Bequest Language

Legal Information and Bequest Language

The following information is provided to assist you in developing your charitable gift and estate plans in consultation with your attorney, accountant, and other advisors.

USC’s Legal Name

The legal name to be used when making gifts to USC for the benefit of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck Hospital of USC, or the USC Norris Cancer Hospital, via wills, trusts, and other gift-transfer documents is:

“University of Southern California, a California nonprofit corporation, with its principal place of business at Los Angeles, California.”

Confirmation of USC’s Tax-Exempt Status

Confirmation of USC’s tax-exempt status is provided in the form of a letter from the district director, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of the Treasury. To download a copy of this document (in PDF format), please click here.

USC’s federal tax I.D. number is 95-1642394.

Designating Your Gift

Gifts made through wills and revocable trusts are often directed to the university’s permanent endowment. Endowment is a particularly effective way to leave a lasting legacy because the earnings accrued on your gift will support USC in perpetuity.

Your bequest may be unrestricted—to be used for the university’s highest priorities—or you may designate your bequest to support a specific program such as medical scholarships, an endowed faculty chair, or medical research. You may make your gift in your own name, or you may memorialize a loved one with your contribution.

Language for Including USC in Your Will or Living Trust

We recommend the following language for making a gift to USC by will or revocable trust:

“I hereby give to the University of Southern California, a California nonprofit corporation, with its principal place of business at Los Angeles, California, the sum of $________________ [amount] AND/OR the following described property ________________ [description] AND/OR________% [percent] of the residue of my estate. This gift is designated for the___________________ [Keck School of Medicine of USC, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck Hospital of USC, or USC Norris Cancer Hospital] for ___________________ [purpose, such as medical scholarships, education, equipment, research].”

For bequests to the university’s permanent endowment, please add:

“This gift shall be added to the permanent endowment of the university.”

If your gift will be more than $100,000, you may wish to create a named endowment fund by including the following language:

“The property comprising this gift may, for investment purposes, be merged with any of the university’s investment assets. However, the gift shall be entered in the university’s books and records as the ________________ [name] Fund, shall always be so designated, and the income therefrom, but not the principal, shall be used for ________________ [stated purpose] of the University of Southern California.”

If you or your advisors have any questions about this information, please contact us at giftplanning@usc.edu.

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