Muhlenberg College
GIFT THROUGH YOUR WILL Language
An excellent way for you to support Muhlenberg College's mission is to leave us 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. Another benefit is that you are able to leave a lasting legacy.
There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to Muhlenberg College.
In order to make a gift through your will, you should speak with your attorney. Your attorney can help you include a bequest to Muhlenberg College in your estate plan. We have provided some basic bequest language to assist you and your attorney.
1. Specific Gift
If you are considering making an outright bequest to Muhlenberg College, we recommend the following language:
If you are considering making a gift of a percentage of your estate to Muhlenberg College, we recommend the following language:
If you are considering a gift through your will but would like to ensure that your bequest will be used for a specific purpose, please let us know. We would be happy to work with you and your attorney to help you identify ways to give and meet your charitable objectives. We will also work with you and your attorney to craft language to accomplish your goals.
If you are making a restricted gift, we recommend that your attorney include the following provision to give Muhlenberg College flexibility should it no longer be possible for our Muhlenberg College to use your gift as you originally intended:
Please contact us if you have any questions about how to make a bequest to Muhlenberg College or to request any additional information that might be helpful to you and your attorney as you consider making a bequest to us.
If you have included a gift for Muhlenberg College 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 Gifts:
There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to Muhlenberg College.
Specific Gift. A specific gift 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 Muhlenberg College.
Percentage Gift. Another kind of gift involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to Muhlenberg College.
Residual Gift. A residual gift is made from the balance of an estate after the will or trust has given away each of the specific assets. 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 Muhlenberg College.
Contingent Gift. A contingent gift is made to charity only if the purpose of the primary intention cannot be met. For example, you could leave specific property, such as a vacation home, to a relative, but the language in your will could provide that if the relative is not alive at the time of your death, the vacation home will go to Muhlenberg College.
Percentage Gift. Another kind of gift involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to Muhlenberg College.
Residual Gift. A residual gift is made from the balance of an estate after the will or trust has given away each of the specific assets. 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 Muhlenberg College.
Contingent Gift. A contingent gift is made to charity only if the purpose of the primary intention cannot be met. For example, you could leave specific property, such as a vacation home, to a relative, but the language in your will could provide that if the relative is not alive at the time of your death, the vacation home will go to Muhlenberg College.
Benefits of Giving Through Your Will
A gift through your will is generally a revocable gift, which means it can be changed or modified at any time. You can choose to designate your provision 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.
Language for Gifts Through Your Will
In order to make a gift through your will, you should speak with your attorney. Your attorney can help you include a bequest to Muhlenberg College in your estate plan. We have provided some basic bequest language to assist you and your attorney.
1. Specific Gift
If you are considering making an outright bequest to Muhlenberg College, we recommend the following language:
Gift of a Specific Dollar Amount
I hereby give, devise and bequeath _________ and No/100 dollars ($DOLLARS) to Muhlenberg College, a nonprofit organization located at Advancement, Allentown, PA, 18104, Federal Tax ID #23-1352664, for Muhlenberg College's general use and purpose.
Gift of Specific Personal Property
I hereby give, devise and bequeath DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to Muhlenberg College, a nonprofit organization located at Advancement, Allentown, PA, 18104, Federal Tax ID #23-1352664, for Muhlenberg College's general use and purpose.
Gift 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 Muhlenberg College, a nonprofit organization located at Advancement, Allentown, PA, 18104, Federal Tax ID #23-1352664, for Muhlenberg College's general use and purpose.
2. Percentage GiftI hereby give, devise and bequeath _________ and No/100 dollars ($DOLLARS) to Muhlenberg College, a nonprofit organization located at Advancement, Allentown, PA, 18104, Federal Tax ID #23-1352664, for Muhlenberg College's general use and purpose.
Gift of Specific Personal Property
I hereby give, devise and bequeath DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to Muhlenberg College, a nonprofit organization located at Advancement, Allentown, PA, 18104, Federal Tax ID #23-1352664, for Muhlenberg College's general use and purpose.
Gift 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 Muhlenberg College, a nonprofit organization located at Advancement, Allentown, PA, 18104, Federal Tax ID #23-1352664, for Muhlenberg College's general use and purpose.
If you are considering making a gift of a percentage of your estate to Muhlenberg College, we recommend the following language:
I hereby give, devise and bequeath ____ percent (___%) of my total estate, determined as of the date of my death, to Muhlenberg College, a nonprofit organization located at Advancement, Allentown, PA, 18104, Federal Tax ID #23-1352664, for Muhlenberg College's general use and purpose.
3. Residual GiftI hereby give, devise and bequeath to Muhlenberg College, a nonprofit organization located at Advancement, Allentown, PA, 18104, Federal Tax ID #23-1352664, ALL OR A PERCENTAGE of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to be used for Muhlenberg College's general use and purpose.
4. Contingent GiftIf (primary beneficiary) does not survive me, then I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Muhlenberg College, a nonprofit organization located at Advancement, Allentown, PA, 18104, Federal Tax ID #23-1352664, DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to be used for Muhlenberg College's general use and purpose.
Restricted Gifts
If you are considering a gift through your will but would like to ensure that your bequest will be used for a specific purpose, please let us know. We would be happy to work with you and your attorney to help you identify ways to give and meet your charitable objectives. We will also work with you and your attorney to craft language to accomplish your goals.
If you are making a restricted gift, we recommend that your attorney include the following provision to give Muhlenberg College flexibility should it no longer be possible for our Muhlenberg College to use your gift as you originally intended:
If, in the judgment of the Board of Directors of Muhlenberg College, it shall become impossible for Muhlenberg College to use this bequest to accomplish the specific purposes of this bequest, Muhlenberg College 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 Muhlenberg College or to request any additional information that might be helpful to you and your attorney as you consider making a bequest to us.
If you have included a gift for Muhlenberg College in your estate plan, please contact us to let us know. We would like to thank you and recognize you for your gift.
