Skip to Content

What is a bequest?

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 United Way as part of your estate plan.

Contact us to learn more or get started

The benefits of making a bequest

  • Leave a lasting legacy.
  • The estate tax charitable deduction could result in a larger inheritance for your heirs.
  • During your life, continue using the property you will leave to charity.

Bequest options

There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to United Way Worldwide.

Specific Bequest. Donate a specific asset such as real estate, a car, other property or a gift for a specific dollar amount.

Percentage Bequest. Leave a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity.

Residual Bequest. Made from the balance of an estate after the will or trust has given away each of the specific bequests, a common residual bequest involves leaving a percentage of the residue of the estate to charity.

Contingent Bequest. Made only if the purpose of the primary bequest cannot be met. For example, you could leave specific property, such as a vacation home, to a relative, but the bequest language could provide that if the relative is not alive at the time of your death, the vacation home will go to United Way.