For many people, including a bequest as part of your written will is the simplest way to make a legacy gift for Clean Water Fund. The information on these pages will help you get started.

Getting Started: Making a Plan

Your first step is to make a plan, in the form of a written will or a modification of an existing will, if you already have one. Your plan should be developed in consultation with qualified legal counsel (a lawyer with estate planning expertise).

In planning your legacy gift for Clean Water Fund, you will consider two basic questions:

1. What type of bequest makes sense for you?
2. What is the right amount to designate for Clean Water Bequests in your will?

Following the below discussion of these two questions, are examples of bequest language which can be modified to suit your specific needs.

What Type of Bequest Makes Sense for You?

There are three main types of bequests. Your legal/estate planning professional can help you identify and adopt the kind(s) which make the most sense for your own estate planning needs.

• Specific Bequest

  Your written will designates the specific dollar amount, the specific percentage, or the specific property/asset you wish to go to Clean Water Fund.

• Residual Bequest

  Your will instructs that after all taxes, legal/accounting expenses and other specific personal and/or charitable bequests have been paid, the remaining amount (the "residue") goes to the organization(s) you specify.

• Contingent Bequest

  Your will can be written to specify certain conditions which must be met before a bequest is transferred to Clean Water Fund. This type of bequest is typically designed to address a personal "what if" scenario. For example, if an individual who is to receive a bequest under your will is no longer living at the time of your death, then you may specify that the bequest originally designated for them would go instead to a designated charity.

Depending on your specific situation, you could choose to implement some combination of each of these three main types of bequests in your own will (specific bequest; residual bequest, and/or contingent bequest).

How much should I give?

Clean Water Fund welcomes legacy gifts of all sizes, and we sincerely appreciate that for many loyal donors, a gift by bequest can be among the largest financial commitments you will make, with the greatest and longest-lasting positive impact.

We do encourage our donors to consider bequests that are percentage-based rather than for specified dollar amounts. This can help keep the bequests in your will current even if your financial circumstances change over time.

We also encourage legacy gifts that are made to support Clean Water Fund's programs overall (as opposed to bequests that are designated for more specific purposes). This allows us the flexibility to use your gift in ways that help meet the greatest need at the time the gift is received.

The below examples illustrate how a bequest can be constructed so that it is percentage-based, and also use language we suggest for designating "general purpose" contributions. We would be delighted to answer questions or offer input as you work with your professional advisor(s) to write or modify your will. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way.

Sample Language for your Clean Water Bequest

Samples for a one-paragraph Specific Bequest:

Specific Bequest Example #1:

"I hereby give and bequeath to Clean Water Fund, a non-profit District of Columbia corporation whose principal office is located at P.O. Box 34098, Washington, DC, 20043-4098, tax I.D.#52-1043444, the sum of $_____________ to be used for its general purposes."

Specific Bequest Example #2 (Percentage)

"I hereby give and bequeath to Clean Water Fund, a non-profit District of Columbia corporation whose principal office is located at P.O. Box 34098, Washington, DC, 20043-4098, tax I.D.#52-1043444, ____% of my estate to be used for its general purposes."

Specific Bequest Example #3 (Designated Asset(S))

"I hereby give and bequeath to Clean Water Fund, a non-profit District of Columbia corporation whose principal office is located at P.O. Box 34098, Washington, DC, 20043-4098, tax I.D.#52-1043444, _____________ to be used for its general purposes."

[fill in a written description of a specific investment, insurance or bank account, real property or other asset(s).]

Sample for a one-paragraph Residual Bequest

"I hereby give and bequeath to Clean Water Fund, a non-profit District of Columbia corporation whose principal office is located at P.O. Box 34098, Washington, DC, 20043-4098, tax I.D.#52-1043444, all of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal, after providing for the specific provisions of this Will, to be used for its general purposes."

 

In the above Residual Bequest example, if the intended gift is to be less than 100% of the residue, then the phrase "all of the rest" would be replaced with, "___% of the rest."

Correctly Identify the Beneficiary Organizations in Your Will

By using precise language to describe the organization(s) which will receive legacy gifts under your will, you can help simplify the will's execution and make sure your gifts reach the right charities more quickly.

The correct organizational name, addresses and tax I.D. number are as follows:

Clean Water Fund
P.O. Box 34098
Washington, DC 20043-4098
tax I.D.#4510270749

The information on these pages is intended only as a general introduction to bequests as a form of legacy giving. Please be sure to consult with qualified legal counsel in preparing your estate plans.

For additional information please contact

Jonathan A. Scott, Director of Legacy Gifts
Clean Water Fund
P.O. Box 34098
Washington, DC 20043-4098
1-202-895-0432

All inquiries treated in confidence.