Estate & Legacy
Planning Your Estate: Strategies For Giving

How to Make a Gift
It’s easy. To make a gift to the Humane Society of Manatee County, you simply include a provision in your Will specifying the type and/or amount you would like to give. Your gift can consist of almost anything – money, bank accounts, securities, or real estate.
Although the provision can be a short paragraph, the language necessary to accomplish your wishes is extremely important and should be prepared by your attorney.
Most people commonly underestimate the value of what they own. They may not believe that they have an estate. However, if you own anything at all, you have an estate. This includes cash, real estate, all personal property, investments, retirement plan assets, life insurance, and other forms of assets. A well-drafted will allows you to ensure that the assets that you have accumulated over your lifetime are distributed according to your wishes. Remembering the Humane Society of Manatee County in your will can ensure the care and humane treatment of animals in perpetuity.
You may call Valerie Bliss at 941-747-8808 x 310 to discuss your legacy.
Bequests
You can name the Humane Society of Manatee County as a beneficiary by creating a new will, adding a codicil to your present will, or including the Humane Society of Manatee County in your revocable trust.
You can name the Humane Society of Manatee County as either a direct beneficiary of a set amount of money, a specific asset (e.g. 100 shares of stock), or a percentage of your estate. A legacy to the Humane Society of Manatee County may take different forms, including;
- An outright bequest of cash, securities
- A beneficiary designation of a life insurance policy, a bank account, a retirement account
- A beneficiary of a living trust, or a testamentary trust
An individual may designate that a bequest is used for the general purposes of the Humane Society of Manatee County, or to support a specific program. The following is a suggested form for such a bequest:
I give and bequeath to the Humane Society of Manatee County, a 501 (c ) (3) corporation, Tax I.D. #59-1819652, 2515 14th Street West | Bradenton, Florida 34205, the sum of $_____, to be used for the accomplishment of its general purposes (or for a specific purpose, as indicated).
Memorials
You can request that at the time of your death, your obituary state: In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made to the Humane Society of Manatee County. Give your family and friends a way to honor your memory while helping the orphaned dogs and cats at the same time.