Leave a Legacy of Hope and Healing
Thank you for your interest in learning more about how legacy gifts, put into place now, can help you provide a secure future for your loved ones and support the Mercy Ships mission well into the future. A legacy gift is a lasting investment in Mercy Ships, advancing our mission and ensuring our ability to help those in need for years to come.
For over 40 years, the heart of Mercy Ships has focused on bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor. Our fleet of state-of-the-art hospital ships bring world-class healthcare and medical training to regions where clean water, reliable electricity, and medical personnel and supplies are limited or even nonexistent. Onboard our hospital ships, staffed by volunteer professionals from around the world, surgeries are performed that transform the lives of people who might otherwise face a lifetime of suffering. Tumors are removed, orthopedic conditions are corrected, sight is restored, cleft lips are repaired, and more!
We invite you to consider adding Mercy Ships to your will, leaving a legacy of hope and healing well into the future.
"You can't change the whole world. But you can change the whole world
for one person."
-Dr. Gary Parker, volunteer surgeon
Bequest Language
An excellent way for you to support Mercy Ships's mission is to leave us a bequest in your will, living trust or with a codicil. One significant benefit of making a gift by bequest is that it allows you to continue to use the property you will leave to charity during your life. Another benefit is that you are able to leave a lasting legacy.
There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to Mercy Ships.
In order to make a bequest, you should speak with your attorney. Your attorney can help you include a bequest to Mercy Ships in your estate plan. We have provided some basic bequest language to assist you and your attorney.
1. Specific Bequest
If you are considering making an outright bequest to Mercy Ships, we recommend the following language:
If you are considering making a bequest of a percentage of your estate to Mercy Ships, we recommend the following language:
If you are considering a bequest but would like to ensure that your bequest will be used for a specific purpose, please let us know. We would be happy to work with you and your attorney to help you identify ways to give and meet your charitable objectives. We will also work with you and your attorney to craft language to accomplish your goals.
If you are making a restricted bequest, we recommend that your attorney include the following provision to give Mercy Ships flexibility should it no longer be possible for Mercy Ships to use your gift as you originally intended:
Please contact us if you have any questions about how to make a bequest to Mercy Ships or to request any additional information that might be helpful to you and your attorney as you consider making a bequest to us.
If you have included a bequest for Mercy Ships in your estate plan, please contact us to let us know. We would like to thank you and recognize you for your gift.
Types of Bequests
There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to Mercy Ships.
Specific Bequest. A specific bequest involves making a gift of a specific asset such as real estate, a car, other property or a gift for a specific dollar amount. For example, you may wish to leave your home or $10,000 to Mercy Ships.
Percentage Bequest. Another kind of specific bequest involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to Mercy Ships.
Residual Bequest. A residual bequest is 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. For example, you may wish to leave 30% of the residue of your estate to Mercy Ships.
Contingent Bequest. A contingent bequest is made to charity 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 Mercy Ships.
Percentage Bequest. Another kind of specific bequest involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to Mercy Ships.
Residual Bequest. A residual bequest is 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. For example, you may wish to leave 30% of the residue of your estate to Mercy Ships.
Contingent Bequest. A contingent bequest is made to charity 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 Mercy Ships.
Bequest Benefits
A bequest is generally a revocable gift, which means it can be changed or modified at any time.
You can choose to designate that a bequest be used for a general or specific purpose so you have the peace of mind knowing that your gift will be used as intended.
Bequests are exempt from federal estate taxes. If you have a taxable estate, the estate tax charitable deduction may offset or eliminate estate taxes, resulting in a larger inheritance for your heirs.
Bequest Language
In order to make a bequest, you should speak with your attorney. Your attorney can help you include a bequest to Mercy Ships in your estate plan. We have provided some basic bequest language to assist you and your attorney.
1. Specific Bequest
If you are considering making an outright bequest to Mercy Ships, we recommend the following language:
Bequest of a Specific Dollar Amount
I hereby give, devise and bequeath _________ and No/100 dollars ($DOLLARS) to Mercy Ships, a nonprofit organization located at 15862 State Highway 110 North, Lindale, TX 75771, Federal Tax ID #26-2414132, for Mercy Ships general use and purpose.
Bequest of Specific Personal Property
I hereby give, devise and bequeath DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to Mercy Ships, a nonprofit organization located at 15862 State Highway 110 North, Lindale, TX 75771, Federal Tax ID #26-2414132, for Mercy Ships general use and purpose.
Bequest of Specific Real Estate
I hereby give, devise and bequeath all of the right, title and interest in and to the real estate located at ADDRESS OR DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to Mercy Ships, a nonprofit organization located at 15862 State Highway 110 North, Lindale, TX 75771, Federal Tax ID #26-2414132, for Mercy Ships general use and purpose.
2. Percentage BequestI hereby give, devise and bequeath _________ and No/100 dollars ($DOLLARS) to Mercy Ships, a nonprofit organization located at 15862 State Highway 110 North, Lindale, TX 75771, Federal Tax ID #26-2414132, for Mercy Ships general use and purpose.
Bequest of Specific Personal Property
I hereby give, devise and bequeath DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to Mercy Ships, a nonprofit organization located at 15862 State Highway 110 North, Lindale, TX 75771, Federal Tax ID #26-2414132, for Mercy Ships general use and purpose.
Bequest of Specific Real Estate
I hereby give, devise and bequeath all of the right, title and interest in and to the real estate located at ADDRESS OR DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to Mercy Ships, a nonprofit organization located at 15862 State Highway 110 North, Lindale, TX 75771, Federal Tax ID #26-2414132, for Mercy Ships general use and purpose.
If you are considering making a bequest of a percentage of your estate to Mercy Ships, we recommend the following language:
I hereby give, devise and bequeath ____ percent (___%) of my total estate, determined as of the date of my death, to Mercy Ships, a nonprofit organization located at 15862 State Highway 110 North, Lindale, TX 75771, Federal Tax ID #26-2414132, for Mercy Ships general use and purpose.
3. Residual Bequest
I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Mercy Ships, a nonprofit organization located at 15862 State Highway 110 North, Lindale, TX 75771, Federal Tax ID #26-2414132, ALL OR A PERCENTAGE of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to be used for Mercy Ships general use and purpose.
4. Contingent Bequest
If (primary beneficiary) does not survive me, then I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Mercy Ships, a nonprofit organization located at 15862 State Highway 110 North, Lindale, TX 75771, Federal Tax ID #26-2414132, DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to be used for Mercy Ships general use and purpose.
Restricted Bequests
If you are considering a bequest but would like to ensure that your bequest will be used for a specific purpose, please let us know. We would be happy to work with you and your attorney to help you identify ways to give and meet your charitable objectives. We will also work with you and your attorney to craft language to accomplish your goals.
If you are making a restricted bequest, we recommend that your attorney include the following provision to give Mercy Ships flexibility should it no longer be possible for Mercy Ships to use your gift as you originally intended:
If, in the judgment of the Board of Directors of Mercy Ships, it shall become impossible for Mercy Ships to use this bequest to accomplish the specific purposes of this bequest, Mercy Ships may use the income and principal of this gift for such purpose or purposes as the Board determines is most closely related to the restricted purpose of my bequest.
Contact Us
Please contact us if you have any questions about how to make a bequest to Mercy Ships or to request any additional information that might be helpful to you and your attorney as you consider making a bequest to us.
If you have included a bequest for Mercy Ships in your estate plan, please contact us to let us know. We would like to thank you and recognize you for your gift.
