Giving by bequest costs nothing now, yet it may give you a great deal of satisfaction to know that your future gift will live on. An outright gift from your estate is entirely free from federal estate taxes. This means that the REF is able to use the full amount of the bequest. You may make a bequest and retain the ability to change it at any time.

A gift can be included in the body of a will or as an amendment (codicil). Gifts can be designated for a specific purpose and typically provide an estate tax deduction. Bequests to the REF can include cash, securities, real estate, other property, a percentage of the residue of your estate, or all the residue of your estate.

Fact:  As many as 70 percent of Americans will die without creating a will, leaving the courts in control of their estate. In cases such as these, money and property are distributed according to inflexible state laws, not your individual wishes.

If you would like to include the REF in your legacy, the following language may be helpful:

“I give, devise, and bequeath to the American College of Rheumatology Research and Education Foundation, a Georgia nonprofit corporation located at 2200 Lake Boulevard NE, Atlanta, GA 30319 the sum of $_____________ or % of _______________, for use in ________________________________________(state the purpose for which you wish your bequest to be used or indicate “general purpose”).