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
Gifts of Business Interests
As a business owner, you have the opportunity not only to build your business and accumulate wealth for yourself and your family, but also to accomplish your philanthropic goals through charitable planning. A gift of your corporate stock or assets can provide you with tax and income benefits and help further our mission.
Benefits of gifts of business interests
- Receive a charitable income tax deduction
- Avoid tax on the sale of your business stock or assets
- Receive lifetime payments if your business stock or assets are used to fund a planned gift
How gifts of closely held stock work
- Give a percentage of your voting or non-voting shares in your business to us outright and receive an income tax deduction. We will hold your shares for a future sale or redemption and can use any dividends paid for our charitable purpose.
- Give a percentage of your voting or non-voting shares in your business for a donor advised fund (DAF) and receive a charitable deduction. The DAF will hold your shares for a future sale or redemption and can use any dividends paid for charitable grants. On an annual basis, you can advise us on how to make grants from the fund to your favorite charitable causes.
- If your corporation is an S corporation, there are special rules that apply to gifts of corporate stock. Please contact us to discuss the most tax-efficient way to structure your stock gift.
How gifts of business assets work
- If your business makes a gift of a non-inventory asset, it will receive a charitable income tax deduction based on the appraised fair market value of the asset.
- The income tax deduction for a gift from a business is limited to 10% of the corporation's taxable income. Your business may carry forward any unused deduction up to five years.
- If your business is an S corporation, the charitable deduction will flow through to the shareholders in proportion to their ownership interest. Check with us on the most tax-efficient way to make a gift of corporate assets from your business
Contact us
If you have any questions about making a gift of a business interest or your business assets, please contact us. We would be happy to assist you and answer your questions.
