Bequest Language

An excellent way for you to support Morris Animal Foundation'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.

Types of Bequests

There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to Morris Animal Foundation.

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 Morris Animal Foundation.

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 Morris Animal Foundation.

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 Morris Animal Foundation.

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 Morris Animal Foundation.

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 Morris Animal Foundation 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 Morris Animal Foundation, we recommend the following language:

Bequest of a Specific Dollar Amount

I hereby give, devise and bequeath _________ and No/100 dollars ($DOLLARS) to Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 720 S Colorado Blvd. STE 174-A, Denver, CO, 80246, Federal Tax ID #84-6032307, for Morris Animal Foundation's general use and purpose.

Bequest of Specific Personal Property

I hereby give, devise and bequeath DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 720 S Colorado Blvd. STE 174-A, Denver, CO, 80246, Federal Tax ID #84-6032307, for Morris Animal Foundation'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 Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 720 S Colorado Blvd. STE 174-A, Denver, CO, 80246, Federal Tax ID #84-6032307, for Morris Animal Foundation's general use and purpose.

2. Percentage Bequest

If you are considering making a bequest of a percentage of your estate to Morris Animal Foundation, 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 Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 720 S Colorado Blvd. STE 174-A, Denver, CO, 80246, Federal Tax ID #84-6032307, for Morris Animal Foundation's general use and purpose.

3. Residual Bequest

I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 720 S Colorado Blvd. STE 174-A, Denver, CO, 80246, Federal Tax ID #84-6032307, ALL OR A PERCENTAGE of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to be used for Morris Animal Foundation's general use and purpose.

4. Contingent Bequest

If (primary beneficiary) does not survive me, then I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization located at 720 S Colorado Blvd. STE 174-A, Denver, CO, 80246, Federal Tax ID #84-6032307, DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to be used for Morris Animal Foundation'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 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.

Below is an example of restricted bequest language:

I give, devise, and bequeath _____% of my estate/ the remainder [or $______] of my estate to Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) under Colorado law [Tax ID #84-6032307] located in Denver, Colorado, to be used for [canine, feline, equine or wildlife] health research.

If you are making a restricted bequest, we recommend that your attorney include the following provision to give Morris Animal Foundation flexibility should it no longer be possible for Morris Animal Foundation to use your gift as you originally intended:

If, in the judgment of the Board of Trustees of Morris Animal Foundation, it shall become impossible for Morris Animal Foundation to use this bequest to accomplish the specific purposes of this bequest, Morris Animal Foundation 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 Morris Animal Foundation 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 bequest for Morris Animal Foundation in your estate plan, please contact us to let us know. We would like to thank you and recognize you for your gift.