Gift in wills

Making a planned gift can be as easy as working with your attorney to establish a bequest to ShelterBox USA in your will, or by designating ShelterBox USA as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy or retirement accounts.

Here are some of the options available:

Bequests • Publicly Traded Securities • Retirement Plan Beneficiary Designations • Life Insurance Beneficiary Designations

There are many creative giving strategies that can enhance your well-being while at the same time providing financial support for an organization you care deeply about.

We encourage you to speak with your financial planner to identify the strategy that is right for you.

Before you speak to a solicitor or professional Will writer, they will expect you to have a rough idea of what you own and what it’s worth. This might seem off-putting but all you need is a basic valuation at this this stage. Don’t worry about working out the exact value of everything; as long as you have a rough idea of the value of your estate, that’s enough for them to get on with.

You should think about how much the following things are worth:

• Property
• Car
• Savings
• Personal possessions, including sentimental objects
• Your pension
• Any investments you’ve made
• Your business (if you own or part-own one)

You also need to have an idea of any existing debts you have. These debts might include mortgages, loans and overdrafts. Again, this doesn’t have to be a precise value, but your solicitor or Will writer will need to know a rough idea of the amounts.

We recommend you consult a solicitor to make sure that all the legal formalities are covered and that your will is valid. The cost of the solicitor will vary depending on how complex your will is.

Make sure that you have executors for your will – these are people who will ensure that your wishes will be carried out. You can choose more than one executor, and they could be a legal professional, friend or family member.

Yes, there are three types:

1. A pecuniary gift is a fixed amount of money.
2. A specific gift is a gift of a specific item, like personal possessions, land or shares.
3. A residuary gift is a percentage or share of the balance of your estate once all other payments and gifts have been made.

Many people prefer to give a residuary gift because it keeps in line with inflation and does not lose value over time.

If you let us know your intentions, we’ll know how best to support you. It also gives us a chance to thank you if you do decide to remember ShelterBox in your will. Of course, any information you provide is completely confidential and in no way legally binding.

Then, you’ll provide your attorney with the following sample language:

“ I give [the residue of my estate], or
[ _____ % of the residue of my estate], or
[the sum of _______ dollars] to ShelterBox
USA, Santa Barbara, CA for its general
purposes.”

And include this information:
ShelterBox USA
101 Innovation Place
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Tax ID# 20-0471604

If you would like more information on leaving a gift in your will to ShelterBox, please email Rich Duncan at [email protected].