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Gifts That Cost You Nothing Now

Gifts in a will or by beneficiary designation are two easy ways to champion the fight to conquer arthritis for years to come — and they don’t cost anything now.

Gifts in a Will

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 Arthritis Foundation. Once you have provided for your loved ones, we hope you will consider making our mission part of your life story through a legacy gift.

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

  • Lasting Impact: Your gift will create your legacy of improving the lives of millions across the country.
  • Flexible: You can alter your gift or change your mind at any time and for any reason.
  • No Cost: It costs you nothing now to give in this way.

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

General gift

A general bequest is a gift of a specific amount.

Residuary gift
A residuary gift is a gift of all or a percentage of the remainder of your estate after specific bequests and expenses have been paid.
Specific gift
A specific gift is a gift of a particular piece of property. For example, real estate, funds in a bank account or shares of a corporation.
Contingent gift
A contingent gift takes effect only if the primary beneficiary or beneficiaries do not live longer than you. In other words, your gift is contingent upon whether or not they survive after you.

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 Foundation contingent upon the survival of your spouse.

Gifts by Beneficiary Designation

It’s easy to put your bank accounts, retirement funds, savings bonds and more to use in championing the fight to conquer arthritis — and it costs you nothing now. By naming the Foundation as a beneficiary of these assets, you can power our mission for years to come and establish your personal legacy of bold progress toward better treatments and, ultimately, a cure.

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 Arthritis Foundation

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Types of Gifts

Retirement plan assets
You can simply name the Arthritis Foundation as a beneficiary of your retirement plan to support life changing research and expand access to care for people living with arthritis.
Life insurance policies

You can name the Arthritis Foundation as a beneficiary of all or a portion of your life insurance policy. With this gift arrangement, the Foundation will receive the proceeds of your policy after your lifetime. You can change your beneficiary at any time and may reduce your estate taxes.

Bank or brokerage accounts
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 Arthritis Foundation (Tax ID: 58-1341679) as the beneficiary of a checking or savings bank account, a certificate of deposit (CD), or a brokerage account. When you do, you’ll take a powerful step toward improving the lives of millions for generations to come.
Funds remaining in your donor-advised fund
What remains in a donor-advised fund is governed by the contract you completed when you created your fund. When you name the Arthritis Foundation as a “successor” of your account or a portion of your account value, you help us continue providing research, care and advocacy that moves our shared mission forward.

How to update a beneficiary designation:

Simply contact your bank, retirement plan administrator, insurance company or other financial institution to request a beneficiary designation form. You may also be able to log in to your account and update your beneficiaries online.

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Please use our legal name: Arthritis Foundation

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Include our tax identification number: 58-1341679

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Please let us know so we can ensure that your wishes are carried out.

Share Your Legacy

If you have already included a gift in your estate plans to benefit the future of the Arthritis Foundation, be sure to let us know so that we may best honor your wishes.

Let Us Know

Our Team is Here to Help

Our experienced team is here to help you…

  • Learn about special projects that align with your interests.
  • Structure a donation that maximizes benefits for you and your loved ones.
  • Stay up to date on how your gift is used.
  • And more!
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