Making a Bequest

The first thing anyone should do when planning to make a bequest to any charity, is contact their legal advisor. Below are some options you might wish to discuss:

A Special Gift

A Residuary Gift

A Contingent Gift

A Special Gift
This is a gift in which a cash amount or a particular asset (such as an investment), is left to a charity. The advantage of making a specific gift is that it is precise to identify and simple to administer.
Sample Wording:
"I give ($...) to Child Haven International."

A Residuary Gift
The residue of your estate is whatever is left over after all taxes, expenses of administration and specific gifts are paid. Such a bequest can be of the whole, or a proportion of the residue of the estate. The advantage of making a residuary gift is that its actual value can be sensitive to any change in the value of your estate between the date you make your will and the date of your death.
Sample Wording:
"I give (one third of) the residue of my estate to Child Haven International.

A Contingent Gift
This is a provision which allows you to determine the recipient of your estate in the event that none of your named beneficiaries is alive at the time of your death.
Sample Wording:
If none of the individuals I intend to benefit by this Will are alive or otherwise capable of benefitting, I leave the residue of my estate to Child Haven International.

These are three common types of planned gifts, but they are not the only ones available to you. You can learn more about planned giving by asking your legal adviser.

Thank you for considering a planned gift and for your ongoing and generous financial support to Child Haven International.

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