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

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Using a Beneficiary Designation to Make a Gift to Charity

Using a Beneficiary Designation to Make a Gift to Charity
Joanne and her late husband Hal had been longtime supporters of our organization. Recently, Joanne's children encouraged her to update her estate plan. Joanne thought that was a great idea. In fact, she had been thinking about meeting with her attorney to discuss how she could make a significant gift to support our work.

Joanne: Hal and I were passionate about Mercy Ships's mission. We even volunteered regularly. After Hal passed away, I wanted to make a gift that would honor his memory.

When she met with her attorney, Joanne explained her goals and described her assets. She'd inherited Hal's IRA, which when combined with her own, would provide her with the necessary retirement security she needed. She even had enough to allow her to take regular vacations and splurge on gifts for the grandkids.

Joanne: I had originally thought about leaving my IRA to our kids and other assets to charity. My attorney suggested a different strategy and told me that an IRA is a great gift to leave to charity. He explained that if my kids inherited the IRA, my estate would pay estate taxes and my kids would pay income tax on the IRA. But, by giving the IRA to charity and other assets to my kids, the kids will still receive a nice inheritance, and we avoid income and estate taxes entirely!

Joanne: Making a gift of my IRA was easy! I contacted my IRA custodian, who emailed me an IRA beneficiary designation form. I completed the form, named Mercy Ships as the primary beneficiary of my IRA and mailed it back to the custodian. I called Mercy Ships to tell them about my gift, and they were very touched. I know Hal would be happy too. Best of all, I can continue to use my IRA for as long as I live, and when I pass away, my IRA will go to charity.

Is a beneficiary designation gift right for you?


If you own a qualified retirement plan, such as an IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) and would like to make a charitable gift, your family or your estate might benefit if you update your beneficiary designation form naming our organization as a beneficiary. Beneficiary designation gifts may help your heirs avoid paying income tax on certain inherited assets and may help your estate avoid estate taxes.

If you have questions about making a beneficiary designation gift, please contact us. We would be happy to work with you and answer any questions that you have.

*Please note: The name and image above is representative of a typical donor and may or may not be an actual donor to our organization. Since the benefits of each gift may be different, you should seek the advice of your legal, tax or financial advisor.


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Mercy Ships
15862 State Highway 110 North
Lindale, TX 75771-5932
Federal EIN Tax ID # 26-2414132 | Mercy Ships is a 501(c)(3) organization

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  • Mercy Ships
    (903) 939-7000
    P.O. Box 2020
    Garden Valley, TX 75771

  • Mercy Ships is a 501 (c)(3) organization. EIN: 26-2414132

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This site is informational and educational in nature. It is not offering professional tax, legal, or accounting advice.

For specific advice about the effect of any planning concept on your tax or financial situation or with your estate, please consult a qualified professional advisor.