Gifts in a will or by beneficiary designation are two easy ways to engage, equip, and send collaborative leaders who interpret, proclaim and live the gospel of Jesus Christ 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 Wartburg Theological Seminary. 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 helping us to form valued leaders for the future of the church.
- 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
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
You can mix these no-cost ways together. For example, you might consider leaving a specific percentage (such as 50%) of the residual to Wartburg 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 making an impact on the ministry of our seminary — and it costs you nothing now. By naming Wartburg as a beneficiary of these assets, you can power our mission for years to come and establish your personal legacy of forming Christ-centered, resilient, and adaptive leaders for the thriving of congregations and the healing of the world.
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 Wartburg
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Types of Gifts
Retirement plan assets
You can simply name Wartburg as a beneficiary of your retirement plan to bless not only individual students, but the whole church.
Life insurance policies
You can name Wartburg as a beneficiary of all or a portion of your life insurance policy. With this gift arrangement, Wartburg 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 Wartburg Theological Seminary (Tax ID: 42-0681105) 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 the future leaders of the church 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 Wartburg as a “successor” of your account or a portion of your account value, you enable a worship-centered community of critical theological reflection where learning leads to mission and mission informs learning.
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.
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 Wartburg, be sure to let us know so that we may best honor your wishes.
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!