Create a legacy of giving

One of the easiest ways to make an impact at SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals is to include a charitable bequest in your will or living trust. A bequest allows you to leave a legacy of support for patients and their caregivers without affecting your cash flow today. Eighty percent of all planned gifts are bequests.

With a bequest, you can donate a percentage of your estate—so that your gift will remain proportionate to the size of your estate—or you can give a certain amount of cash, securities or property. Either way, your gift allows you to retain full control of your assets now while ensuring that Family House will continue to give strength and support to families far into the future.

Another benefit of establishing a bequest is that the assets distributed from your estate or living trust to Family House are exempt from estate tax. A bequest is also revocable; until your will or trust goes into effect, you are free to alter your plans.

Next Steps for Making Your Bequest

1. Determine whether you’d like to make a gift of a specific amount or leave a percentage of your estate, and whether you would like to direct your gift to a specific program or leave your gift unrestricted, allowing it to be used for our most pressing needs. While we of course welcome many kinds of gifts, providing an unrestricted gift of cash or highly liquid asset is preferable for Family House as it allows us the flexibility to meet our ever-changing needs.
2. Take your bequest language to your estate planning attorney to include in your will or living trust.
3. Contact Martha Aldridge (martha@secufamilyhouse.org) at Family House regarding your gift. Our goal is to make sure that your gift is used as you intend and we strongly encourage you and/or your estate planning professionals to contact us as you are formulating your gift so we may ensure that proper documentation is in place.