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Create Your Legacy

SUPPORT the Smithsonian

Photo credit: Eric Long


Join our friends and supporters on Giving Docs' estate planning platform to plan your legacy, compliments of the Smithsonian Institution.

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Create Your LEGACY in 3 Simple Steps
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1
Assign Gifts to Important People and Causes
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2
Select Trusted People (Executors and Guardians)
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3
Sign With Witnesses
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While the Smithsonian Institution covers the cost of providing this service to our supporters, Giving Docs is an independent third-party platform, completely separate from the Smithsonian Institution. Its services are provided without review from the Smithsonian Institution, and the Smithsonian Institution is not liable for its use. Giving Docs is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Your use of the platform is subject to Giving Docs' Terms of Service, which we encourage you to review.

Our Values Aligned

Many Smithsonian Institution supporters have chosen to advance the values that have been most important in their lives by providing a gift through their will. Regardless of the size of your gift, you can now provide funding to help support all that you know and love about Smithsonian for years to come.

The Smithsonian Institution is pleased to offer its supporters free access to an estate planning service through Giving Docs. Giving Docs, an independent online platform, makes it simple to support the loved ones and causes you care most about by leaving gifts through your will, as well as through other ways of designating a gift.

Once you're done, you can revise or update your documents for free at any time using the Giving Docs platform. You are not required to leave a gift to Smithsonian in order to use Giving Docs. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Your Last Will and Testament is a formal document that specifies your wishes when you pass away. If you do not have a will, state law will determine how your belongings, children and pets are placed among your living family.

Giving Docs advises that a completed will is not legally binding until it has been signed and executed in accordance with the laws of your state of residence. Giving Docs will give you detailed instructions on how to do so in order to ensure that your will carries out your wishes. Giving Docs securely keeps your information in your profile so that you can quickly and easily update your will whenever you need to. The standard will document you create on the Giving Docs website incorporates typical estate planning needs. If you have a complicated estate with multiple properties and complex assets, or would like to discuss alternative planned giving vehicles, we recommend consulting an attorney and/or financial advisor.

This offer is free to you, compliments of Smithsonian Institution.

No. While Smithsonian Institution covers the cost of providing this service to our supporters, Giving Docs is an independent third-party platform, completely separate from Smithsonian Institution. Its services are provided without review from Smithsonian Institution, and Smithsonian Institution is not liable for its use. Giving Docs is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Your use of the platform is subject to Giving Docs' Terms of Service, which we encourage you to review.

Giving Docs states a will from Giving Docs is valid in all 50 states and the District of Columbia if it has been signed and executed in accordance with the laws of your state of residence. If you live outside of the U.S., you may use the Giving Docs process to outline your wishes in preparation for speaking with an attorney.

Yes. Giving Docs makes it easy to leave gifts to all of your favorite organizations. Giving Docs will prompt you to leave a percentage of your estate to your favorite charity, but you are not required to leave a gift in order to create a will through Giving Docs.

Yes, you can use Giving Docs to create a new will. Be sure to have it executed per the laws in your state.

Yes, Giving Docs offers the opportunity to leave a gift without altering your existing will through a codicil. You can access the codicil platform directly.

Smithsonian Institution does not share your personal information with Giving Docs. Giving Docs only receives the information that you provide to them, when you activate your Giving Docs account. Giving Docs' Terms of Service prohibits the sale or rental of user names or other personal information.

When creating your account with Giving Docs, you will be asked if you would like to share your contact information with any charities for which you leave a gift. If you choose to share your contact information, the charity will receive your contact information and note about your planned gift, as agreed upon. No other data will be shared with the charity. If you do not wish to share any information at all, you can choose to remain anonymous. If you choose to remain anonymous, the charity will not receive any identifying information.

You are not required to leave a gift to Smithsonian Institution or any other organization in order to create a will. And any bequest provision you include is revocable. It can be changed at any time for any reason. Simply log back into your account to update your will, and follow the instructions for signatures and notarizations.

So many Smithsonian Institution supporters choose to provide a future gift that we are able to offer Giving Docs for free to our dedicated supporters.
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