One way for you to support Lutheran Church Extension Fund's mission is to leave LCEF in your estate plan. A bequest is a gift made to ministry 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 ministry during your life. Another benefit is that by making a bequest you are able to leave a lasting legacy.
 

How would you like to make your gift?

There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to Lutheran Church Extension Fund. 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 Lutheran Church Extension Fund. Another kind of specific bequest involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to ministry. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to Lutheran Church Extension Fund.

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 ministry. For example, you may wish to leave 30% of the residue of your estate to Lutheran Church Extension Fund.
 

Bequest Benefits

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.
 

Bequest Language

In order to make a bequest, you should speak with your attorney. Your attorney can help you include a bequest to Lutheran Church Extension Fund in your estate plan. We have provided some basic bequest language to assist you and your attorney.

1. Outright Bequest

If you are considering making an outright bequest to Lutheran Church Extension Fund, we recommend the following language:
 

Bequest of a Specific Dollar Amount

I hereby, give, devise and bequeath $DOLLARS to Lutheran Church Extension Fund, a non-profit organization located at 10733 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63051, Federal Tax ID #43-1151795, for Lutheran Church Extension Fund's general use and purpose.
 

Bequest of Specific Personal Property

I hereby, give, devise and bequeath DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY to Lutheran Church Extension Fund, a non-profit organization located at 10733 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63051, Federal Tax ID #43-1151795, for Lutheran Church Extension Fund's general use and purposes.
 

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 Lutheran Church Extension Fund, a non-profit organization located at 10733 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63051, Federal Tax ID #43-1151795, Lutheran Church Extension Fund's general use and purposes.
 

Bequest of Percentage of an Estate

I hereby, give, devise and bequeath PERCENTAGE OF YOUR ESTATE to Lutheran Church Extension Fund, a non-profit organization located at 10733 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63051, Federal Tax ID #43-1151795, for Lutheran Church Extension Fund's general use and purpose.

2. Restricted Bequest

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 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.

In cases where donors are making a restricted bequest, we recommend that your attorney include the following provision to give Lutheran Church Extension Fund flexibility should it no longer be possible for our organization to use your gift as you originally intended:

If, in the judgment of the Board of Directors of Lutheran Church Extension Fund, it shall become impossible for Lutheran Church Extension Fund to use this bequest to accomplish the specific purposes of this bequest, Lutheran Church Extension Fund may use the income and principal of this gift for such purpose or purposes as the Board determines is most closely related to the restricted purpose of my bequest.
 

Contact Us

Please contact us if you have any questions about how to make a bequest to Lutheran Church Extension Fund's or to request any additional information that might be helpful to you and your attorney as you consider making a bequest to us.