Making a legacy gift in your will or trust is one of the easiest and most popular ways to make a lasting impact for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Gifts in a Will

Once you have provided for your loved ones, we hope you will consider making our important work part of your life story through a legacy gift. If you have already created your will and would like to update it, you can easily do so using a codicil. You can find sample language for that here.

A gift in your will is one of the easiest ways to create your legacy and offers the following benefits:

NO COST Costs you nothing now to give in this way.

FLEXIBLE You can alter your gift or change your mind at any time and for any reason.

LASTING IMPACT Your gift will create a brighter future for all those affected by cystic fibrosis.

Four simple, “no-cost-now” ways to give in your will

General gift

Leave a gift of a stated sum of money to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in your will or living trust.

If you intend to make an outright bequest of cash, securities, or other property by designating a specific dollar amount, a particular asset, or a fixed percentage of your estate to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to be used for general purposes, please use the following language:

“I give and bequeath to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (chapter name if applicable) located in Bethesda, Maryland, the sum of $________.”

Residual gift

Leave what is left over after all other debts, taxes, and other expenses have been paid.

If you intend to leave the residue portion of your assets after other terms of the will have been satisfied, please use the following language:

“I give and bequeath to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (chapter name if applicable) located in Bethesda, Maryland, _________ (all or a percentage) of the rest, residual or remainder of my estate.”

Specific gift

Leave a specific dollar amount, percentage, fraction, or specific items (collections, art, books, jewelry, etc.).

If you would like to make a specific gift, please use the following language:

“I give and bequeath to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (chapter name if applicable) located in Bethesda, Maryland, the rest, residue and remainder (or state all, a $ amount, or a percentage) to be used for its general support.”

Contingent gift

Leaves a stated amount or share only if a spouse, family member or other heir/beneficiary does not live longer than you. In other words, your gift is contingent upon whether or not they survive after you.

If you wish to make a contingency gift, so that the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will receive a portion of your estate if your named beneficiary does not survive you, please use the following language:

“If (insert name) is not living at the time of my death, I bequeath to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (chapter name if applicable), located in Bethesda, Maryland, the sum of $_____ or ______ percent of the rest, residual or remainder of my estate.”

You can mix these no-cost ways together. For example, you might consider leaving a specific percentage (such as 50%) of the residual to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation contingent upon the survival of your spouse.

Gifts by Beneficiary Designation

It is easy to put your bank accounts, retirement funds, savings bonds, and more to use in accelerating cures for cystic fibrosis — and it costs you nothing now.

By naming the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as a beneficiary of these assets, you can power our mission for years to come and establish your personal legacy of ending cystic fibrosis.

Potential benefits of gifts by beneficiary designation:

Reduce or eliminate taxes

Reduce or avoid probate fees

No cost to you now to give

Create your legacy with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

To name the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as a beneficiary of an asset, contact the custodian of that asset to see whether a change of beneficiary form must be completed.

How to change a beneficiary designation:

• Login to your account or request a Change of Beneficiary Form from your custodian (the business holding your money or assets).
• Follow the links to change your beneficiary or fill out the form.
• Be sure to spell the name of our organization properly: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Include our tax identification number: 13-1930701
• Save or submit your information online or return your Change of Beneficiary Form.

Types of Gifts

A gift of retirement funds

Donating through your retirement account is one of the simplest “tax-wise” ways to make a gift to us – and it is as easy as designating the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation the beneficiary of your pension plan, IRA, 401(k) or self-employed plan.

If you leave your IRA, 401(k) or other qualified plan to family members other than your surviving spouse, they will most likely need to pay income taxes on your gift. Since the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a nonprofit organization, we pay no income or estate taxes. This means 100 percent of your designated gift will go to adding more tomorrows and finding a cure for CF.

Benefits:

• Avoid potential estate tax on retirement assets.
• Avoid income tax for your heirs on retirement assets funded on a pre-tax basis.
• Receive potential estate tax savings from an estate tax deduction. 

Beneficiary	Your Heirs	Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Gift Amount	$100,000	$100,000
Income Tax (Est. 39.6%)	$39,600	$0
Net to Beneficiary	$60,400	$100,00

* The tax rate shown here reflects 2016 top marginal income tax estimates. Estate tax is not shown because it applies infrequently.

Discover a smart way to make an impact with your IRA today by learning more about Charitable IRA Rollovers.

A gift of funds remaining in your bank accounts, brokerage accounts or certificate of deposit (CD)

This is one of the easiest gifts to give and one of the most useful in accomplishing your philanthropic goals. The next time you visit your bank, you can name the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (Tax ID: 13-1930701) as the beneficiary of a checking or savings bank account, a certificate of deposit (CD), or a brokerage account. When you do, you will take a powerful step towards a cure for CF.

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) residuals

What remains in a donor-advised fund is governed by the contract you completed when you created your fund. When you name the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as a “successor” of your account or a portion of your account value, you enable us to continue our research and community support for years to come.

Savings bonds

If you have bonds that have stopped earning interest and you plan to redeem them, you might owe income tax on the appreciation. That could result in your heirs receiving only a fraction of the value of the bonds in which you invested. Since the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a tax-exempt institution, naming us as a beneficiary means that 100% of your gift will go towards advancing research, care, and cures for the people we serve.