Where There's A Will, There's A Way
The Connection engages in life changing work every day, but we can't do it alone. We rely heavily upon caring donors to help us pay the bills
and plan for the future. Will you remember The Connection in your long term philanthropic plans? A bequest through your will is one way to
make a significant impact upon our agency, the men, women and children that we serve, and the entire state of Connecticut. The following
information will be helpful as you consider naming The Connection in your will.
A will assures you that your property will be distributed as you want it to be. If you die without a valid will, state law will distribute your assets in
a manner that may ignore your wishes and those of your beneficiaries. A will is a legal document that should be drafted by an attorney. It is
revocable, and not in effect until your death.
A bequest is a way to direct all or a portion of your assets to specific individuals or agencies of your choice. This is a provision within a will that
can be changed at any time. A bequest is a means to save significant estate tax and direct your funds to your areas of interest. Charitable
bequests are fully deductible from the taxable part of your estate. Estate taxes range from 37% to 55% of an estate's value.
Specific Bequest: This is the simplest form of giving whereby you can leave a specific dollar amount or particular property to The Connection.
Specific bequests can be cash, personal property, securities, stock and real estate. The following is sample language:
"I give, devise and bequeath the sum of $_____________ to The Connection Fund, a not-for-profit corporation with principal offices located in
MIddletown, Connecticut, to be utilized for the benefit of the programs of the charity."
Proportional Bequest: If you do not want to specify the exact size of your intended gift, a proportional bequest is often a preferred way of giving in a will. This kind of bequest is often selected when the size of the estate is difficult to estimate:
"I give, devise and bequeath _______% of my estate (or _______% of the residue of my estate) to The Connection Fund, a not-for-profit corporation with principal offices located in Middletown, Connecticut, to be utilized for the benefit of the programs of the charity."
Contingent Bequest: This method is a good choice if you want to leave a specified portion or your entire estate to the charity only under specific circumstances. Such circumstances might be the deaths of named beneficiaries before or at the same time as your death:
"In the event that ___________________________ predeceases me, I give, devise and bequeath the sum of $____________ (or, alternatively, ______% of the residue of my estate) to The Connection Fund, a not-for-profit corporation with principal offices located in MIddletown, Connecticut, to be utilized for the benefit of the programs of the charity."
If you are interested in joining the mission of The Connection by remembering our agency in your will, or if you have already included us in your will, please contact Michael Woolworth, Director of Fund Development, at 860-343-5500, ext. 2115, or via email.
The Connection holds membership in the Connecticut Council on Philanthropy, Association of Fundraising Professionals, and the Planned Giving Design Center. For more information on bequests, please visit the Leave A Legacy Connecticut website.
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