Suggested Will and Trust Language

Leaving a Gift to an Existing Fund

Use the following language in your will to contribute to any of the existing permanently endowed Funds established with the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation. (This includes those Funds whose Founders pre-signed a Fund Agreement with the intention activating their Fund with their bequest.):

"I give and bequeath to the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation Inc., a Michigan Non-profit Corporation, the sum of $_____ OR _____% of my estate OR all the remainder of my estate to the______________________ (Name of Fund) consistent with the 'Fund Agreement' previously established at the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation."

Creating a Permanently Endowed Named Fund (minimum contribution of $10,000)

Although not mandatory, we recommend contacting the Community Foundation at the time the will or trust agreement is being prepared to establish a Fund Agreement stating your charitable intent. This way, the language in the will or trust document will not have to be changed if the you wish to modify your charitable wishes over time as the fund agreement does not go into effect until the dollars are actually received by the Community Foundation upon the death. Until this time, donors may make modifications by replacing an old fund agreement with a new one at no charge. This option gives the donor the ultimate in flexibility.

Leaving a Gift that will Benefit all the Residents of Isabella County

Some donors prefer to have the Community Foundation's board of directors determine how best their gift can remain flexible and responsive to community needs over time. These grants, generated from unrestricted funds, are used to meet the current needs of the people of Isabella County. In this situation, the suggested language to be used in a will is:

"I give _________________________ (description of gift) to Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation Inc., a Michigan Non-profit Corporation, its successors or assigns, to be added to the Foundation's Unrestricted Fund."

Should you wish to set up a fund without creating a Fund Agreement with the Foundation, the following language is appropriate:

"I give and bequeath to the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation Inc., a Michigan Non-profit Corporation, the sum of $_____ OR _____% of my estate OR all the remainder of my estate to establish a component fund within the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation to be known as the _____________________ (Name of Fund). I direct that the annual amount available for granting, in accordance with the Foundation's Spending Guidelines, be used exclusively for providing support to ___________________________. (Specify the charitable purpose(s) or charitable organization(s) such as providing support to the youth of our community or providing support to Hospice of Central Michigan.)