The warm hand
We could ask the question how the lady who later suffered dementia could have prevented her money from being taken, without her knowledge, by a person to whom she would not have given her agreement in her will or while in sound mind. Often the notary public is asked the question: how can we make my will water-tight. Whatever arrangements are included, completely certainty of water-tightness can never be guaranteed. When you pass on, ultimately you must trust that other people will execute matters as you yourself laid down in your last will and testament. If that does not feel right, ultimately the only completely certain way of donating to the foundation what you want it to have is donating with 'a warm hand'. It is only while you are alive that you have the complete certainty that you can supervise a correct handing over of the donation.
We regularly hear from donors: I am giving you this amount now, because I cannot bear thinking that something unexpected should happen to the money which I have saved for the foundation; I will only be able to sleep peacefully again when it has safely arrived at the foundation.
For material things such as paintings, it is also possible to donate them to the foundation while you are still alive, for example, by means of a written agreement between the donor and the foundation that the paintings will continue to hang in the donor's house as long as he/she wishes that. In that case, no unclear situations can arise later with regard to the right of ownership of the paintings.