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Gifts Anyone Can Make

You can support the Friends of Mercy Foundation with a gift that doesn’t impact your cash flow, lifestyle or family security. 

  • Gifts From Your Will or Trust 
  • Your assets remain in your control during your lifetime.  
  • You can modify your gift to address changing circumstances.  
  • Under current tax law there is no upper limit on the estate tax deduction for your charitable bequests. 

Here is some suggested language that you can share with your personal advisors to include Friends of Mercy Foundation: 

I give and bequeath to the Friends of Mercy Foundation, a California not-for-profit corporation, the sum of $____________ dollars {or all the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate} to be used for the general purposes of the Hospital, in the discretion of its Board of Directors. Friends of Mercy Foundation’s tax ID number is: 77-0201321. Our official address is: Friends of Mercy Foundation 551 Shanley Court Bakersfield, CA 93311 

Gifts From a Retirement Plan 

  • Assets from your plan pass to the Friends of Mercy Foundation after your death.  
  • You can continue to take regular withdrawals throughout your life.  
  • You can achieve significant income tax savings. 
  • You can change beneficiaries if your family's needs change. 

Gifts of Stock and Other Assets 

  • Receive an immediate tax deduction for the fair market value of the securities on the date of transfer, no matter what you originally paid for them.
  • Pay no capital gains tax on the transfer when the stock is sold.  
  • Giving appreciated stock could be more beneficial than giving cash. 

Gifts of Life Insurance 

  • Make a gift of insurance you and your family no longer need. 
  • Receive an income tax deduction.  
  • In some cases, you can use the cash value in your policy to fund a life-income gift that provides you and/or other loved ones with an income now and benefits the Friends of Mercy Foundation in the future. 

Gifts of Personal Property 

  • Your gift of art, antiques, jewelry, etc. is immediately beneficial to Friends of Mercy. 
  • Receive a tax deduction for the appraised value of your gift.  
  • Pay no capital gains tax.  
  • In some cases, you can use personal property to fund a life-income gift.