Wills and Bequests

Bequests are made through a written and executed will, and can be designated any way the donor wishes.

Your Legacy
For many people, the bequest is the most popular method of planned giving. The bequest is made through your will, a legal document which directs how your property will be used and distributed after your lifetime. A bequest does not reduce your current income and it enables you to provide future support for a cause that is important to you-truly a legacy to your community. A gift to the Hospice Foundation through your will has several advantages:

• Charitable gifts are 100 percent tax-deductible when your estate becomes irrevocable.
• A charitable bequest may place the taxable portion of your estate in a lower tax bracket.
• If you wish to establish an endowment fund through your will, you can request that it be named for you or anyone you wish to honor.
• When you notify the Hospice Foundation of your bequest intention, you receive membership in the Helen Westland Legacy Society.

How to Word Your Bequest
You may direct funds to support a specific program receiving grants from the Hospice Foundation, or for the Foundation’s general grant program. Either of these can be accomplished by making a new will, modifying your present will (by adding a codicil), or by including the Hospice Foundation in your revocable trust. To bequeath money or property to the Hospice Foundation, you and your lawyer may find the following language helpful:

“I hereby give, devise, and bequeath to Central Coast Hospice Foundation, Monterey, California for its general purposes (……dollars) (……percent) (_____ percent of all the rest, residue, and remainder of my Estate after all other bequests have been made).”

Your own attorney should draft your will. Hospice Foundation staff will be pleased to consult in confidence with you and your legal advisor about the phrasing of any specific bequest you may have in mind.

If you would like more information, please contact Lisa Bennett, Director of Fund Development, at (831) 333-9023, ext. 11, or send an email to Lisa Bennett at lbennett@hospicegiving.org.