Planned Giving
Leaving a Bequest
A bequest is one of the most common types of planned gift. You can specify your bequest to Marine Science Institute as a particular dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, the residue of your estate or a specific asset such as real estate or securities. Bequests are distributed after all debts, taxes and expenses of your estate have been paid.
For more information, please email MSI Advancement Director, Melanie Kimbel at melanie@sfbaymsi.org, or call (650) 364-2760 x14.
Planned Giving Options
Will or Living Trust
When your attorney draws up your will or living trust, MSI should be designated as:
Marine Science Institute, a California non-profit public benefit corporation, with Business Address of 500 Discovery Parkway, Redwood City, CA, 94063.
MSI is a non-profit organization. Our federal tax ID number is 94-1719649. MSI was incorporated in June 1971.
We suggest you specify that your bequest be "used in such a manner as the Board of Trustees of Marine Science Institute shall, in its discretion, determine." If you prefer to restrict your bequest to a particular program, MSI is pleased to work with you to ensure that your wishes will be met.
Should you choose to make MSI a beneficiary of your estate plans, please let us know your intentions. If you would like, you can provide MSI with a copy of the relevant portion of your will or living trust so we can ensure that your wishes are carried out at the appropriate time. This information will, of course, be kept strictly confidential.
Retirement Plans
To preserve your retirement assets after your lifetime, consider the benefit of using them through a planned charitable gift to MSI.
The simplest way to leave the balance of a retirement account to MSI is to list us as the primary or secondary beneficiary or to designate a specific amount to give to MSI on the paperwork provided by your plan administrator.
Life Insurance
You also can name MSI as primary beneficiary of your life insurance policy or as contingent beneficiary should your other beneficiaries not survive you. After your lifetime, the benefits from your policy pass to MSI free of federal estate tax.