Bequests to CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation
Include a bequest to CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation in your will. You can make your bequest unrestricted or direct it to a specific purpose. You may even indicate a specific amount or percentage of the balance remaining in your estate.
Benefits
- Your assets remain in your control during your lifetime.
- You can modify your gift to address changing circumstances.
- You can direct your gift to a particular purpose (check with us to make sure your gift can be used as intended).
- Under current tax law, there is no upper limit on the estate tax deduction for your charitable bequests.
Planning Tip
If you express your gift as a percentage (e.g., “20 percent of the residue of my estate”), you can maintain the same relative gifts to charities and your heirs, regardless of changes in estate value. If you’re considering designating your gift for a specific purpose, such as research, special programs, or support for a specific department, contact us to ensure that we understand your wishes.
Sample Bequest Language
You may wish to share the following sample language with your attorney:
Unrestricted bequest
“I give (a specific dollar amount/a specific asset, or percentage of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate) to the Trustees of CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation, located in San Antonio, Texas, for its general tax-exempt purposes.”
Bequest for a specific purpose
“I give (a specific dollar amount/a specific asset, or percentage of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate) to the Trustees of CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation, located in San Antonio, Texas, to be used for the following purpose (state the purpose).”
NOTE: If you wish to restrict your bequest to a specific purpose or program at CHRISTUS Children’s, please contact us in advance to assure that the language you include will accomplish your wishes and align with CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation’s needs.
Endowment funds for a restricted purpose
If your bequest will be used to establish an endowed fund for a restricted purpose, we recommend that you and your counsel consider adding a “saving clause” to your bequest provision. A “saving clause” is a way to ensure the usefulness and relevance of your bequest in the future as CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation’s needs and priorities change. For example:
“If, in the future, it is the opinion of the Board of Trustees at CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation that all or part of the income of this fund cannot be usefully applied to such purpose, it may be used for any related purpose which, in the sole opinion of the Board of Trustees, will most nearly accomplish my wishes.”
