Making a charitable bequest through a will or trust is a simple and flexible way to direct your assets to the people and causes you care most about. By including a bequest to CHC in your will or trust, you will continue to help the homeless and ensure that we can continue our mission for years to come.
As little as one sentence of bequest language is all that is needed to complete your gift. Below is sample language you might use:
Sample Language for Bequests
General Bequest: “I give and bequeath to Creating Housing Coalition of Albany, Oregon $ _______ (or ____ % of my estate; or a description of a specific asset), for the benefit of Creating Housing Coalition and its general purposes (or for a specific purpose as indicated).”
Residuary Bequest: “All the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate, both real and personal, I give to Creating Housing Coalition of Albany, Oregon for its general purposes (or for a specific purpose as indicated).”
Contingency Bequest: “I devise and bequeath the residue of the property, real and personal and wherever situated, owned by me at my death, to (name of beneficiary), if (she/he) survives me. If (name of beneficiary) does not survive me, I devise and bequeath my residuary estate to Creating Housing Coalition for its general purposes (or for a specific purpose as indicated).”
You may designate your bequest in two ways:
For the general purposes of CHC (an unrestricted bequest)
To be used to support a particular program, fund, or aspect of our work (a restricted bequest)

Reduce estate taxes: Making a charitable bequest reduces the size of your estate, effectively leaving less money subject to estate taxes. You may want to consider leaving to charity those assets that would be most heavily taxed such as retirement plans.

Flexibility: You can change the provisions in your will, including how much to donate and to whom, any time before your death.
You control where your assets go.

Supporting our mission after your lifetime is easy to do by designating CHC as a beneficiary for retirement plans, bank accounts, or life insurance policies. No lawyers needed. Simply complete and sign a beneficiary form that is readily available from your financial institution or plan administrator. It is totally separate from your will. You can have single or multiple beneficiaries. And you can adjust beneficiary designations anytime you want. As little as one sentence of bequest language is all that is needed to complete your gift. Below is sample language you might use:
Sample Language for Bequests
General Bequest: “I give and bequeath to Creating Housing Coalition of Albany, Oregon $ _______ (or ____ % of my estate; or a description of a specific asset), for the benefit of Creating Housing Coalition and its general purposes (or for a specific purpose as indicated).”
Residuary Bequest: “All the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate, both real and personal, I give to Creating Housing Coalition of Albany, Oregon for its general purposes (or for a specific purpose as indicated).”
Contingency Bequest: “I devise and bequeath the residue of the property, real and personal and wherever situated, owned by me at my death, to (name of beneficiary), if (she/he) survives me. If (name of beneficiary) does not survive me, I devise and bequeath my residuary estate to Creating Housing Coalition for its general purposes (or for a specific purpose as indicated).”
You may designate your bequest in two ways:
For the general purposes of CHC (an unrestricted bequest)
To be used to support a particular program, fund, or aspect of our work (a restricted bequest)

Reduce taxes: Your donation may be exempt from federal estate and income tax. (Example: at a 28% marginal income tax bracket, a $75,000 IRA left to your heirs could incur $21,000 in income tax. Gifting it to CHC would mean that CHC benefits from the full $75,000, tax free, to carry on your legacy of helping people in need.)

You can still use the money: You may continue to take withdrawals from the plan or account during your lifetime. Any remaining money will be transferred to your designated beneficiaries upon your death.

Flexibility and control: You retain complete control over the funds or assets in the account while you are living, and these gifts are completely revocable – you can make changes at any time.

Important: The material presented in this website is intended only as general educational information and should not be interpreted as legal, financial or tax advice. Figures cited in examples are for hypothetical purposes only and are subject to change. We encourage you to consult your financial, tax, and/or legal advisors to obtain guidance specific to your individual situation and philanthropic goals.

Take advantage of this tax-smart way to give. Have your broker liquidate your stocks into cash. We’ll provide you with the information your broker needs to wire the cash directly to our account. Please contact Carmen at carmen.moody@creatinghousing.org

Bonds are an excellent asset to bequeath to CHC. If you die owning them, the accumulated interest is taxed before your heirs inherit them. However, if they are left to an organization like CHC, that tax is not due. We suggest that you check with your advisors about the best way to bequeath your savings bonds to CHC.

These gifts allow you to continue to live in your home and allow CHC to then use your property or the proceeds from the sale of your property when your retained life estate ends. Please be aware that as part of our gift acceptance policy, all gifts of real estate are examined on a case-by-case basis.

This is a life-income arrangement that provides you and/or other beneficiaries with a stream of income for life or for a period of years. After the trust terminates, the principal, or “remainder interest,” goes to CHC.