A bequest is a gift made in your will or trust (or a codicil to your will).
It’s one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to support charitable causes important to you, without compromising the asset you want to give while you are alive.
Watch this short video to learn more.
You can designate Southwest Initiative Foundation to benefit from your bequest, or you can name a community foundation or any local fund under our umbrella. We can even work with you to create a new fund that accomplishes your specific goals.
Video Transcript
A gift from your will or trust is one of the most popular and easiest ways to make a gift to the Southwest Initiative Foundation. Well, a bequest allows you to support the causes you care about most in southwest Minnesota while maintaining control of your assets in your control during your lifetime.
You can modify your gift at any time should circumstances change and you can direct your gift to the area of our mission, which is most important to you. How do you get started? We make it easy. We can provide you with model bequest language and we’ll work with you on all the details.
If you already have a will you can add us as a beneficiary by executing a simple one-page Amendment called a coda cell we can provide you with a sample code of sill as well over the years we’ve received bequest gifts large and small each has been unique to the person who gave it yet all had been important. By naming us as a beneficiary of your will or trust you can add to your legacy and ensure that we can continue to do the good work that you admire and support.
This approach allows you to continue to use the asset during your lifetime, ensuring you can live comfortably. And, because most bequests are revocable, your gift is flexible and can be changed any time you wish. Your estate may even experience tax savings because Southwest Initiative Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity, which extends to our family of funds.
We’re here to help.
Download sample bequest language you can share with your estate planning attorney below.
Contact the Development Team with questions you have along the way by sending an email or calling (320)-587-4848.
Stories Worth Sharing
Endowment Funds as a Tool for Legacy
David C. “Pat” McFarland Jr. was a steadfast member of the Marshall community, whose thoughtful and generous estate planning will impact generations to come. In Pat’s estate plan, he included bequests that left three cash gifts to Southwest Initiative Foundation. Each bequest created an endowment fund that carries his name and supports organizations close to his heart: St. James Episcopal Church, Prairie Home Hospice, and Friends of the Orchestra, all in Marshall.
