| Article Index |
|---|
| Bequests |
| Is This Gift Right for You? |
| Bequest Case Study |
| How to Complete Your Gift |
| All Pages |
A Gift in Your Will: Getting Started
Learn how to help others and the El Dorado Community Foundation by using one of the most popular and simplest ways to make a gift.
We hope you'll consider including a gift to the El Dorado Community Foundation in your will or living trust. Called a charitable bequest, this type of gift offers these main benefits:
- Simplicity. Just a few sentences in your will or trust are all that is needed. Share the sample bequest language for the El Dorado Community Foundation with your estate planning attorney:
- "I, [name], of [city, state ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to the El Dorado Community Foundation [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose."
- Flexibility. Because you are not actually making a gift until after your lifetime, you can change your mind at any time.
- Versatility. You can structure the bequest to leave a specific item or amount of money, make the gift contingent on certain events, or leave a percentage of your estate to us.
- Tax Relief. Your estate is entitled to an estate tax* charitable deduction for the gift's full value.
Did you know?
You can change your mind about your gift at any time.
How It Works
To make a charitable bequest, you need a current will or revocable living trust.
Your gift can be made as a percentage of your estate. Or you can make a specific bequest by giving a certain amount of cash, securities or property. After your lifetime, the El Dorado Community Foundation receives your gift.
Putting Your Family First
When planning a future gift, it's sometimes difficult to determine what size donation will make sense. Emergencies happen, and you need to make sure your family is financially taken care of first. Including a bequest of a percentage of your estate ensures that your gift will remain proportionate no matter how your estate's value fluctuates over the years.
*Currently, federal estate taxes are repealed for all deaths that occur in the calendar year 2010. In 2011, estate taxes are scheduled to be reinstated for estates worth more than $5 million at rates up to 35 percent.
