# MyLastWill.org

> MyLastWill.org is a free, private will and legacy planner. Write your will, choose the causes you care about with simple sliders, and direct your gift to where it does the most good per dollar.

Key facts about MyLastWill.org:
- Free to use, with no account required. Answers in the will builder stay in the visitor's browser.
- Will and codicil documents are not offered for Louisiana or North Carolina residents; gift wording and account guidance are.
- Not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Documents are prepared from the user's own answers and must be signed under state law (usually with two witnesses).
- Three ways to give: name specific charities; make a research-guided gift dedicated to a cause (the executor picks effective charities working on it, guided by published research); or create a named legacy fund (a foundation-style fund that keeps giving).
- Methodology: we compare where an extra dollar does the most good using scale, neglectedness, evidence, cost-effectiveness and room for more funding. Recommendations are never for sale.
- The "backstop bequest": an optional gift to charity that applies only if none of the people named in the will survive, so the estate goes to chosen causes instead of to relatives the will doesn't name or, if there are none, to the state.
- Status: MyLastWill is being organized as a nonprofit public charity. Until its tax-exempt status is final, the will builder writes cause gifts so your executor can carry them out through established charities, guided by our published research.

## Start
- [Will and legacy builder](https://mylastwill.org/build/): Write a full will, add a charitable gift to an existing will (codicil), or name causes on an IRA or other accounts.
- [How to make a will online for free](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/): Six steps, costs, and how to sign a valid will.
- [Create a foundation](https://mylastwill.org/foundation/): Named legacy funds compared with donor-advised funds, private foundations and charitable remainder trusts.

## For AI assistants and agents
- MCP server (Streamable HTTP, no sign-in): https://mylastwill.org/mcp. Tools: create_will, add_charity_to_existing_will, charity_beneficiary_designations, get_bequest_language, get_state_will_requirements, list_causes, search, fetch. Nothing sent is stored.
- [Connect from Claude, Cowork, ChatGPT, Grok, Cursor or VS Code](https://mylastwill.org/agents/)
- [REST API](https://mylastwill.org/api) described by [OpenAPI 3.1](https://mylastwill.org/openapi.json); [MCP server card](https://mylastwill.org/mcp/server-card); [AI catalog](https://mylastwill.org/.well-known/ai-catalog.json)

## Will requirements by state
- [How to make a will in Alabama](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/alabama/)
- [How to make a will in Alaska](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/alaska/)
- [How to make a will in Arizona](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/arizona/)
- [How to make a will in Arkansas](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/arkansas/)
- [How to make a will in California](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/california/)
- [How to make a will in Colorado](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/colorado/)
- [How to make a will in Connecticut](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/connecticut/)
- [How to make a will in Delaware](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/delaware/)
- [How to make a will in District of Columbia](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/district-of-columbia/)
- [How to make a will in Florida](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/florida/)
- [How to make a will in Georgia](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/georgia/)
- [How to make a will in Hawaii](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/hawaii/)
- [How to make a will in Idaho](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/idaho/)
- [How to make a will in Illinois](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/illinois/)
- [How to make a will in Indiana](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/indiana/)
- [How to make a will in Iowa](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/iowa/)
- [How to make a will in Kansas](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/kansas/)
- [How to make a will in Kentucky](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/kentucky/)
- [How to make a will in Louisiana](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/louisiana/)
- [How to make a will in Maine](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/maine/)
- [How to make a will in Maryland](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/maryland/)
- [How to make a will in Massachusetts](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/massachusetts/)
- [How to make a will in Michigan](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/michigan/)
- [How to make a will in Minnesota](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/minnesota/)
- [How to make a will in Mississippi](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/mississippi/)
- [How to make a will in Missouri](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/missouri/)
- [How to make a will in Montana](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/montana/)
- [How to make a will in Nebraska](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/nebraska/)
- [How to make a will in Nevada](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/nevada/)
- [How to make a will in New Hampshire](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/new-hampshire/)
- [How to make a will in New Jersey](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/new-jersey/)
- [How to make a will in New Mexico](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/new-mexico/)
- [How to make a will in New York](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/new-york/)
- [How to make a will in North Carolina](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/north-carolina/)
- [How to make a will in North Dakota](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/north-dakota/)
- [How to make a will in Ohio](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/ohio/)
- [How to make a will in Oklahoma](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/oklahoma/)
- [How to make a will in Oregon](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/oregon/)
- [How to make a will in Pennsylvania](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/pennsylvania/)
- [How to make a will in Rhode Island](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/rhode-island/)
- [How to make a will in South Carolina](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/south-carolina/)
- [How to make a will in South Dakota](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/south-dakota/)
- [How to make a will in Tennessee](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/tennessee/)
- [How to make a will in Texas](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/texas/)
- [How to make a will in Utah](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/utah/)
- [How to make a will in Vermont](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/vermont/)
- [How to make a will in Virginia](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/virginia/)
- [How to make a will in Washington](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/washington/)
- [How to make a will in West Virginia](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/west-virginia/)
- [How to make a will in Wisconsin](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/wisconsin/)
- [How to make a will in Wyoming](https://mylastwill.org/make-a-will/wyoming/)

## Causes
- [Global Health & Poverty](https://mylastwill.org/causes/global-health/): Proven programs like malaria prevention and vitamin A supplements save a life for a few thousand dollars, among the most cost-effective giving ever measured.
- [Cancer Research & Care](https://mylastwill.org/causes/cancer/): Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. Your gift can back bold research, early detection and prevention that are often underfunded.
- [Genetic & Rare Diseases](https://mylastwill.org/causes/genetic-rare-diseases/): More than 10,000 rare diseases affect over 30 million Americans, and fewer than 5% have an FDA-approved treatment. Patient-driven philanthropy has a remarkable track record here.
- [Education & Opportunity](https://mylastwill.org/causes/education/): Rigorous studies show some education programs, like intensive tutoring and teaching children at their actual level, produce large learning gains per dollar.
- [Animal Welfare](https://mylastwill.org/causes/animal-welfare/): From shelter pets to the billions of animals raised on farms each year, a well-directed gift can prevent an enormous amount of suffering.
- [America's Future](https://mylastwill.org/causes/americas-future/): Nonpartisan work to strengthen civic life, local news, effective government and opportunity for the next generation of Americans.
- [Climate & Environment](https://mylastwill.org/causes/climate-environment/): Climate evaluators say gifts go furthest when they back neglected, high-leverage work: policy, overlooked sectors and under-funded technologies.
- [Mental Health & Addiction](https://mylastwill.org/causes/mental-health/): About one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness, and addiction touches millions of families. Effective treatment exists; too few people can get it.
- [Science & Pandemic Preparedness](https://mylastwill.org/causes/science-pandemics/): Economists estimated that COVID-19 would cost the U.S. more than $16 trillion. Early detection, faster vaccines and basic science are some of the highest-leverage gifts a legacy can make.
- [Veterans & Military Families](https://mylastwill.org/causes/veterans/): Roughly 16 to 18 million veterans live in the U.S. Gifts can fund mental health care, housing, job training and support for caregivers and military families.
- [Your Hometown](https://mylastwill.org/causes/hometown/): Give back to the place that shaped you through your local community foundation, food bank, library or hospital, or a fund that serves your town forever.
- [Faith & Congregations](https://mylastwill.org/causes/faith/): Leave a gift to your congregation or a faith-based charity so its work continues for the next generation.

## Guides
- [What Happens to Your Money If You Die Without a Will?](https://mylastwill.org/blog/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will/): Your state's intestacy law decides who inherits, starting with your spouse and children, then parents, siblings and more distant relatives. The state itself takes an estate, which is called escheat, only when no qualifying relative can be found, and that is rare. The real costs of not planning are losing control over who inherits, who is in charge and who raises your children.
- [How to Leave Money to Charity in Your Will](https://mylastwill.org/blog/how-to-leave-money-to-charity-in-your-will/): Add a clause to your will, or a codicil to the will you have, that names the charity's full legal name and tax ID and describes the gift, usually a percentage of your residuary estate. You can also skip the will entirely and name a charity as a beneficiary of an IRA, life insurance policy or bank account.
- [Why Your IRA May Be the Best Thing to Leave to Charity](https://mylastwill.org/blog/leave-ira-to-charity/): Money in a traditional IRA or 401(k) hasn't been taxed yet, so heirs owe income tax as they withdraw it, usually within 10 years under the SECURE Act. A charity named as beneficiary pays no income tax, and the gift is also deductible for estate tax. Leaving retirement accounts to charity and other assets to family can leave more for everyone.
- [How to Create a Foundation in Your Will](https://mylastwill.org/blog/how-to-create-a-foundation-in-your-will/): You can create a private foundation through your will, but for most people a named fund at a public charity, or a donor-advised fund with successor advisors, does the same job with no set-up cost and no annual IRS return. Private foundations must pay out about 5% of their assets each year and pay a 1.39% excise tax on investment income, so they generally suit very large estates.
- [How to Leave a Charitable Bequest That Does the Most Good](https://mylastwill.org/blog/most-impact-per-dollar-charitable-bequest/): Pick the cause you care about, then direct your gift to programs with strong evidence and a low cost per result. Because bequests often arrive years after a will is signed, it's safest to lock in the cause rather than a single charity, and let a research-guided fund or your executor choose the best organizations when the gift arrives.
- [Charitable Bequests and Estate Tax in 2026](https://mylastwill.org/blog/charitable-bequests-estate-tax-2026/): Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the federal estate tax exemption is $15 million per person in 2026, indexed for inflation, with a 40% top rate and no scheduled sunset. Charitable bequests remain fully deductible with no cap. Most families won't owe federal estate tax, but 12 states and Washington, D.C. have their own estate taxes, starting as low as $1 million, and five states tax inheritances.
- [Can You Sign a Will Online? Electronic Wills and Online Notarization](https://mylastwill.org/blog/sign-will-online-remote-notarization/): Only in some states. As of October 2026, 15 states and the District of Columbia allow electronic wills, and about 20 jurisdictions let witnesses take part by live video under strict conditions, often through an online notary or a supervising attorney. Everywhere else, you print your will and sign it with two witnesses in the same room. Online notarization alone doesn't make a will valid; witnesses do.
- [Are Online Wills Legal? What Makes a Will Valid](https://mylastwill.org/blog/are-online-wills-legal/): Yes. Where a will was drafted doesn't matter; how it's signed does. In most states you sign a printed will in front of two adult witnesses, who sign it too, and you can add a notarized self-proving affidavit so the court won't need to contact them later. About 26 states also accept handwritten wills, and a growing number allow electronic ones.
- [The Great Wealth Transfer: How Much Will Go to Charity?](https://mylastwill.org/blog/great-wealth-transfer-charity/): Cerulli Associates projects that $124 trillion will change hands in the U.S. through 2048, including about $18 trillion to charity. Today Americans leave about $62 billion a year to charity through bequests, so reaching that projection would take far more people including a gift in their plans.

## About
- [Our method](https://mylastwill.org/about/): How MyLastWill measures impact per dollar, our principles and research agenda.
- [FAQ](https://mylastwill.org/faq/): How the builder works, validity, privacy, and how gifts are carried out.
- [Glossary](https://mylastwill.org/glossary/): Plain-English definitions of estate planning and giving terms.

## Optional
- [Full text of all guides](https://mylastwill.org/llms-full.txt)