One of the most popular legacy gifts is a bequest. Making a bequest is easy to do, whether you are creating a will or amending an existing one. In fact, if you have an up-to-date will, you may not need to redo it. A gift to Americans for Peace Now can be added through an amendment to your will. Your attorney can explain how simple it can be.

A bequest also affords you great flexibility. If your circumstances change, you can make adjustments to your will (or living trust) at any time. Many of our supporters have discovered that they can take care of family members and provide a bequest for Americans for Peace Now. Your attorney may provide suggestions on how to create your bequest, including which assets are best to give to charity. Here is some sample language.

Specific Bequest - a gift of a specific amount of money or property

You might use or modify the following language:

I, [Name], of [City, State, Zip] give and bequeath to Americans for Peace Now (Federal Tax ID# 13-3509867) located in Washington, DC [amount or percentage of estate or property description] to be used for its general purposes

If you would like to provide funds for a particular program or project, please contact Americans for Peace Now staff prior to finalizing your plans. We would like the opportunity to discuss your intentions ahead of time to be sure that your gift can be used in the way you intend. 

Residual (or Remainder) Bequest – This kind of bequest ensures that your family members are taken care of first and that any debts or expenses are paid so your family won’t be burdened by them. After that, a percentage of what’s left of your estate can be given to an organization you care about—such as Americans for Peace Now.

Proper legal words to use You might use or modify the following language:

I, [Name], of [City, State, Zip] give and bequeath to Americans for Peace Now (Federal Tax ID #13-3509867) located in Washington, DC, [all or ____ percent (____%)] of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate, to be used for its general purposes

Again, you can specify a specific program or project for your gift, but please contact us in advance to be sure that your gift can be used in the way you intend.