Bequest Language

Printable Bequest Language

Sample Bequest Language:

We recommend the following language or similar wording to include a bequest to Mercer in your will or revocable living trust. Please share the wording below with the attorney(s) who prepares your estate-planning documents:

For an unrestricted gift to be used where there is the greatest need or for its general purposes:

“I give, devise, and bequeath to Mercer University, a nonprofit corporation located in Macon, Georgia, (“Mercer”) the sum of $ _______ [or ________ % of my residuary estate] to be used for its general purposes.”

To allocate your bequest to a particular purpose:

“I give, devise, and bequeath to Mercer University, a nonprofit corporation located in Macon, Georgia, (“Mercer”) the sum of $ _______ [or ________ % of my residuary estate] to be used for…

—endowed scholarships for undergraduate students… [ or ] students at the Mercer University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences… [ or ] students at the Mercer University School of Medicine… [ or ] students at the Mercer University Law School… [ or ] students at Mercer University College of Nursing… [ or ] students at Mercer University School of Theology… etc.

—an endowed chair at the Mercer University School of Business or, if the minimum amount required to establish a chair exceeds the amount of this bequest, then for other faculty support in the discretion of the Board of Trustees… [ or ] an endowed chair at the Mercer University School of Engineering in the field of __________________”… etc.

The options above are only examples and do not encompass all of the programs or schools at Mercer. Whenever you consider including a bequest to Mercer, we encourage you to speak in advance with your contacts on campus or call our planned giving office to discuss how to allocate your gift.

Finally, you can also leave a bequest to Mercer “subject to the terms of a separate gift agreement between the testator and Mercer.” Then you can place detailed instruction about the purpose of your bequest in a separate agreement. Should you ever wish to adjust your designation, the changes can be made in the separate gift agreement without amending your will. Mercer uses these gift agreements to ensure that donors’ intentions are fulfilled.