Make a Statement Through Your Will

 We hope you’ll consider including a gift to Lewis & Clark in your will or living trust. Called a charitable bequest, this type of gift offers these main benefits:

• Simplicity. Just a few sentences in your will or trust are all that is needed. The official bequest language for Lewis & Clark is: “I, [name], of [city, state, ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to Lewis & Clark College [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose.”
• Flexibility. Because you are not actually making a gift until after your lifetime, you can change your mind at any time.
• Versatility.  You can structure the bequest to leave a specific item or amount of money, make the gift contingent on certain events, or leave a percentage of your estate to us.
• Tax Relief. Your estate is entitled to an estate tax¹ charitable deduction for the gift’s full value.

Did you know?
You can change your mind about your gift at any time.

How It Works
To make a charitable bequest, you need a current will or revocable living trust.

Your gift can be made as a percentage of your estate. Or you can make a specific bequest by giving a certain amount of cash, securities or property. After your lifetime, Lewis & Clark receives your gift.

Charitable Bequest

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Create a will or trust leaving part of your estate to family and part to Lewis & Clark.

Your Will or Trust

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Your Family

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Your death

Lewis & Clark

Putting Your Family First
When planning a future gift, it’s sometimes difficult to determine what size donation will make sense. Emergencies happen, and you need to make sure your family is financially taken care of first. Including a bequest of a percentage of your estate ensures that your gift will remain proportionate no matter how your estate’s value fluctuates over the years.

	Download a free guide about making your first will.

We Can Help
Contact Sharon Bosserman-Benson for the Undergraduate or the Graduate School at 503-768-7911, 800-753-9292, or plangivg@lclark.edu, or the Law School development office at 503-768-6901 or lawgive@lclark.edu with any questions about naming Lewis & Clark in your will or living trust. We’re happy to help, without obligation.

¹ Currently federal estate taxes are repealed for any deaths that occur in the calendar year 2010. In 2011 and beyond, estate taxes are reinstated in full. Congress, however, may reinstate federal estate taxes sometime in 2010. What the final legislation will look like is unknown at this point. Check back for future updates.