like trusts ensures financial assets are protected and distributed according to their wishes, potentially avoiding probate complications. For charitable organizations like the American Heart Association, planned giving represents a critical funding stream that supports long-term research and community health initiatives. Donations from planned gifts contribute to the organization's 2028 Impact Goal driving breakthroughs in science, policy and care.
Donors who establish legacy gifts through charitable financial planning are recognized as members of the Paul Dudley White Legacy Circle within the Cor Vitae Society. These contributions sustain the Association's role as the nation's leading non-governmental funder of cardiovascular research, with more than $5.9 billion invested in scientific discovery since 1949. This funding fuels lifesaving research and education that benefits communities nationwide.
The webinar addresses a critical financial literacy need with implications for both personal wealth management and philanthropic impact. As demographic shifts increase the transfer of wealth between generations, understanding trust mechanisms becomes increasingly important for ensuring assets support intended beneficiaries and causes. The session's practical examples and plain language approach aim to demystify estate planning processes that many find intimidating.
Registration for the free webinar is available at heart.org/plan, with advanced online registration required. The event occurs on Thursday, February 26, at 2 p.m. Eastern/1 p.m. Central/11 a.m. Pacific and lasts one hour.
