Gifts Anyone Can Afford
Simple, Flexible, Accessible.
You want to leave money to Institute for Sustainable Communities in your will. You also want the flexibility to change your will in the event that life circumstances change. You can do both.
In as little as one sentence, you can complete your gift. This type of donation to ISC in your will, living trust, or as a fund beneficiary helps ensure that we continue our mission for years to come.
Gifts in Your Will or Living Trust
- A specific bequest names a fixed dollar amount in your will or living trust as a gift to ISC. This gift is paid from the general pool of assets in your estate or trust, so your estate doesn’t necessarily need to have cash or securities to cover the gift amount (as long as the value of all of your assets is sufficient).
- A percentage bequest distributes a percentage of the value of your estate assets. Because the value of personal assets can rise and fall, it is often simplest to express these bequests as a percentage of your estate. This ensures that if your estate changes, your gifts will remain proportional to each other.
- A residual bequest distributes all or a portion of the remaining balance of your estate after all other bequests are paid.
When your lawyer draws up your will or trust, we suggest using the following language:
I give and bequeath unto the Institute for Sustainable Communities, tax ID# 22-3098727, having its principal address at 535 Stone Cutters Way, Montpelier, Vermont 05602, [the sum of $___ or ___% of my estate or residuary estate] to be used for general charitable purposes.
If you wish for your gift to be used for a specific purpose, we can work with you and/or your attorney to help draft appropriate language.
Beneficiary Gifts
Not everyone wants to commit to making a gift in their will or estate. Some prefer the increased flexibility that a beneficiary designation provides by using:
- IRAs and retirement plans
- Life insurance policies
- Commercial annuities
- Donor-advised funds
It only takes three simple steps to make this type of gift. Here’s how to name Institute for Sustainable Communities as a beneficiary:
- Contact your retirement plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution for a change-of-beneficiary form.
- Decide what percentage (1 to 100) you would like us to receive and name us, along with the percentage you chose, on the beneficiary form.
- Return the completed form to your plan administrator, insurance company, bank or financial institution.
