As David and Laurie Schwartzner were updating their will, they had a plan.
The Chandler, Ariz., couple and St. Juan Diego Church members already had made sure in their original document that their three adult children and five grandchildren were provided for.
But they also wanted to leave something to the causes close to their hearts.
“We thought, ‘What do we do for charity?’” David recalled.
Supporters of their parish and the Diocese of Phoenix, David and Laurie were aware of many other needs connected to the Church.
So, they prayed.
And they took part in a diocese-sponsored luncheon on legacy giving.
David said that the May 2025 gathering, where the couple was presented with a will-related questionnaire, helped unlock the answers to completing a document that both took care of their family and the faith they love.
“Think about all the things the diocese is involved with,” David said. “Faith formation, the Newman Centers, senior living, Catholic Charities, seminarian support.”
David and Laurie knew the diocese and its offices and affiliates would manage their gifts well. So, with their Seeds of Faith Legacy Giving questionnaire completed, they became among the first couples to utilize the diocese’s new Seeds of Faith Legacy Giving program, which is now in full operation through an innovative online tool. Created by the New York-based company Freewill, this tool is now being used by hundreds of entities to help users complete their will for free while encouraging them to leave something to a charity that is meaningful to them.
“We like to give to the Church. We know that’s going to continue. We’re not leaving it to the courts. It’s already set up,” said David, a retired insurance industry sales-support specialist.
“We don’t have to worry about it anymore. We just feel good.”
Retirement Living (RL), the online Journal of Retirement Research, which publishes studies from a variety of sources, reports that 32-percent of Americans had a will in 2024, a six-percent drop from the previous year.
While procrastination was cited by about 40-percent of people without a will, RL said that 40-percent believe they don’t have enough assets to justify making a will.
Regardless of whether someone intends their money to go to the Church when they’re gone, dying without a will can be difficult and emotionally painful for loved ones. With no legal instructions to guide distribution of assets, state laws decide who gets what. The order of inheritance doesn’t consider personal relationships or financial dependency. In Arizona, the law applies to assets not covered by a non-probate transfer and those not titled in a trust. Generally, the inheritance falls first to a surviving spouse, but after that it can become tied up in court for years, in some cases.
“It becomes a big mess for the family,” said Fr. Ignatius Mazanowski, pastor of St. John Vianney Church and rector of the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Ariz., one of the diocese’s first parishes to use Freewill’s service as part of a test run.
Diocesan leaders for some time had been seeking a way to help people easily create a will at no cost while encouraging — although not requiring — users to make a legacy gift to support the Church.
This year, they acted.
And it’s costing individual parishes and schools nothing.
“We purchased [the service] for people to do their will for free,” said diocesan Senior Director of Engagement and Legacy Giving, Martha Gamez. “The diocese pays, and there is no cost for those using the service.”
To make this new online tool as accessible as possible, the diocese has given each of the 94 parishes and 36 schools a microsite. One can use the platform to create a will, designate power of attorney, funeral wishes and advance-care directives, Gamez explained.
There is no obligation to designate any gifts.
“It is all about mission,” she said. “The Lord put us on Earth as a mission, and we are seeking to serve those in our [diocese’s] care.
“Anybody can use it. You don’t have to leave money to the Church. It’s an invitation to participate in something bigger than ourselves and really leave something lasting for those generations to come.”
Until now, the diocese had no formal way of encouraging legacy giving. As Gamez noted, “We counted on the generosity of people and presented it as an opportunity to continue their faith legacy when meeting one-on-one with benefactors.”
Freewill first came to the diocese’s attention three years ago when a group of representatives attending the annual International Catholic Stewardship Conference were given an introduction by the company, as well as presentations from several other legacy giving vendors. The group studied each of the firms and their products, eventually settling on Freewill, whose founders wanted to merge simple online will creation with boosting charitable giving.
The diocesan team made its recommendation to Bishop John Dolan and diocesan administrators, and the diocese signed the contract in late 2024. Gamez said the Office of Engagement and Legacy Giving spent the first half of 2025 getting the site up and running.
An existing document can be replaced by one executed through Freewill and wills created through Freewill can be updated at any time. A number of U.S. dioceses offer a legacy-giving link. But, according to Gamez, Phoenix is the only one extending the service to individual parishes.
“We decided to invest a little more to give every parish and school an opportunity to do it on their own,” continued Gamez. “These are the ‘boots on the ground.’ [People’s] connection is with their local parish or school.
A number of parishes have begun participating, including the Newman Center at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz., St. Timothy in Mesa, Ariz., St. Helen in Glendale, Ariz., St. Clare of Assisi in Surprise, Ariz., and St. John Vianney in Sedona, Ariz.
The link to the diocesan Legacy Giving page on local parish sites can be found in different places. For instance, St. Helen lists it under the Resources tab, while St. Timothy includes it in the highlights scrolling across the top of the homepage. St. Clare links directly to the Office of Mission Advancement.
The site is completely secure, Gamez noted.
Fr. Mazanowski is passionate about legacy giving and the new tool.
“It’s a huge opportunity for individuals to set up the things that will happen at the end of their life,” explained Fr. Mazanowski. “And it’s also a unique opportunity for the Church, which always is in need of financial resources. Every church or school you’ve ever been in was built through donations. There is a chance to make a difference. This program allows [people] to do that.
“This is a blessing for the people who do it, especially, if they don’t have a will at this point. And it’s a blessing for the Church to be able to receive gifts and use those for the greater glory of God.
“There is a lot of misunderstanding and false judgment regarding these types of things,” Fr. Mazanowski continued. “It’s easy to get confused and think the Church just wants more money. But really, it’s more than that. It is another way to serve; to help people.”
Valleywise Health’s Maryvale facility is one of the organization’s three behavioral health hospitals, with a combined licensed capacity of 412 inpatient beds — the only provider of court ordered evaluation in Maricopa County, and the largest provider of court ordered inpatient treatment to individuals challenged by serious mental illness.
