One of the simplest ways to make a gift to the Children’s Museum is through your Will. When received, your bequest will be recorded as a gift to our endowment where it will strengthen the organization for future generations.
Bequests to the Museum are entirely free from federal estate tax, and there is no limit on the amount you can leave to the Museum or any other charitable organization through your Will.
There are three types of bequests for you to consider: specific, percentage, or residual.
Here is some sample bequest language:
“I give, devise and bequeath to the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County, a nonprofit corporation of the State of California, tax ID #20-3496878, located at 1835 W. Steele Lane, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, the sum of $_____ (or a description of a specific asset including property or shares of stock), for the benefit of the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County to be used for general purposes (or state a specific purpose).”
Retirement assets can be subject to multiple levels of taxation, and the combination of federal income, and estate taxes can significantly diminish the value of a retirement account. When you name the Children’s Museum as a beneficiary of your Individual Retirement Account (IRA), Keogh plan, 401(k), 403(b) or other qualified pension plan, your estate receives a charitable deduction for the full amount of these funds. Because the tax burden on your estate may thus be reduced, your heirs may receive increased amounts from other assets directed to them under your Will.
When you place a bequest in your will or living trust and notify the Children’s Museum, we will invite you to become a member of the Legacy Circle.
Please let us know if you have included the Children’s Museum as a beneficiary through your will or living trust. We would love to say “thank you”. We will keep your information strictly confidential unless you give us permission to publicly acknowledge your generosity.
The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County was founded in 2005 and is designated as a tax-exempt nonprofit charitable 501(c)(3) organization by the Internal Revenue Service with the Tax ID #20-3496878.