How to Leave Money to Charity in a Will: 7 Steps

Last Updated: October 26, 2026

Table of Contents

• What You'll Need Before You Leave Money to Charity in a Will
• Step 1: Choose the Charity and Verify Its Legal Name
• Step 2: Decide What Type of Charitable Gift to Make
  • Fixed Sum, Percentage, or Specific Asset
  • Residuary and Contingent Gifts
  • Will vs. Trust vs. Beneficiary Designation
  • A Simple Decision Table
  • A Worked Example
• Step 3: How to Name a Charity in a Will
• Step 4: Get the Charitable Bequest Wording Right
  • Sample Bequest Language
  • Execution Checklist Before You Sign
  • What Happens If the Charity Changes, Closes, or Cannot Accept the Gift
  • How the Gift Interacts with Debts, Taxes, and Heirs
  • Non-Cash Gifts and Beneficiary Forms
• Step 5: Leaving a Percentage of Your Estate to Charity
• Step 6: Naming a Charity as Beneficiary of a Retirement Account
• Step 7: Sign, Store, and Review Your Estate Plan
• Common Mistakes That Undo a Charitable Gift
• Bring Your Charitable Goals to a Planning Conversation
• Frequently Asked Questions

What You'll Need Before You Leave Money to Charity in a Will

Leaving a gift to a cause you care about can be part of an estate plan. A missing legal name or an outdated document can affect how a gift is handled. This guide from Gorra Financial Group walks through seven steps to leave money to charity in a will, from picking the organization to signing the final draft.

Here is what to gather before you start:

• The charity's exact legal name and address
• Your current will or living trust
• A list of your estate assets and their values
• Names of your heirs and contingent beneficiaries
• Contact information for your estate-planning attorney

One point up front: a will is a legal document. We are financial professionals, not attorneys, and nothing here replaces advice from a qualified estate-planning attorney in your state.

Step 1: Choose the Charity and Verify Its Legal Name

Start with the organization's legal name, not the name on the fundraising letter. Many nonprofits operate under a short brand name while their legal entity is something longer and more formal.

Ask the charity for its full legal name, address, and employer identification number. You can also check its status through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. That tool confirms whether the group is currently recognized as tax-exempt.

A common mistake is naming a local chapter when the gift should go to the parent organization, or the reverse. Confirm which entity will actually receive and control the money.

Step 2: Decide What Type of Charitable Gift to Make

The right gift type depends on three things: how much control you want over the money, how simple you want the administration to be, and whether the gift should come from your will or from a beneficiary form.

Fixed Sum, Percentage, or Specific Asset

A fixed sum is a set dollar amount. It is easy to understand and easy for your executor to administer. The risk is that your estate may shrink before you die, leaving less for heirs while the charity still receives the full amount.

A percentage of your estate scales with your final estate value. If your assets grow, the charity's share grows too, and your heirs keep the same relative share.

A specific asset gift transfers a named item, such as shares of stock, a brokerage account, or a piece of real property. This works well when the asset is easy to value and sell, but it can create friction if the asset is hard to divide or carries a mortgage.

Residuary and Contingent Gifts

A residuary bequest gives charity whatever remains after debts, taxes, and other gifts are paid.

A contingent gift takes effect only if a primary beneficiary does not survive you. This is useful when you want family to come first but still want a backup plan.

Will vs. Trust vs. Beneficiary Designation

A will is the most common home for a charitable bequest, but it is not the only one. A living trust can hold the gift. A beneficiary designation on a retirement account or life insurance policy passes outside the will.

The catch is coordination. A charity named in your will but not on your beneficiary form may receive nothing from that account, and the reverse is also true. Your attorney and financial professional should review all three documents together.

A Simple Decision Table

A Worked Example

Assume an estate worth $800,000, three children, and a goal of giving 10 percent to charity. A fixed $80,000 gift gives the charity a known amount, but if the estate falls to $600,000 the children absorb the entire shortfall. A 10 percent residuary gift gives the charity $80,000 in the first case and $60,000 in the second, and the children's shares stay proportional. Neither is wrong; the choice depends on whether you want certainty for the charity or protection for your heirs.

If you are weighing a charitable gift against other legacy tools, our article on how to plan a legacy with life insurance covers a different approach. For current context on how giving vehicles are shifting, see our piece on trends in charitable giving.

Step 3: How to Name a Charity in a Will

Naming a charity in a will means identifying the organization precisely enough that your executor can find it without guessing. Include the full legal name, the address, and the tax identification number when you have it.

You can name a charity in several places:

• As a direct beneficiary in your will
• Inside a living trust, which can avoid probate
• On a beneficiary designation for a retirement account or life insurance policy
• As a contingent beneficiary behind family members

A will and a living trust are different ways to plan for a gift. Your attorney can tell you which fits your situation.

Step 4: Get the Charitable Bequest Wording Right

The clause should name the charity, state the amount or share, and say what happens if the charity cannot accept the gift.

Sample Bequest Language

Here is sample language you can bring to your attorney as a starting point:

"I give, devise, and bequeath to [full legal name of charity], a nonprofit organization located at [address], the sum of $[amount] [or: [number] percent of my residuary estate], to be used for its general charitable purposes. If [charity] is not in existence or is not then qualified as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, this gift shall pass to [alternate charity]."

Notice the backup clause. It answers the question most people never ask: what if the charity merges, closes, or changes its mission before you die?

Execution Checklist Before You Sign

Before the clause goes into a signed will, confirm each item below with your attorney and the charity:

• The charity's full legal name as registered with the IRS, not its fundraising name
• The charity's employer identification number (EIN)
• The charity's current tax-exempt status through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search
• Whether the gift should go to a parent organization or a local affiliate
• The exact amount, percentage, or asset description
• A named alternate charity if the first cannot accept the gift
• Whether the gift is restricted to a purpose or left unrestricted
• Your state's witness and notary requirements for a valid will

What Happens If the Charity Changes, Closes, or Cannot Accept the Gift

Charities merge, rename, dissolve, and occasionally lose tax-exempt status. A gift that names only one organization can fail if that organization no longer exists at your death. In that case, a court may redirect the gift under a legal doctrine called cy pres, but the result may not match your intent.

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A backup clause can address this possibility. Name a second charity, or name a donor-advised fund sponsor that can accept the gift and let your successor advisor direct it. If the charity has lost its tax-exempt status, the gift may not qualify for the charitable estate tax deduction, so confirm status close to signing and review it every few years.

How the Gift Interacts with Debts, Taxes, and Heirs

A charitable bequest does not shield your estate from creditors. Debts, funeral expenses, and administration costs are generally paid before specific and residuary gifts. If the estate is too small to cover them, the charity may receive less than you intended, or nothing.

Non-Cash Gifts and Beneficiary Forms

Cash is not the only option. You can leave publicly traded securities, a life insurance policy, or a retirement account to charity. Each has different mechanics:

• Securities are usually valued at the average of the high and low price on the valuation date, and your executor will need the charity's transfer instructions.
• A life insurance policy can name a charity as beneficiary, but the policy must be in force at death and the charity must be able to accept the proceeds.
• A retirement account passes by beneficiary designation, not by will, so the form on file controls.

Whatever the asset, coordinate the will with every beneficiary form. A charity named in the will but missing from a retirement account form will not receive that account.

Step 5: Leaving a Percentage of Your Estate to Charity

A percentage bequest can keep your heirs' shares in proportion as your estate changes.

Say you want to leave 10 percent of your estate to charity and split the rest among three children. If your estate is worth more at death, everyone's share rises together. If it is worth less, everyone's share falls together.

Two details matter here. First, percentages are calculated on your estate after debts and expenses, so confirm how your state defines the estate for this purpose. Second, if you plan to leave a large share, talk with your attorney and a tax professional about how the gift interacts with estate tax and with your heirs' inheritance.

Step 6: Naming a Charity as Beneficiary of a Retirement Account

Retirement accounts pass by beneficiary designation, not by your will. That means the form on file with the plan or custodian controls who gets the money, no matter what your will says.

To name a charity as beneficiary of a retirement account, request a beneficiary designation form from the plan administrator or custodian, complete it, and return it as instructed. Keep a copy with your estate documents.

One caution: a surviving spouse usually has rights to a retirement account that a charity designation cannot override without proper spousal consent. Check the plan rules before you file.

If you want a charity to receive money from an IRA during your lifetime rather than at death, ask about a qualified charitable distribution. Our explainer on understanding qualified charitable distributions covers how those work and how they are taxed.

Step 7: Sign, Store, and Review Your Estate Plan

Signing and witnessing requirements for wills vary by state. Check your state's rules with an estate-planning attorney.

Store the signed original somewhere safe and tell your executor where it is. Keep a copy with your financial records, and give your attorney a copy for the file.

Review the plan every few years and after any major life event:

• A marriage or divorce
• A birth or death in the family
• A big change in your estate's value
• A charity that changes its name or status

Your executor carries out your charitable bequests, so choose someone who understands your intent. Our article on and the executor is explains what that role involves.

Common Mistakes That Undo a Charitable Gift

An outdated beneficiary form can affect who receives an account or policy. People may update their will but forget the retirement account or insurance policy, so review beneficiary designations alongside the will.

Other potential mistakes include:

• Using a charity's nickname instead of its legal name
• Forgetting a backup clause if the charity no longer exists
• Naming a charity in a will but leaving a conflicting beneficiary form on file
• Skipping witnesses or a notary when state law requires them
• Never telling heirs about the charitable intent, which invites a will contest

If a charity has dissolved or lost its tax-exempt status, the handling of a gift without an alternate recipient may depend on the circumstances. Ask an estate-planning attorney about your options.

Bring Your Charitable Goals to a Planning Conversation

A charitable bequest works best when it fits inside a full plan, not bolted on at the end. The amount you give, the structure you choose, and the way your heirs are provided for all interact.

Gorra Financial Group helps individuals, families and business owners explore retirement planning, life insurance, wealth management and financial education. English- and Spanish-speaking professionals are available. Educational reach is nationwide; individual services depend on the professional, state licensing and registration.

A few questions worth bringing to that conversation:

• How much can I give without putting my own retirement at risk?
• Should this gift come from a will, a trust, or a beneficiary designation?
• How will this affect what my heirs receive?
• Have I reviewed every beneficiary form in the last two years?

If you want a starting point on legacy goals, our guide on leaving your lasting legacy walks through the broader picture.

Your charitable goals deserve more than a sentence added at the last minute. Gorra Financial Group can help you review beneficiary designations, coordinate legacy planning with your attorney, and build a retirement income plan that leaves room for giving. Reach us at 401-228-8804 or info@gorrafinancial.com, or schedule a time with our firm to talk through your plan.

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