United Methodist Foundation of Pennsylvania's Bequest Language
An excellent way for you to support your church or favorite ministry is to leave a bequest in your will, living trust or with a codicil. One significant benefit of making a gift by bequest is that it allows you to continue to use the property you will leave to charity during your life.
There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to a cause close to your heart.
In order to make a bequest, you should speak with your attorney. Your attorney can help you include a bequest to your chosen charitable beneficiary in your estate plan. We have provided some basic bequest language to assist you and your attorney.
1. Specific Bequest
If you are considering making an outright bequest to a charity, we recommend the following language:
If you are considering making a bequest of a percentage of your estate to a charity, we recommend the following language:
If you are considering a bequest but would like to ensure that your bequest will be used for a specific purpose, please contact us at the Foundation. Our knowledgeable staff would be happy to work with you and your attorney to help you identify ways to give and meet your charitable objectives and to craft language to accomplish your goals.
If you are making a restricted bequest, we recommend that your attorney include the following provision to give your charitable beneficiary flexibility should it no longer be possible for it to use your gift as you originally intended:
Please contact us if you have any questions about how to make a bequest to your church or chosen ministry or to request any additional information that might be helpful to you and your attorney as you consider making a bequest.
If you have included a bequest to create an endowment with the UM Foundation of PA in your estate plan, please contact us to let us know. We would like to thank you and recognize you for your gift.
Types of Bequests
There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to a cause close to your heart.
Specific Bequest. A specific bequest involves making a gift of a specific asset such as real estate, a car, other property or a gift for a specific dollar amount. For example, you may wish to leave your home or $10,000 to your church.
Percentage Bequest. Another kind of specific bequest involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to your church.
Residual Bequest. A residual bequest is made from the balance of an estate after the will or trust has given away each of the specific bequests. A common residual bequest involves leaving a percentage of the residue of the estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 30% of the residue of your estate to your church.
Contingent Bequest. A contingent bequest is made to charity only if the purpose of the primary bequest cannot be met. For example, you could leave specific property, such as a vacation home, to a relative, but the bequest language could provide that if the relative is not alive at the time of your death, the vacation home will go to your church.
Bequest to Create an Endowment. You can choose to leave a bequest to the United Methodist Foundation of Pennsylvania for the specific purpose that it be used to create an endowment account to provide income in perpetuity to a chosen beneficiary, whether it be your church or another United Methodist Ministry. The Foundation will manage the account and distribute the income to your beneficiary. Contact our office to learn more about this particular method of giving.
Percentage Bequest. Another kind of specific bequest involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to your church.
Residual Bequest. A residual bequest is made from the balance of an estate after the will or trust has given away each of the specific bequests. A common residual bequest involves leaving a percentage of the residue of the estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 30% of the residue of your estate to your church.
Contingent Bequest. A contingent bequest is made to charity only if the purpose of the primary bequest cannot be met. For example, you could leave specific property, such as a vacation home, to a relative, but the bequest language could provide that if the relative is not alive at the time of your death, the vacation home will go to your church.
Bequest to Create an Endowment. You can choose to leave a bequest to the United Methodist Foundation of Pennsylvania for the specific purpose that it be used to create an endowment account to provide income in perpetuity to a chosen beneficiary, whether it be your church or another United Methodist Ministry. The Foundation will manage the account and distribute the income to your beneficiary. Contact our office to learn more about this particular method of giving.
Bequest Benefits
A bequest is generally a revocable gift, which means it can be changed or modified at any time.
You can choose to designate that a bequest be used for a general or specific purpose so you have the peace of mind knowing that your gift will be used as intended.
Bequests are exempt from federal estate taxes. If you have a taxable estate, the estate tax charitable deduction may offset or eliminate estate taxes, resulting in a larger inheritance for your heirs.
Bequest Language
In order to make a bequest, you should speak with your attorney. Your attorney can help you include a bequest to your chosen charitable beneficiary in your estate plan. We have provided some basic bequest language to assist you and your attorney.
1. Specific Bequest
If you are considering making an outright bequest to a charity, we recommend the following language:
Bequest of a Specific Dollar Amount
I hereby give, devise and bequeath _________ and No/100 dollars ($DOLLARS) to ___________________________, a nonprofit organization located at _____ADDRESS_____________, Federal Tax ID _________________, for ___________charity name_____________'s general use and purpose.
Bequest of Specific Personal Property
I hereby give, devise and bequeath DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to ___________________________, a nonprofit organization located at _____ADDRESS_____________, Federal Tax ID _________________, for ___________charity name_____________'s general use and purpose.
Bequest of Specific Real Estate
I hereby give, devise and bequeath all of the right, title and interest in and to the real estate located at ADDRESS OR DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to ___________________________, a nonprofit organization located at _____ADDRESS_____________, Federal Tax ID _________________, for ___________charity name_____________'s general use and purpose.
2. Percentage BequestI hereby give, devise and bequeath _________ and No/100 dollars ($DOLLARS) to ___________________________, a nonprofit organization located at _____ADDRESS_____________, Federal Tax ID _________________, for ___________charity name_____________'s general use and purpose.
Bequest of Specific Personal Property
I hereby give, devise and bequeath DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to ___________________________, a nonprofit organization located at _____ADDRESS_____________, Federal Tax ID _________________, for ___________charity name_____________'s general use and purpose.
Bequest of Specific Real Estate
I hereby give, devise and bequeath all of the right, title and interest in and to the real estate located at ADDRESS OR DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to ___________________________, a nonprofit organization located at _____ADDRESS_____________, Federal Tax ID _________________, for ___________charity name_____________'s general use and purpose.
If you are considering making a bequest of a percentage of your estate to a charity, we recommend the following language:
I hereby give, devise and bequeath ____ percent (___%) of my total estate, determined as of the date of my death, ___________________________, a nonprofit organization located at _____ADDRESS_____________, Federal Tax ID _________________, for ___________charity name_____________'s general use and purpose.
3. Residual Bequest
I hereby give, devise and bequeath ___________________________, a nonprofit organization located at _____ADDRESS_____________, Federal Tax ID _________________, ALL OR A PERCENTAGE of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to be used for ___________charity name_____________'s general use and purpose.
4. Contingent Bequest
If (primary beneficiary) does not survive me, then I hereby give, devise and bequeath to ___________________________, a nonprofit organization located at _____ADDRESS_____________, Federal Tax ID _________________, DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to be used for ___________charity name_____________'s general use and purpose.
Restricted Bequests
If you are considering a bequest but would like to ensure that your bequest will be used for a specific purpose, please contact us at the Foundation. Our knowledgeable staff would be happy to work with you and your attorney to help you identify ways to give and meet your charitable objectives and to craft language to accomplish your goals.
If you are making a restricted bequest, we recommend that your attorney include the following provision to give your charitable beneficiary flexibility should it no longer be possible for it to use your gift as you originally intended:
If, in the judgment of the Board of Directors of _____charity_____, it shall become impossible for _____charity_____ to use this bequest to accomplish the specific purposes of this bequest, _____charity_____ may use the income and principal of this gift for such purpose or purposes as the Board determines is most closely related to the restricted purpose of my bequest.
Contact Us
Please contact us if you have any questions about how to make a bequest to your church or chosen ministry or to request any additional information that might be helpful to you and your attorney as you consider making a bequest.
If you have included a bequest to create an endowment with the UM Foundation of PA in your estate plan, please contact us to let us know. We would like to thank you and recognize you for your gift.