We hope you'll consider including a gift to Mercy in your Will or Living Trust. Called a charitable bequest, this type of gift offers these main benefits:

• Simplicity. Just a few sentences in your will or trust are all that is needed.
• Flexibility. Because you are not actually making a gift until after your lifetime, you can change your mind at any time.
• Versatility. You can structure the bequest to leave a specific item or amount of money, make the gift contingent on certain events, or leave a percentage of your estate to Mercy.

How It Works
To make a charitable bequest, you need a current will or revocable living trust.

Suggested Wording for Documents

"I, (insert name), of (insert address, city, state, zip code), give, devise and bequeath to Mercy Medical Center Foundation - North Iowa (insert written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property) for its unrestricted use and purpose."

You can make a specific bequest by giving a certain amount of cash, securities or property. Or your gift can be made as a percentage of your estate. When planning a future gift, it's sometimes difficult to determine what size donation will make sense. Emergencies happen, and you need to make sure your family is financially taken care of first. Including a bequest of a percentage of your estate ensures that your gift will remain proportionate no matter how your estate's value fluctuates over the years.