MAKE YOUR FINAL WISHES COME TRUE (WILLS)

You have worked hard to accumulate assets throughout your life. If you do not have a valid Will or trust at your death, however, the state in which you reside will distribute those assets according to state law. When you create a Will, you have the ability to determine how your assets are distributed to the charitable organization of your choice. Including a bequest in your Will to The St. Augustine Wild Reserve may be the best way to make a meaninful gift and save specific assets, such as property, securities or real estate, in case you or your family members need them in the future.

Charitable bequests offer some of the following advantages:

  1. Easy. Making a bequest is as simple as inserting a few sentences into your Will, such as, “I give $10,000 to the St. Augustine Wild Reserve.”

  2. Revocable. Wills are not written in stone and can be changed at any time. Because circumstances evolve over time, your Will should do the same. With a bequest, you are not making a gift until your death. Until then, you are free to alter your plans.

  3. Tax-wise. Aside from the pure joy achieved by leaving meaningful gifts to others, making a bequest to The St. Augustine Wild Reserve has valuable tax benefits. Your estate is entitled to an unlimited estate tax charitable deduction for bequests to qualified charitable organizations.

Making a Bequest in your Will

The reasons that donors make charitable bequests are generally as varied as the donors themselves, and they cover a wide range of personal and philanthropic goals. Perhaps the one common denominator is a sincere desire to give back to The St. Augustine Wild Reserve, with some of the other most notable reasons being:


Belief in The St. Augustine Wild Reserve. “The values you espouse are values I want to see perpetuated in our society,” a donor said in a letter to a charitable organization. “I like your objectives and I applaud the fact that you do not waste money in achieving them. I want to continue to support your mission.”


Ability to make changes. “I like the income tax break I get on my annual gifts to you and have always wanted to do more, but I like my cushion,” another donor said. “You never know what might happen. I might need that money someday. This way, if I need it, I can use it. I can change my mind about my Will at any time. If everything goes as planned, however, that money will go to support your work.”


Creating a personal legacy. “By making a charitable bequest to The St. Augustine Wild Reserve, I know that I am doing something for those who come after me, and it is a good feeling,” a donor said. “Thank you for showing me how to support a cause that I value, and for letting me do it my way.”