Planned Giving

A bequest made through a will or living trust can be a very simple way to make a gift to Mercersburg. Your bequest may be of a specific sum, percentage, or the remainder of an estate and may consist of cash, securities, life insurance proceeds, real estate, and/or personal property.

The official bequest language for Mercersburg Academy is: I hereby give, devise, and bequeath TO THE REGENTS OF MERCERSBURG COLLEGE, A.K.A. THE MERCERSBURG ACADEMY (Federal ID No. 23-1365963), a nonprofit corporation organized and operating under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property], to be used for (gift restrictions, if any) (or for its unrestricted use and purposes)

Bequest Form

You may name Mercersburg full or partial beneficiary of life insurance plans, qualified retirement plans, IRAs, tax-deferred annuities, savings bonds, brokerage accounts, etc. To make such a gift, update your beneficiary designation form accordingly

A charitable gift annuity (CGA) is a contract between you and Mercersburg Academy where you make an irrevocable gift to the school. In exchange, Mercersburg guarantees the annual payment fixed amount to you for life.

Deferral of payments increases both your tax deduction and your annuity payments. Annuities can be written for one or two lives. The amount of the annuity payments is based on age. Mercersburg’s Advancement Office can provide illustrations at no cost

A charitable remainder trust (CRT) is a way to give where you irrevocably transfer assets into a trust managed by Mercersburg Academy and its investment representatives. This trust pays income to individuals you name for a term of years. The balance remaining at the end of the trust is distributed to Mercersburg for the purposes you specified. There are many types of CRTs that are designed to fit each individual’s needs and goals

A charitable lead trust annually pays Mercersburg income from a donated asset for a set number of years. After that time, the balance remaining is distributed to the individuals you have chosen, such as your children or grandchildren, with reduced estate or gift taxes

A retained life estate allows you to irrevocably deed your home, vacation home, farm, or property to Mercersburg while retaining the right to live in and/or receive income from it for the rest of your life. You continue to be responsible for all routine expenses—maintenance, insurance, taxes, repairs, etc.

Your charitable deduction is based primarily on your age but is also affected by other factors, including the value of your lot and the value of the improvements. (Subject to approval by Mercersburg’s gift acceptance committee.)