Bequest Information

One way for you to support your parish, school, Catholic organization, and the Diocese of San Diego is to leave us a bequest. A bequest is a gift made to charity in your will or trust. One significant benefit of making a gift by bequest is that it allows you to continue to use the property you will leave to charity during your life. Another benefit is that by making a bequest you are able to leave a lasting legacy.

There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to the Diocese of San Diego to benefit your parish, school or other catholic ministry. You can leave what is called a specific bequest. A specific bequest involves making a gift of a specific asset such as real estate, a car, other property or a gift for a specific dollar amount. For example, you may wish to leave your home or $10,000 to the Diocese of San Diego. Another kind of specific bequest involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to the Diocese of San Diego.

Another kind of bequest is called a residual bequest. A residual bequest is a bequest that is made from the balance of an estate after the will or trust has given away each of the specific bequests. A common residual bequest involves leaving of a percentage of the residue of the estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 30% of the residue of your estate to the Diocese of San Diego.

There are no limitations on bequest gifts. Bequests may be made for a general or specific purpose. All bequests are exempt from federal estate taxes. If you have a taxable estate, the estate tax charitable deduction may offset or eliminate estate taxes resulting in a larger inheritance for your heirs.

In order to make a bequest, you should speak with your attorney. Your attorney can help you include a bequest to the Diocese of San Diego in your estate plan. We have provided some basic bequest language to assist you and your attorney.

If you are considering making an outright bequest to the Diocese of San Diego to benefit your parish, school or other catholic ministry, we recommend the following language:

Bequest of a Specific Dollar Amount

I hereby, give, devise and bequeath $DOLLARS to the Roman Catholic Bishop – Diocese of San Diego, a non-profit organization located at 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, CA, 92117, Federal Tax ID #95-1644613, for the benefit of            (parish/school/ministry/fund)            and distributed to the endowment fund or outright for the purpose of ____________________.

Bequest of Specific Personal Property

I hereby, give, devise and bequeath DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to Roman Catholic Bishop – Diocese of San Diego, a non-profit organization located at 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, CA, 92117, Federal Tax ID #95-1644613, for the benefit of            (parish/school/ministry/fund)            and distributed to the endowment fund or outright for the purpose of ____________________.

Bequest of Specific Real Estate

I hereby give, devise and bequeath all of the right, title and interest in and to the real estate located at ADDRESS OR DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to the Roman Catholic Bishop – Diocese of San Diego, a non-profit organization located at 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, CA, 92117, 92840 Federal Tax ID #95-1644613, for the benefit of            (parish/school/ministry/fund)            and distributed to the endowment fund or outright for the purpose of ____________________.

Bequest of Percentage of an Estate

I hereby, give, devise and bequeath PERCENTAGE OF YOUR ESTATE to the Roman Catholic Bishop – Diocese of San Diego, a non-profit organization located at 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, CA, 92117, Federal Tax ID #95-1644613, for the benefit of            (parish/school/ministry/fund)            and distributed to the endowment fund or outright for the purpose of ____________________.

Residual Bequest

I direct that the remainder of my estate, whether real property, personal or mixed and wheresoever situated, be distributed to the Roman Catholic Bishop – Diocese of San Diego, a non-profit organization located at 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, CA, 92117, Federal Tax ID #95-1644613, for the benefit of             (parish/school/ministry/fund)            and distributed to the endowment fund or outright for the purpose of ____________________. My Executor shall, at the request of Age Well Senior Services, liquidate and sell any real estate or tangible personal property which is part of the residue of my estate before making distribution.

I instruct that all charitable gifts, bequests and devises should be made, to the extent possible, from assets that constitute income in respect of a decedent, as that term is defined in the Internal Revenue Code.

If you are considering a bequest but would like to ensure that your bequest will be used only for a specific purpose, please let us know. We recommend completing a Bequest Intention/Gift Agreement form to document your wishes on where the funds will be distributed and for the purpose intended. The Diocese of San Diego will keep these forms secure and in confidence to be viewed at the time a bequest is received.

We would be happy to work with you and your attorney to help you identify ways to give that will ensure your charitable objectives can be met. We will also work with you and your attorney to craft language to accomplish your objectives.