Bequests

After providing for your loved ones, a bequest in your will can designate a gift to Girl Scouts of the USA. Knowing that your gift will help future generations of girls experience fun, education, and skill-building in a safe and encouraging environment can provide you with a great deal of satisfaction. Some of the benefits of a bequest are:

• It is not payable until death, so it does not affect your assets or cash flow during your lifetime.
• It is private—your will is not filed or made public until your death.
• It is revocable—you can change the provisions in your will or trust at any time until death.
• You can become a Legacy Circle member.
• Your gift will help ensure that future generations of girls will grow strong and reach their full potential through Girl Scouting.

A bequest allows you to make a substantial contribution without reducing current income. It operates like a postdated check payable only after death. Charitable bequests can include cash, securities, real estate, or other property. These assets may be identified specifically as a percentage of your entire estate, or that part of your estate remaining after making specific bequests. The gift is revocable during your lifetime, providing a hedge against unforeseen events.

Simple wills, leaving everything to a loved one and/or charity are generally used for donors with estates under the Federal Estate Tax threshold, which is currently $1.5 million.

Sample Bequest Language

Legal documents such as wills should be prepared by attorneys. The following language is for the guidance of attorneys preparing wills containing bequests for the benefit of Girl Scouts of the USA:

Specific Bequest
"I give, devise, and bequeath to Girl Scouts of the USA, a corporation chartered by the Congress of the United States of America, having its principal office at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10018-2798, _________________ to be used for the general purposes of (the national organization or Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, 10 Oglethorpe Avenue, Savannah, GA 31401-3723)."

Bequest of Residuary Estate
"I give, devise, and bequeath to Girl Scouts of the USA, a corporation chartered by the Congress of the United States of America, having its principal office at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10018-2798, ___________% of my residuary estate to be used for the general purposes of (the national organization or the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, 10 East Oglethorpe Avenue, Savannah, GA 31401-3723)."

Or
"I give, devise, and bequeath to Girl Scouts of the USA, a corporation chartered by the Congress of the United States of America, having its principal office at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10018-2798, $____________(or ____% of my residuary estate) to establish an endowment fund, the annual income of which is to be allocated by the National Board of Directors for the most appropriate needs at the time for the national organization or Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, 10 East Oglethorpe Avenue, Savannah, GA 31401-3723."

For more information about setting up a bequest, contact us at plannedgiving@girlscouts.org.