Types of Bequest:

• Percentage Bequest - This gift involves leaving a percentage of your estate to the charity of your choice. (i.e., you may want to leave 10% of your estate to the Simon House Inc.) 

• Specific Bequest - You may make a gift of a specific asset such as real estate, car, or a gift for a specific dollar amount. (i.e., you may wish to donate your home or $25,000 from your estate to The Simon House, Inc.). 

• Residual Bequest -This type of gift is made from the balance of an estate after all the obligations/bequest of the will or trust have been fulfilled. (i.e., you may want to gift 50% of the residue of your estate to The Simon House, Inc.). 

• Contingent Bequest – This is a gift that is contingent on the inability to fulfill the primary bequest. (i.e., you leave 100% of your estate to a relative, but the bequest language could state that if the relative is not alive at the time of your death, the estate will go to The Simon House, Inc.). 

Donor Benefits of a Bequest:
A donor may choose to designate a bequest for a specific purpose which will give the donor certainty that the gift will be used as the donor intended. In addition, most bequest are revocable which means that the donor may modify the bequest at any time based on their financial situation. BEQUESTS ARE EXEMPT FROM FEDERAL ESTATE TAXES. The estate tax charitable deduction may eliminate estate tax, which may result in a larger inheritance for your heirs.