Charitable Bequest
A charitable bequest to your church or a United Methodist ministry that is important to you is one of the easiest and most flexible ways that you can leave a gift and make a lasting impact.
Flowchart: Donor leaves property through will or trust to family and United Methodist Ministries.
Benefits of a bequest
- Receive an estate tax charitable deduction
- Reduce the burden of taxes on your family
- Leave a lasting legacy to charity
How a bequest works
A bequest is one of the easiest gifts to make. With the help of an attorney, you can include language in your will or trust specifying a gift to be made to family, friends or your church as part of your estate plan, or you can make a bequest using a beneficiary designation form.
Here are some of the ways to leave a bequest
- Include a bequest to your church or a United Methodist ministry in your will or revocable trust
- Designate the ministry as a full, partial or contingent beneficiary of your retirement account (IRA, 401(k), 403(b) or pension)
- Name the ministry as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy
A bequest may be made in several ways
- Percentage bequest • make a gift of a percentage of your estate
- Specific bequest • make a gift of a specific dollar amount or a specific asset
- Residual bequest • make a gift from the balance or residue of your estate
Contact us
If you have any questions about leaving a bequest, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you.