A will or living trust can help you provide for loved ones, and it also allows you to express your charitable intentions. Naming Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area as a beneficiary through a bequest in your will can be easy and flexible and may benefit your heirs through tax savings. A bequest may take the form of cash or securities, including retirement plans, real estate, life insurance, and other forms. Through a charitable bequest in your will or living trust, you can ensure that wishes come true for children with critical illnesses. 

Sample Unrestricted Bequest Language 

I give the sum of $___ or ____% to Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area, 1333 Broadway, Suite 200, Oakland, CA 94612, Tax ID 94-2958481, to be used or disposed of as its Board of Directors deems appropriate in its sole discretion.  

Naming Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area as a beneficiary of a qualified retirement asset or insurance policy is one of the easiest ways to leave a significant gift that can benefit wish kids as well as your heirs. Simply list Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area among your beneficiaries on the forms provided by your program administrator. You can name us for the full value of the asset, a specific percentage or dollar amount, or even as a contingent beneficiary. Qualified assets include life insurance policies, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), 401(k), 403(b), KEOGH plans, and commercial annuities. 

A charitable gift annuity is a simple contractual agreement between you and Make-A-Wish. In exchange for a gift of cash or readily marketable securities, Make-A-Wish agrees to pay you and/or your loved ones fixed payments for life. The payout rate depends on the number of recipients, their ages, and the current rates in effect when the gift is made. Once determined, however, it is important to note that the payout rate will not fluctuate with the market. Make-A-Wish issues gift annuities to any beneficiary over the age of 60 who wishes to make a gift of $10,000 or greater. You may also defer charitable gift annuities. This means you can give now and begin receiving payments later on, with the guarantee of a higher rate of return. Donors who defer income for a period of years can take a larger immediate income tax deduction. This can be a great retirement planning tool for younger donors. 

With a charitable remainder trust, you designate a qualifying gift to Make-A-Wish through a trust. You can use either cash or noncash possessions to fund the trust. Your trust provides regular payments to one or more individuals for life or for a term of years. When the trust terminates, the amount bequeathed in the trust is transferred to Make-A-Wish to be used for the purpose you designated. A charitable lead trust is a unique planned gift arrangement that makes payments to Make-A-Wish for a specific pre-determined period of time. When the term of the trust ends, the remaining assets are returned to you or distributed to your heirs.