Estate and Planned Giving

Our Mission As a community we seek to remain faithful to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to our authentic Benedictine tradition and heritage of apostolic and monastic zeal. This zeal gives witness to God’s love revealed in Christ and in those who serve God by seeking him in the “school for the Lord’s service.”

Our Philosophy The purpose of St. Bernard Preparatory School is to help a student become intellectually alert, socially responsible, physically healthy, and spiritually aware.

St. Bernard Prep invites you to consider a planned giving gift in the form of leaving St. Bernard as part of your will, a gift of real estate or one of the following types of planned gifts:

Type of Planned Gift	Possible Benefits to the Donor	Benefits to St. Bernard
IRA/Retirement Account	Gain income tax savings Reduce estate tax Avoid income tax on assets	A secured donation for future needs
Gift Annuities	Upfront tax deduction Income stream for life Avoid Capital Gains Tax	A secured donation for future needs
Charitable Trusts	Upfront tax deduction Income stream for term of years More control over gift Ability to increase trust amount	A secured donation for future needs
Bequests	Does not impact current income Can reduce estate tax for heirs	Provides future cash gift
Life Insurance or Pay-on-Death Accounts	Does not impact current income Can reduce estate tax for heirs Could be affordable with companies as Insurance Partnership	Provides future cash gift

For more information contact: Fr. Marcus Voss, OSB

What is a will?

A will is a legal document which contains specific instructions to the Probate Account as to houw your property is to be administered and distributed after your death.

Bequests can be made in these categories:

Specific Bequest – a precise dollar amount, property item or specific percentage of the estate.
Residual Bequest – the remainder of the estate after settlement.
Contingent Bequest – naming St. Bernard as an alternate or contingent beneficiary.

A will can go into effect only after you die and cannot provide any protection during life in case of your incapacity. St. Bernard can provide guidelines for each type of bequest which will give you the flexibility of adding to or modifying you Will without the need for it to be rewritten.