Remembering Menlo with a bequest from your estate will help sustain and strengthen Menlo for years to come while retaining control of and use of your assets during your lifetime.

A bequest is a simple way to make a gift from your estate—a transfer of cash, securities, or other property made through your estate plans. You may make a bequest by including language in your will or trust leaving a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the residual of the estate after you have made bequests to your family. Bequests to Menlo may reduce your estate taxes.

Sample Bequest Language To Review With Your Attorney:
“I, [name], of [city, state, zip], give, devise, and bequeath [written amount or percentage of estate] to Menlo School (tax ID # 94-3204137), located at 50 Valparaiso Avenue, Atherton, California, 94027, for its unrestricted use and purpose.”

A gift of your retirement plan or life insurance policy can be made by designating Menlo School as a beneficiary. To do so, contact your retirement plan administrator or life insurance company and complete the appropriate beneficiary designation form.

A life income gift provides you and/or your family with income for a period of time before giving assets to Menlo. You may make a life income gift by transferring securities, cash, or other property to Menlo or a trustee. There are several kinds of life income gifts you may wish to consider:

Charitable Gift Annuities

Charitable gift annuities allow you to make a significant gift to benefit the School while receiving fixed payments to you and/or your family for life, regardless of the economic climate. A charitable gift annuity is a simple contract. When the contract ends, the remainder is used to support the work of the School.

Charitable Remainder Trusts

This trust provides either fixed or variable annual payments for you and/or your family for life and/or a term of years. This trust provides tax benefits and at the end of the term, the remainder of the trust assets go to the School for the purposes you designate.

Pooled Income Funds

Your gift goes into an investment pool that functions like a mutual fund. Investment returns are paid to you and/or your family for life, after which your gift is withdrawn and used to support your designated purpose at Menlo.

Charitable Lead Trusts

A charitable lead trust makes annual income tax-deductible gifts to Menlo for a period of years, and at the end of the term, the remaining assets go to your family or other beneficiaries.

Whether you are making an outright gift or a planned gift, Menlo welcomes many types of assets. Options include cash, publicly traded securities, non-publicly traded assets, real estate, retirement plans, life insurance policies, gifts in kind such as personal property, and other possibilities.