May 2022: Leave a Legacy Month

WHEREAS, Michigan residents are a remarkable, generous people with more than an estimated 80 percent of households making charitable contributions every year; and,

WHEREAS, according to a survey conducted by Michigan State University, only 43 percent of Michigan residents have a will and only 21 percent of those having a will include a bequest to charity; and,

WHEREAS, all adults should have a will, the starting point of an effective estate plan regardless of family wealth or circumstances; and,

WHEREAS, the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners believes that the American people make few bequests in their wills simply because they have not been asked to consider making a bequest; and,

WHEREAS, nonprofit organizations provide excellent and essential services in all areas of our lives — religion, education, health care, social services for the poor and disadvantaged, research, and the arts — that sustain the quality of life that makes our state and its communities good places to live, work and raise families; and,

WHEREAS, charitable giving through will bequests gives each of us the opportunity to support and perpetuate for future generations those values and ideals most important to us and our families that we cherished and supported during our lifetimes; and,

WHEREAS, many Michigan nonprofit organizations, allied professionals, and community leaders are engaged in the LEAVE A LEGACY® public awareness effort that encourages Michigan citizens to “Make a Difference in the Lives that Follow” by making legacy gifts through their wills to enable non-profit organizations to continue their work of serving;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim May 2022 as Leave a Legacy Month in Michigan.