Making a Bequest

Thank you for your interest in providing for PCRM’s future. Bequests are the most popular form of “planned gifts.” A bequest is a charitable gift made through your will or “will substitute,” such as a revocable living trust. This is an important means for many people to make gifts of significant assets. A gift in this form is attractive to donors who recognize that their partnership with The Cancer Project is critical to our continued success and that the loss of their support would be deeply felt. Bequests also provide a giving opportunity for our supporters who may not have the financial resources to contribute regularly. A bequest is one way for them to make a significant contribution to help provide for The Cancer Project’s future. A gift through your will provides an estate tax charitable contribution deduction, which may reduce or even eliminate federal estate tax.

Bequests can be designed as a specified amount of cash (“specific cash bequest”) or as a gift of a designated asset (“specific property bequest”). Additionally, a bequest to The Cancer Project can be stated as a gift of the “residuary estate” (what is left when all specific bequests are paid) or a fractional share of the “residuary estate.” The advantage of the bequest made via the residuary estate is that it automatically increases in value as the value of the estate increases. This allows your gift to The Cancer Project to keep pace with the increase in value of your assets. 

The Cancer Project encourages you to seek the advice of your attorney when drafting or modifying a will. The following are samples of language that may be used in your will:

“I give, devise and bequeath to the The Cancer Project, Inc., federal tax identification number 20-1678231, 5100 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20016, the sum of $___________ (or describe the real or personal property or portion of estate) as a charitable contribution to be used for its general purposes.”

-OR-

“I give, devise and bequeath to The Cancer Project, Inc., federal tax identification number 20-1678231, 5100 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20016,  _____Percent (_______%) of my residuary estate as a charitable contribution to be used for its general purposes.”

If you decide to include The Cancer Project in your estate plans, please let us know by contacting Betsy Wason at 202-244-5038, ext. 366, or bwason@CancerProject.org.