Create a Legacy of Inspiration: Make a Bequest
A bequest is a powerful way to ensure that the arts continue to inspire, educate, and connect our community—long into the future.
By including Plains Art Museum in your will or living trust, you help preserve and expand access to the arts for generations to come. It’s an easy and meaningful way to leave a lasting cultural legacy.
What is a Bequest?
A bequest is a gift made through your estate plans. It can take several forms:
- A specific dollar amount (e.g., “I give $10,000 to Plains Art Museum”)
- A percentage of your estate
- A particular asset, such as stocks, real estate, or valuable art
- A residuary gift, which is a portion of what remains after all other obligations are met
Why Make a Bequest?
- Support artistic excellence and creative programming
- Inspire future generations through arts education
- Preserve cultural heritage for years to come
- Receive potential estate tax benefits
Types of Bequests
There are a number of ways you can make a bequest to Plains Art Museum.
Specific Bequest. A specific bequest is a gift of an identifiable asset such as real estate, a car, jewelry or a gift for a specific dollar amount. For example, you may wish to leave your home or $10,000 to Plains Art Museum. Percentage Bequest. Under the umbrella of specific bequest, there is percentage bequest. This involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to Plains Art Museum. Residual Bequest. This is a type of bequest that is made using the remainder of the estate, after all other distributions have been made per the instructions you’ve left. Because of this, a residuary bequest does not name any specific property or dollar amount.
Contingent Bequest. A contingent bequest is only fulfilled when certain conditions are met. For example, you could leave specific property, such as a vacation home, to a relative, but the bequest language could provide that if the relative is not alive at the time of your death, the vacation home will go to Plains Art Museum.
Restricted Bequests. A restricted bequest is a gift from an estate that the recipient organization must use for a specific purpose designated by the donor, such as funding a particular program or project, rather than for general operations. These restrictions are created through specific language in a will or trust document and require the beneficiary to adhere to the stated conditions. While restricted bequests offer donors a way to ensure their specific intentions are met, it is crucial for the donor to work with Plains Art Museum and an attorney to ensure the restrictions are clear, practical, and can be fulfilled.
Sample Bequest Language
Feel free to share this sample language with your attorney or advisor:
“I give [specific amount, percentage, or asset] to Plains Art Museum, a nonprofit organization located at 704 1st Ave N, Fargo ND, 58102, EIN #41-1260780, for its general support (or to support [specific program or fund]).”
Contact Us
To make a bequest to Plains Art Museum, please contact your attorney or advisor. Please contact Megan Even, Director of Development, at meven@plainsart.org or 701.551.6122, if you have any questions about how to make a bequest to Plains Art Museum or to request any additional information that might be helpful to you and your attorney as you consider making a bequest to us.