Bequests

One Person Can Make a Difference - Here's How You Can Be a Hero in Our Future

One of the most popular and easiest ways to support Trine University is by naming the University as the recipient of a bequest. A bequest is the act of transferring property—money or other assets—at your death through your will or trust.

As complicated as planning for the eventual distribution of your assets may sound, the actual exercise is easy and can be started at any time—the sooner, the better. As you begin your estate planning process, think about

• what assets you want to leave;
• to whom you want to leave them; and
• in what amounts.

First things first—You must have a will
The only real obstacle to making a bequest to a charitable organization is not having a will. In fact, most people don't. That may sound incredible given the importance of proper estate planning, but it's true. A Harris Interactive poll conducted for Lawyers.com between March 1, 2007, and March 4, 2007, found that 55 percent of all adult Americans don't have a will.

Having an up-to-date will is almost always the first step in putting together a solid estate plan. Without a will, it's left to the state in which you live to figure out how to distribute your assets. Because educational institutions are not included in any state's distribution laws, your gift intended to support our mission would not be realized.

While 10 percent of those who don't have an estate plan say they haven't proceeded with a will because they just don't like to think about death, the responsible course is to plan while you are able so your wishes can be fulfilled.

You can accomplish great things
Many substantial legacies have started through someone's estate plan. Libraries, colleges, museums and health organizations, to name a few, have benefited from such proactive individuals. We also have many needs still to be met.

Make a bequest, Start your legacy
Start your own legacy today. While planning your will, simply tell your attorney that you want to leave something for our organization at your death. He or she will ask what you want to donate, and you will then indicate a specific dollar amount or all or part of an asset. For example, you can say you want to leave $10,000, or you can direct 1,000 shares of stock to be given to us at your death.

There are several techniques you can use to provide for our institution; your attorney can guide you through that process. The key is: It's not as difficult as you may think.

An easy way to satisfy everyone
Naturally, before making your charitable plans, you want to make sure your children and other loved ones are provided for. Not knowing the eventual size of your estate, however, can be a concern. Often, there's more than enough to go around, but there is a way you can alleviate the worry for everyone. A common practice when including a bequest in your estate is to leave a percentage of your estate, rather than a fixed amount, to us. That way, your bequest to us remains in proportion to other bequests.

Nothing is more satisfying than knowing you'll have made a difference. By simply naming Trine University in your will, you can become a hero in our future.

Sample bequest language
The first step toward leaving a legacy is to make sure you have an up-to-date will and estate plan. While it is important to consult a qualified attorney for help, following is language that could be used when making a bequest to our organization:

The official legal bequest language for Trine University is: "I, [name], of [city, state, ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to Trine University [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose."

For more information, please contact the Office of Alumni & Development at 260.665.4114 or by e-mail.