It’s always hard to ask people to leave you a bequest in their will. Why? Because wills make people think about death. But bequests are about life, and extending your life as far as you can. We like to talk about Andrew Carnegie, who funded so many libraries through his life, establishing libraries as cultural institutions in the United States, in a way that still makes a difference today, more than 100 years after his death.
But this is a way for Andrew Carnegie to still be alive and relevant and vital – by establishing libraries and getting commitments from communities to fund and staff the libraries, his influence has extended well beyond his life.
While very few of us can make a difference at that scale, any level of a bequest makes a difference and is fundamentally about life and extending your life as far as you can.
If you’re interested in adding The Santa Clara City Library Foundation & Friends to your will or trust, please contact your estate attorney.