Support The Centers for Multiple Sclerosis

When you include the Centers for Multiple Sclerosis in your planned giving, you are making a difference in someone’s life – someone living right here in Southwest Florida who struggles with the daily challenges of multiple sclerosis.

Whether you make charitable bequest, beneficiary designation, or a transfer designation, you’ll know your contribution is helping to provide programs and services that help people with MS and their families experience Life Beyond MS.

What is Planned Giving?

Planned giving is the process of planning a donation ahead of time.  Oftentimes, charitable planned giving is part of an estate plan, where monetary donations or donations of other assets are made once the donor passes away.

Common Planned Giving Options for Wills & Trusts, Insurance Policies and Bank Accounts.

 Charitable Bequests: e.g. Wills, Living Trusts

Leave a legacy through a bequest to Centers for Multiple Sclerosis.  You can make a bequest by including specific language in your will or living trust.  Our legal name is Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida, Inc. and our address is 8200 Health Center Blvd. #104, Estero, FL 34135.  Our Internal Revenue Service tax identification number 31-1763776.  We are a tax-exempt charitable organization listed in the Federal Internal Revenue Service Publication #78, “Cumulative List of Organizations”, revised IRS Code 501(c)(3).  There are two types of bequests in a will (a) residuary bequest and (b) specific bequest.  A residuary bequest is a bequest that is made from a portion or from all of the “residue” of an estate after the payment of debts, expenses, taxes, and specific bequests from your estate.  A specific bequest is made from specific funds of your estate.

Sample language to put in your Last Will and Testament or living trust would be as follows:

Residuary bequest–    “All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate I give to the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida, Inc., located in Estero, Florida, Tax ID 31-1763776, to be used for its general purposes.” “I give one-half of my residuary estate to the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida, Inc., located in Estero, Florida, Tax ID 31-1763776, to be used for its general purposes.”

Specific bequest- “I give to Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida, Inc., located in Estero, Florida, Tax ID 31-1763776, the sum of $___________________, to be used for its general purposes.  Another type of specific bequest can be a donation of particular property, for example, real estate: “I leave the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida, Inc., of Estero, Florida, my right, title, and interest in the real property located at (address of real property).  I direct my Executor/Personal Representative to sell the real property and distribute the proceeds to the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida, Inc. to be used for its general purposes.”

Beneficiary Designation – e.g. Life Insurance Policies, Retirement Accounts

A Last Will and Testament typically does not dispose of assets such as life insurance and retirement accounts since those assets usually pass to a beneficiary or beneficiaries by a beneficiary designation specific to those assets.  A beneficiary designation is a document that you fill out from the insurance company or the retirement plan company to transfer the asset at your death to the person(s) or institution(s) you have designated.  To designate the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida, Inc. as the beneficiary of such asset, you should contact your insurance company or retirement plan administrator and request a “change of beneficiary” form which you can complete and return to them.

Payable on Death (POD) and Transfer on Death (TOD) Designations: e.g. Bank Accounts, CDs, Brokerage accounts

For bank accounts, certificates of deposit, and brokerage accounts, you can transfer your assets at death to person(s) or charity(ies) of your choice by setting up a POD or TOD designation.  To set up a POD or TOD designation naming the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida, Inc., please contact the financial institution where the account is held and request to complete a POD or TOD designation form.

These samples are simply to help you understand your options. Please consult with your trusts and estates professional when drafting your will or living trust to make sure that your documents comply with your state law.  Your trusts and estates professional can also assist you with the completion of any beneficiary designation documents.

REGISTRATION #CH-12523. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com