Donate With Confidence
Bequests and Estate Plan Gifts
You may make a bequest or gift through your estate by including a provision in your will or living trust, or by naming Nevada SPCA as a beneficiary of a retirement plan or life insurance policy. The amount left to the Nevada SPCA can be expressed as a dollar amount or as a percentage of the assets to be given.
A bequest is a gift from your estate—a transfer of cash, securities, or other property—made through your estate plans. A bequest costs nothing now and enables you to contribute to Nevada SPCA’s excellence far into the future.
You can make a bequest to Nevada SPCA by including language in your will or living trust leaving a portion of your estate to the Nevada SPCA or by designating Nevada SPCA as a beneficiary of your retirement account or life insurance policy.
Remembering Nevada SPCA with a bequest from your estate will help sustain and strengthen the Nevada SPCA in years to come. Some of the advantages of creating a bequest include:
- A bequest costs nothing now, yet gives you the satisfaction of knowing you have provided for Nevada SPCA in the future
- You retain control of and use of your assets during your lifetime
- You may modify your bequest if your circumstances change
- Gifts to Nevada SPCA from your estate are exempt from federal estate taxes
- If you let Nevada SPCA know of your plans, we will be able to thank you now and recognize you as a member of our Founders’ Club and other legacy recognitions.
Making a Bequest
A bequest to Nevada SPCA can be made for a specific amount, for a percentage of your estate, or for all or a portion of what is left after you have made bequests to your family. To make a gift to Nevada SPCA from your estate, you must sign a new will or living trust instrument, add a codicil to your present will, or make an amendment to your present trust instrument.
Alternatively, you can designate Nevada SPCA as a beneficiary of a retirement plan or life insurance policy. To do so, contact the retirement plan administrator or life insurance company and complete the appropriate beneficiary designation form. You can designate a specific purpose for such a gift with a separate letter prepared with assistance from the Office of Planned Giving.
Planning Your Bequest
When planning for a bequest, you will need to consider how you would like your gift to be used to benefit Nevada SPCA—whether unrestricted in purpose or restricted to a specific school or purpose, and whether you would like it to be an expendable fund (to be spent when received) or an endowed fund (to last in perpetuity).
- An unrestricted bequest allows the Nevada SPCA to determine how to use the funds based on its most pressing needs. Unrestricted bequests are extremely valuable because the Nevada SPCA can use them flexibly to meet its future needs.
- A restricted bequest directs assets to a specific purpose. The sample language below shows how to word gifts to be restricted to project or program or for a specific purpose. A restricted bequest may be for an expendable or endowed fund. Because each restricted bequest is unique, Nevada SPCA encourages donors considering this type of gift to speak with a member of the development staff about the appropriate language.
- Expendable funds are used in their entirety, generally within a relatively short time frame. Some larger expendable gifts are used over longer periods.
- Endowed funds provide income every year in perpetuity to carry out the designated purpose of the fund. Please speak with a member of the development staff if you are considering a bequest to establish an endowed fund.
Creating a Lasting Legacy
Endowed funds may be established by bequest for many purposes. Some possibilities include:
- Supporting our new shelter at 5370 Procyon Suite 108
- Supporting our Pet Pantry to help pet households in need
- Supporting our Veterinary Clinic to purchase more life-saving equipment
- Supporting care of critically-ill pets
A fund created by your bequest can carry your name or the name of a family member or other person you wish to honor. Named funds, because of the support they offer to programs and people, are a way to share what is meaningful to you within the Nevada SPCA community well into the future. Note that minimum gift amounts required for creating named, endowed funds vary, so please contact us at givehappiness@nevadaspca.org
