Legacy Giving - Denver Rescue Mission

Your legacy donation will change lives for years to come.

Many people are thrilled to discover that including a gift to the Mission in their Will, or other planned giving options, can significantly impact the lives of people in need for eternity.

Join the Goodheart Society

The Goodheart Society recognizes those individuals who have made estate plans or established life-income gifts to benefit Denver Rescue Mission. The Goodheart Society name honors the late Jim Goodheart, a former Mission guest who went on to serve as the Mission’s Director from 1909 to 1930.

Goodheart Society members receive invitations to exclusive events and volunteer opportunities, as well as special updates from Mission leadership.

Jim Goodheart became the Mission Director in 1909.

Each legacy gift represents an ongoing commitment to partner with the Mission to change lives in the name of Christ, therefore there is no minimum donation size for membership in the Goodheart Society. Individuals are not required to disclose the size of their legacy commitment, however the Mission welcomes members to do so in order to facilitate good stewardship and planning for the future.

Goodheart Society member names are not printed in any listing available to the public. Members can request higher levels of anonymity if desired.

Create a Will Today Other Charitable Giving Tools

Have Questions? Contact Us Today!

My name is Cindy Hendricks, and I am excited to help you find the right type of gift to match your legacy needs. If you have any questions, please contact me at 303.313.2441 or CHendricks@Denrescue.org.

Learn More About Giving from Your Will

Writing an Ethical Will

An Ethical Will is a personal document you write in order to help you pass on your beliefs, values and more to your loved ones.

Important Documents

Help your loved ones to find the information they’ll need when the time comes by gathering these important documents.

Free Christian Will Guide

This free workbook will guide you through collecting important information for getting started updating or creating your Will.

Need to create a Will?
Check out this great offer from our partners at GiftWise below!

Create a Free Will Today, In Just 20 Minutes!

Through our partnership with GiftWise, you have access to an online platform where you can easily make a legally binding Will in less than 20 minutes and even leave a gift of any size to Denver Rescue Mission—at no cost.

Thank you for your ongoing support and compassion for others in need.

Start Now

Create a Free Will Today, In Just 20 Minutes!

Thank you for your ongoing support and compassion for others in need.

Start Now

Meet Other Goodheart Society Members

It’s a wonderful way to leave a legacy.

It’s a wonderful way to leave a legacy. [Because of] the professional way we’ve been treated and communicated with, the Mission has really made it quite easy to make the decisions that we have, [especially due to] the professional level of the staff.

Read Their Story

John and Kathy Tedrick

Goodheart Society Members

We have a great deal of respect and faith in the leadership of DRM…

We have a great deal of respect and faith in the leadership of DRM because they maximize the resources made available to them. Also, we do not see ourselves as owners of our assets as much as we are stewards. As stewards, we have an obligation to help others who are less fortunate, and we know their needs will remain far past our demise.

Read Their Story

Randy and Carol Lewis

Goodheart Society Members

How Friends Make Legacy Planning Easier

Creating or updating your legacy plan can feel a little daunting. The good news is you don’t have to go it alone. Learn more about how reaching out to friends to cheer you on can help you reach the finish line in our new brochure, “How Friends Make Legacy Planning Easier.”

Legacy Giving FAQ

Now that you have a basic idea of what you need to do to create your Will, here are some additional resources to help answer any questions you may have:

Here are the most common ways to significantly increase your ministry impact through your Will:

Add “Ministry” to your family: Some families treat ministry organizations like an additional child. For example, if a family has three children, they might add a fourth child named “Ministry” and divide the assets in their Will into four equal parts. Each of their children would receive 25%, and the remaining 25% would be divided among their favorite ministry organizations.
Tithe on your Estate: Other families commit a 10% tithe of their estate to the ministry organizations they love, dividing the remaining 90% among their heirs.
Add a “Cap” to your Will: Others prayerfully decide to “cap” their children’s inheritance, leaving the rest of their assets to ministry. This approach is used when the parents want to provide a modest gift to bless their children and eliminate concerns of creating dependence or giving too much too soon.
Update an existing Will: An attorney can add, delete or change an item in your Will with an additional statement called a “codicil.” Here’s an example: “I give, devise, and bequeath twenty-five percent (25%) of my residuary estate to [church or ministry name] whose address is [city, state, zip code]. Like a Will, a codicil must be dated, signed and witnessed.

Most Online Will sites guide you through a simple 3-step process:

Answer Questions: You’ll be guided through a series of fill-in-the-blank questions about your wishes regarding your family, your property, who you want to be in charge of making sure your wishes are taken care of. The questionnaire is often provided at no charge, and most people can complete it within about 30 minutes.
Review Answers: You’ll have an opportunity to review your own answers for completeness and accuracy. Some sites also provide online tools and “ask a lawyer” features to give you a more in-depth review.
Finalize Documents: The last step is to receive your documents online or in the mail. The Online Will site will also provide instructions for getting signatures to finalize your documents, as well as storage recommendations.

No. There is no legal requirement that a Will be drawn up by a lawyer. Most people can use quality, fill-in-the-blank legal documents to take care of basic concerns such as leaving their property to loved ones and naming a guardian for young children.

However, there are a number of situations where it would be highly recommended to work with a lawyer instead of an Online Will:

If you have significant assets.
If you have a special needs, disabled or dependent adult child.
If you’ve been divorced or remarried.
If you think one of your heirs might contest your Will.
If you own a small business.
If you are concerned about guardianship issues for minor children.
If you’re raising grandchildren or stepchildren.
If you or your spouse are citizens of another country.
If you have questions about your Will or the Online form doesn’t address your situation.

If you decide to use a lawyer to create or update your Will—or review your Online Will—you’ll want to find an attorney who shares your Christian values and is knowledgeable in estate planning. There are 3 sources you can check for a referral to a trusted Christian estate planning attorney:

Contact Us: You can contact our office or Orchard Alliance for a referral.
Christian Legal Society: You can go online for a referral from the Christian Legal Society, a national network of approximately 3,000 legal professionals committed to loving and serving Jesus Christ in the practice of law.
Your Pastor: Your Pastor is probably connected to a wide network of people, which may include a Christian estate planning attorney. Even if he doesn’t know a Christian attorney, he can ask others for a trusted referral because of his position.

Is an online Will right for you? Below are four reasons people get an Online Will:

Affordable: Let’s face it. When it comes to getting a Will, cost is a big concern for many people. A lawyer may charge you $500 for a basic Will (and a lot more if your estate is complicated). But most people can get an Online Will for less than $70.
Easy: Online Will sites provide simple questionnaires that the average person can answer in about 30 minutes or less. With an attorney, you may have to schedule a couple of face-to-face appointments to review your information and to finalize your documents.
Quality: Do-it-yourself online legal documents have been accepted by court and government agencies in all 50 states. Some of the most popular Online Will sites were started by attorneys—and offer high-quality, legally valid, state-specific Wills.
Private: Some people are uncomfortable with the idea of discussing their financial and family information with a complete stranger. Although attorneys are required to keep your discussions confidential, many prefer the anonymity of fill-in-the-blank online forms.

While you don’t have to inform us of your legacy gift ahead of time, letting us know about it does help us plan better for the future and show you our appreciation. Legacy Giving donors who set up a gift for us in their Will or estate become part of our Goodheart Society, named after a former, influential Mission director from nearly 100 years ago.

If you do want to inform us of your legacy gift plans, simply send us a Notice of Bequest to get started.

If you are creating a legacy gift to the Mission, you may need our EIN number: 84-6038762.

Explore Ways to Give

We partner with Orchard Alliance to assist you with a wide variety of more complex planned giving options. Click the link below if you are interested in learning more about asset-based giving that may help reduce your or your family’s tax burden, as well as other charitable giving tools – including a Charitable Gift Annuity, which provides you with a dependable stream of income during your lifetime.

Learn More

Join the Goodheart Society

Your legacy donation will change lives for years to come.

Join the Goodheart Society

Have Questions? Contact Us Today!