Leave A Legacy

Your will or trust document provides a clear and specific understanding as to how you want to transfer your assets to the people you love—and to those charitable organizations that you have supported during your lifetime.

As the ultimate charitable gift, you can make a bequest to NAMI in your will or living trust to ensure the strength and success of our education, advocacy and public awareness programs for years to come.

If you have named NAMI in your will, please email [email protected], call 703-524-7600, or fill out this quick form and give us an opportunity to welcome you to the NAMI Iris Circle, a select group of NAMI supporters who are dedicated to ensuring NAMI’s ability to serve generations to come. As a member of our Iris Circle, you will receive invitations to exclusive NAMI events, as well as NAMI Voice newsletter and Advocate magazine.

Many of our Iris Circle members provide additional details about their plans by completing our Legacy Gift Notification & Recognition Form. You are not obligated to do so, but it is the best way to notify us of your intentions and ensure that we can fulfill your wishes.

If you are considering leaving a legacy gift to NAMI in your will or trust, or by beneficiary designation, our Easy Ways of Giving sheet explains several popular options. Please feel free to reach out to us directly if you have additional questions or would like to learn about other ways to leave a Legacy Gift.

NAMI has partnered with FreeWill, an online tool that guides you through the process of creating a legally valid will. It’s easy to use, free of charge, and can be completed in 20 minutes or less. You can use this tool to kickstart your plans and designate a gift to NAMI.

For your convenience we have also provided sample language below to share with your attorney to include NAMI in your will.

Sample Language

Once you have determined that you would like to make a bequest to NAMI, the following sample charitable bequest language may be used in your will or revocable living trust:

An Unrestricted Bequest:

“I give, bequeath and devise (the sum of $____), (describe real or personal property) or (____% of the residue of my estate) to be used for general purposes to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a qualified 501(c)(3) charitable organization, EIN: 43-1201653 and located at 4301 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia, 22203, or its successor organization.”

A Restricted Bequest (to support a particular program or area of interest to you. Please inform NAMI if you would like to restrict your bequest to ensure that we are able to honor your wishes.):

“I give, devise and bequeath to NAMI (federal tax ID number 43-1201653), located at 4301 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300 Arlington, VA 22203, the sum of $_____ or ____% or real or personal property herein described, to be used for the purpose of _____________.”

A Residuary Bequest (which leaves any remaining assets from your estate after all other obligations have been met):

“I give, devise and bequeath to NAMI (federal tax ID number 43-1201653), located at 4301 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300 Arlington, VA 22203, all the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal, of every kind of description, wherever situated and whether now owned or hereafter acquired, including any property with respect to which I may have power of appointment.”

Charitable Remainder Trusts

A Charitable Remainder Trust is a separately managed and highly personalized life income gift. This vehicle provides for payment to NAMI either for life or a specified term, which cannot exceed 20 years. At death, or the end of the term, the remaining trust assets (the remainder interest) will be distributed to NAMI. In creating your trust, you are able to appoint the trustee, designate the beneficiary and select the term of the trust.

Charitable Lead Trusts

Charitable Lead Trusts are essentially the reverse of the life income gifts described above. The income from the trust is first paid to NAMI; the charity’s interest leads the way. With this trust, you transfer assets to a trustee who makes payments to NAMI for a specified number of years, after which time the assets are transferred to your heirs. The Charitable Lead Trust allows you to pass assets on to your children and grandchildren either completely free or substantially free of all estate and gift taxes. It can make good sense for anyone in the top estate and gift tax brackets.