Development Office

The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo

BEQUESTS

THE SIMPLEST FORM OF PLANNED-GIVING

A will is an important document that lets you determine the distribution of your estate. It also offers a variety of creative ways for you to be an angel of giving to the Diocese, your parish, school or other Catholic organization.

In preparing your will, you should first provide for your family’s needs. Then, you may choose to bequeath a certain dollar amount, specific property or a percentage of your estate to the Catholic endowments of your choice. You may also wish to name one or more charitable recipients in case your heirs do not survive you.

If you already have a will, your attorney may be able to add a simple amendment (codicil) to provide a gift to an endowment, using language similar to this:

GENERAL BEQUEST. I give the sum of $__ to the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, Inc., for the (name of endowment fund).

RESIDUE BEQUEST. I give and devise __% of the residue of my estate to the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, Inc., for the (name of endowment fund).

EXAMPLE

A retired couple has been active members of their parish for 30 years and want to help ensure the parish’s continued financial health. In their wills, they took steps to ensure their daughter Kate’s financial security and to make bequests to other family members. Then, they left 75 percent of the residue (the amount remaining after those bequests) of their estate to their parish endowment through the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. In this way, they provided for the needs of their family as well as those of the parish, which has been the center of their spiritual and family lives.

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