Gift Planning
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Bequest Language Resources

Your bequest to Alaska Wilderness League can make a meaningful and lasting impact on the preservation of Alaska's wild lands and waters. A gift by bequest also allows you to continue to use the property or assets you will leave to charity during your life.

Types of Bequests


There are many ways you can make a bequest to Alaska Wilderness League.

Specific Bequest. A specific bequest involves making a gift of a specific asset such as property or a gift for a specific dollar amount.

Percentage Bequest. Another kind of specific bequest involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to Alaska Wilderness League.

Residual Bequest. A residual bequest 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 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 Alaska Wilderness League.

Contingent Bequest. A contingent bequest is made to charity only if the purpose of the primary bequest cannot be met. For example, you could leave specific property, such as a vacation home, to a relative, but the bequest language could provide that if the relative is not alive at the time of your death, the vacation home will go to Alaska Wilderness League.

Bequest Benefits


A bequest is generally a revocable gift, which means it can be changed or modified at any time. You can choose to designate that a bequest be used for a general or specific purpose though often times unrestricted (or general) gifts have the greatest impact on an organization?s ability to carry out its mission. Bequests are exempt from federal estate taxes. If you have a taxable estate, the estate tax charitable deduction may offset or eliminate estate taxes, resulting in a larger inheritance for your heirs.

Bequest Language


Your attorney can help you include a bequest to Alaska Wilderness League in your estate plan. We have provided some basic bequest language here to assist you and your attorney.

1. Specific Bequest

If you are considering making a specific bequest to Alaska Wilderness League, we recommend the following language:

Bequest of a Specific Dollar Amount

I hereby give, devise and bequeath _________ and No/100 dollars ($DOLLARS) to Alaska Wilderness League, a nonprofit organization located at 122 C St NW Ste 650, Washington, DC, 20001, Federal Tax ID #____________, for Alaska Wilderness League's general use and purpose.

Bequest of Specific Personal Property

I hereby give, devise and bequeath DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to Alaska Wilderness League, a nonprofit organization located at 122 C St NW Ste 650, Washington, DC, 20001, Federal Tax ID #_______________, for Alaska Wilderness League's general use and purpose.

Bequest of Specific Real Estate

I hereby give, devise and bequeath all of the right, title and interest in and to the real estate located at ADDRESS OR DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to Alaska Wilderness League, a nonprofit organization located at 122 C St NW Ste 650, Washington, DC, 20001, Federal Tax ID #_______________, for Alaska Wilderness League's general use and purpose.

2. Percentage Bequest

If you are considering making a bequest of a percentage of your estate to Alaska Wilderness League, we recommend the following language:

I hereby give, devise and bequeath ____ percent (___%) of my total estate, determined as of the date of my death, to Alaska Wilderness League, a nonprofit organization located at 122 C St NW Ste 650, Washington, DC, 20001, Federal Tax ID #______________________, for Alaska Wilderness League's general use and purpose.

3. Residual Bequest

I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Alaska Wilderness League, a nonprofit organization located at 122 C St NW Ste 650, Washington, DC, 20001, Federal Tax ID # _________, ALL OR A PERCENTAGE of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to be used for Alaska Wilderness League's general use and purpose.

4. Contingent Bequest

If (primary beneficiary) does not survive me, then I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Alaska Wilderness League, a nonprofit organization located at 122 C St NW Ste 650, Washington, DC, 20001, Federal Tax ID # _________, DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to be used for Alaska Wilderness League's general use and purpose.

Restricted Bequests


While Alaska Wilderness League encourages unrestricted bequests to ensure that the organization can remain nimble in carrying out its mission, if you are considering a bequest for a specific purpose, please let us know. We would be happy to work with you and your attorney to help you identify ways to give and meet your charitable objectives. We will also work with you and your attorney to craft language to accomplish your goals.

If you are making a restricted bequest, we recommend that your attorney include the following provision to give Alaska Wilderness League flexibility should it no longer be possible for Alaska Wilderness League to use your gift as you originally intended:

If, in the judgment of the Board of Directors of Alaska Wilderness League, it shall become impossible for Alaska Wilderness League to use this bequest to accomplish the specific purposes of this bequest, Alaska Wilderness League may use the income and principal of this gift for such purpose or purposes as the Board determines is most closely related to the restricted purpose of my bequest.

Contact Us


Please contact us if you have any questions about how to make a bequest to Alaska Wilderness League or to request any additional information that might be helpful to you and your attorney as you consider making a bequest to us.

If you have included a bequest for Alaska Wilderness League in your estate plan, please contact us to let us know. We would like to thank you and recognize you for your gift.

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Gift planning resources

Explore additional resources to help you with your tax planning and making a gift in support of our mission. Contact us for more information about ways you can support our organization, or let us know if you have given to us in the past.