Make a Plan!

July 29, 2025| Community, People

By: Caitlin Doran

Write my will? It’s an important thing I have to do, but I don’t need to focus on that right now.

That was the message I repeated to myself, even though I knew better. Turns out, I’m not alone. Only 32% of adults have a will. The rest are waiting, perhaps, until they feel older, more ready, or more organized.

Are you waiting? I was.

I was waiting for all of the above reasons, until our organization partnered with Free Will. Free Will is a private, secure platform that’s free to use and can generate your last will and testament in only 20 minutes. Your will can also be changed, and if you require more personalized help from an attorney, simply bring your free forms and summary with you! I wrote my will using Free Will back in April, and it was a breeze!

Free Will also makes it easy and convenient to designate charitable beneficiaries of your estate, so you can make a lasting impact and support a cause you care about. For me, the choice was clear: designate a fixed amount of my assets to support the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, an organization whose work has made a measurable, positive difference to one of New Jersey’s most precious resources. You can join me in leaving a legacy by creating a will for free or by letting us know about a will naming the Lake Hopatcong Foundation as a beneficiary .

August is national Make-a-Will Month, and I encourage everyone to make a will, regardless of your age, your estate size, or level of “readiness.”  Making a will is important. It declares your final wishes; saves your loved ones from the stress and cost of probate; and in the case of leaving a gift to the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, it creates positive change on our lake for generations to come. Please consider checking out Free Will and all of your planned giving options. I’m here and happy to answer any questions about my own experience generating my will through this program!

Free Will & Planned Giving