Bequests and Wills
Sample Wording for Bequests to the Center
When making or revising a will, you should obtain the assistance of an attorney. Members of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's planned giving staff will be pleased to work with you and your attorney to design an estate plan specifically tailored to your wishes. The following are suggested forms for making various types of bequests to Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Outright Bequest in Will (Unrestricted)
The following provision in your will creates an unrestricted bequest, which assures that your gift will be used where it is most needed.
Specific dollar amount:
"I bequeath the sum of $_______to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a New York nonprofit corporation having a principal place of business at 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, Federal Tax ID #13-1924236, to be used or disposed of as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in its sole discretion deems appropriate."
Percentage amount:
"I bequeath the sum of (______ percent) of my estate to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a New York nonprofit corporation having a principal place of business at 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, Federal Tax ID #13-1924236, to be used or disposed of as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in its sole discretion deems appropriate."
Share of or entire residue of estate:
"I devise and bequeath (all) (______ percent) of the remainder of my property to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a New York nonprofit corporation having a principal place of business at 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, Federal Tax ID #13-1924236, to be used or disposed of as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in its sole discretion deems appropriate."
Conditional Bequest in Will
Insert the conditional language in one or more of the above provisions. For example:
"If my husband [wife] does not survive me [or other condition], I bequeath the sum of $______ to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a New York nonprofit corporation having a principal place of business at 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, Federal Tax ID #13-1924236, to be used or disposed of as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in its sole discretion deems appropriate."
Restricted Use
You may want to designate your gift for some special purpose within the scope of the Center's mission. You can restrict the use of the principal, income, or both in this fashion:
"I bequeath the sum of $______ to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a New York nonprofit corporation having a principal place of business at 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, Federal Tax ID #13-1924236, for the following use: ___________________________________________________________."
If you designate your bequest for a specific purpose, we request that you include the following will provision to ensure that your gift will continue to provide for the Center's needs. For example:
"However, I impose no legal or equitable obligation in this regard."
or,
"If in the judgment of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center it becomes, or is likely to become, impossible or impractical to accomplish the purposes of this gift, the income or principal, or both, may be used for such related purposes and in such manner as determined by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center."