Join the St. Hildegard Society by remembering the Sisters in your will.

August is National Make a Will Month. But instead of leaving the Sisters assets you own, you can give a gift of life insurance — either an existing life insurance policy, or one you purchase just for this purpose.

To make a charitable gift in this way, just purchase a life insurance policy and name the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana as either owner or beneficiary. You can also name the Sisters as the beneficiary of a policy you already own.

One advantage is that the death benefit is excluded from your taxable estate, so there are no estate or other taxes incurred. (However, there is no tax deduction for the premiums you pay on the policy.)

You can name multiple beneficiaries in one policy, or provide that the donor or beneficiaries remain anonymous. You can typically change the beneficiary of the policy at a later date, unless it is in an irrevocable life insurance trust.