Planned Giving

MercyOne Des Moines Foundation Bequest Language

One way for you to support MercyOne Des Moines Foundation's mission is to leave a bequest. A bequest is a gift made to charity in your will or trust. 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 by making a bequest you are able to leave a lasting legacy.  

Types of Bequests

There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to MercyOne Des Moines Foundation. You can leave what is called a 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 MercyOne Des Moines Foundation. Another kind of specific bequest involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10 percent of your estate to MercyOne Des Moines Foundation. 

Another kind of bequest is called a residual bequest. A residual bequest is a bequest that 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 of 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 MercyOne Des Moines Foundation.

The following sample bequest provisions may be helpful for your attorney in drafting your will or trust provisions:

“I give, devise, and bequeath_________________ (percent of your estate, dollars, property, securities, etc.) to MercyOne Des Moines Foundation, an Iowa nonprofit corporation existing under the laws of the State of Iowa, and located in Des Moines, Iowa, to be used for the benefit of the MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, Des Moines, in such a manner as the board of directors thereof may direct.” 

OR
“I give, devise and bequeath to MercyOne Des Moines Foundation, an Iowa nonprofit corporation existing under the laws of the State of Iowa, and located in Des Moines, Iowa, the residue/remainder of my estate.” 
OR
“I give, devise and bequeath to MercyOne Des Moines Foundation, an Iowa nonprofit corporation existing under the laws of the State of Iowa, and located in Des Moines, Iowa, _____________________ (percent of your estate, dollars, property, securities, etc.) to be used for __________________________________ (however you wish for your gift to be used at __________________________ (MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, Des Moines; Mercy College of Health Sciences; Bishop Drumm; MercyOne House of Mercy, etc.).”

To establish a named endowment fund ($25,000 minimum) with a portion of annual income for a designated purpose, consider:

“I give, devise and bequeath to Mercy Des Moines Foundation, an Iowa nonprofit corporation existing under the laws of the State of Iowa, and located in Des Moines, Iowa, _____________________ (percent of your estate, dollars, property, securities, etc.), to establish the ___________________________ Fund (name you wish to call the fund). This fund shall provide support for __________________________.” 

Mercy Des Moines Foundation (Federal Tax ID 23-7358794) is an Iowa nonprofit corporation exempted from federal income taxation as a section of 501(C)(3) publicly supported charity.