The term "planned giving" is most often used to describe a commitment made by a donor to make a gift of accumulated assets such as cash, stocks, real estate, life insurance, etc. This type of gift is usually made by way of formal agreement and the funds are normally not available to the charitable organizations such as a parish or the diocese until the particular requirement has been met, usually at the death of the donor or donor's spouse. A bequest made through a will is by far the most common method of planned giving.