Kelly Wewers, director of stewardship and development, browses the FreeWill website in her office at St. John Center in Little Rock June 10. (Katie Zakrzewski)

Catholics in Arkansas offered Freewill for estate planning



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The Diocese of Little Rock has partnered with FreeWill, a company to help Catholics in Arkansas create or update a legally binding last will and testament, along with other important financial and end-of-life documents. 

The website can also walk Catholics through the steps to create or update a trust, advanced healthcare directive (also known as a living will), power of attorney and beneficiary designation documents for free. 

Kelly Wewers, director of stewardship and development, told Arkansas Catholic that the online tool was created specifically for Arkansas and its laws.

“FreeWill holds an A+ rating as well as accreditation from the Better Business Bureau and has over 2,200 non-profit partners, including many dioceses and parishes across the country,” she said. 

The greeting that prompts users who access the FreeWill page from the dolr.org website.

The FreeWill online tool guides users through the steps to complete the necessary information to create their will. The information users provide is combined with the precise language of legal forms and is available as a printable will. To make a will official, users must print and sign the will according to the instructions provided.

All users are provided with free forms and a summary of their intentions to bring to an attorney if necessary, saving time and money. This also applies to advance healthcare directives, durable financial powers of attorney and revocable living trusts. All are free to create. 

The landing page of the FreeWill website.

Additional features in the will-making process include a section to express your wishes for your funeral and an opportunity to make a legacy gift to any parish, school or ministry in the Diocese of Little Rock.

The link to the FreeWill site can be accessed at freewill.com/dioceseoflittlerock or under planned giving on dolr.org.

Wewers has wanted to incorporate opportunities for planned giving as part of her development strategy since joining the diocese’s development office in April 2024. The FreeWill website is a big step forward.

“Planned giving is a fundamental part of a strong fundraising strategy, so I knew that was something I needed to incorporate when I started this position a year ago,” she said. “I reached out to development officers in other dioceses in our region to find out what other successful programs looked like, and many of them highly recommended partnering with FreeWill. It provides the structure to effectively reach Catholic households across the state and allows parishes to help promote the program, as well as the stewardship and development office, and the diocese covers the cost.”

Wewers said that the FreeWill website allows Catholics across Arkansas to ensure their financial bases are covered, while also giving them the opportunity to remember their Catholic communities in their legacy giving. 

“First and foremost, we want to ensure that families are protected by having an updated will,” she said. “It is estimated that 70 percent of adults in the U.S. do not have a will. A will is important for everyone, regardless of estate size. Having an estate plan ensures that your wishes are known and stated legally, saving your loved ones the stress and cost of intestate probate proceedings. 

“If you die without a will, a court will decide what happens after your passing. Ultimately, giving faithful Catholics the opportunity to include their parish, school or diocesan ministry in their estate plans helps ensure the funding of our Church for generations to come.

A diocese-wide promotion of the FreeWill program is planned for national “Make a Will” month in August.

Katie Zakrzewski

Katie Zakrzewski joined Arkansas Catholic as associate editor in 2023 after working in local media and the environmental sector. A member of St. Mary Church in North Little Rock, she recently completed her master’s degree in public service from the Clinton School.

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