“Make-A-Will Month,” observed each August, serves as an excellent reminder about the importance of future planning for loved ones and causes that matter to you.
Planning for one’s own mortality is uncomfortable, and, for many people, talking about it with family members is even more difficult. This discomfort may explain why relatively few American adults have a will in place, even though most agree about the importance of advance planning.
“Nationally, 64 percent of adults surveyed agree it’s important to have a will,” said Tamie Hopp, Director of Philanthropy for the Black Hills Works Foundation, citing the annual Caring.com’s 2024 wills and estate planning survey. “Even so, only 32 percent actually have one.”
The Black Hills Works Foundation, a nonprofit supporting people with disabilities in Rapid City, hosts estate planning information sessions for families of adults with disabilities, connecting them with experts like attorneys and trust officers.
“Planning for an adult family member with disabilities who relies on programs like Medicaid and other public programs for support, adds another layer of complexity,” said Hopp. “Our free planning sessions help demystify the process a bit, and help families move forward with this essential work.”
Bequests, or trusts (often funded through a will upon the donor’s passing), are the most common ways professionals can help you provide for family members and make a lasting impact for the causes that matter most to you upon your passing.
Lois Perino wanted to make a lasting impact, so put plans in place that proved to be an enduring legacy for twelve organizations that mattered to her. She felt moved to support organizations helping people facing barriers or challenges.
“We were so heartened and grateful that Lois took the time make arrangements in her will to benefit Black Hills Works and eleven other worthy organizations,” said Hopp. “Through a simple will bequest, she changed countless lives.”
Having a will in place is also a gift to friends and family, as it serves as a roadmap of your intentions, making a difficult time of loss a bit easier. Lois didn’t share her estate plans with many people, including her close friend, Peggy Livingston, who Lois chose to administer her will.
“I was honored to carry out her charitable wishes and learn about the organizations that meant so much to Lois, including Black Hills works,” said Livingston.
Wilfred (“Shorty”) and Margaret Rasmussen, of Rapid City, understood the importance of carefully planning. Their legacy continues to benefit Rapid City-area children and people with disabilities, just as they did during their lifetime. Since the mid-1990s, following their deaths, the Wilfred & Margaret Rasmussen Trust, provide for in their wills, has contributed well over a million dollars to area nonprofits supporting children and people with disabilities.
Lyndell Petersen, trustee and Shorty’s close friend, is heartened, but not surprised, by his friend’s legacy.
“Shorty and Margaret didn’t have children of their own, so they supported kids in the community who might otherwise go without,” said Petersen, also a trustee to the Rasmussen. “They bought trophies for the Western Junior Livestock show reserve champions and hosted an annual Christmas party for the Boys Club. The kids loved them, and they loved the kids.”
Sara Gentry, Executive Director, Rapid City Club for Boys Foundation, agrees. “There are people on staff who still remember Shorty and Margaret fondly. They were so generous and genuinely seemed to enjoy their connections to the kids.”
The Rapid City Club for Boys, along with Black Hills Works and Girls Incorporated, are among the local organizations that have received annual gifts from the Rasmussen Trust for nearly three decades.
“I can’t overstate the meaningful impact Shorty and Margaret have had on the lives of the people we support,” said Hopp. “Because of them, our arts expression programs – Flutter Productions and Suzie Cappa Art Center – are thriving; homes supporting hundreds of people with disabilities have been upgraded and made more accessible; therapeutic sensory rooms are now in several homes; and so much more.”
Sensory rooms offer a therapeutic place where individuals with disabilities have agency over their own experience. Here, Lyndell Peterson (third from the right), a trustee for the Rasmussen Trust and friend to the couple, sees the impact of their gifts.
“They continue to impact the lives of the boys through their trust,” said Gentry, sharing that the Rasmussen Trust has funded Club for Boys’ program supplies for the educational, outdoor, recreation and sports programs. “They have left a meaningful legacy.”
“They would love that they are being remembered in this way,” said Shorty’s close friend, Lyndell.
Your personal roadmap to providing for family and causes that matter to you – your legacy – begins with your estate plan. With this being “Make-A-Will-Month,” there is no better time to start. Your planning today will change the lives of those you care about tomorrow.
