86¢ of every dollar Goodwill spends goes to the programs and services that help transform lives.
Bequests
The simplest and most common planned gift provision—one that can easily be arranged in order to support Goodwill—is a bequest.
Bequests are important sources of support at Goodwill. Each year, many donors provide not charity, but a chance to the men, women and children we serve by remembering Goodwill in their wills and through their estate plans.
A bequest is a provision in one’s Last Will and Testament where a gift is transferred from an estate to a charitable organization. Establishing a bequest can be as simple as inserting a few sentences into your will, or can be easily added as an amendment (called a Codicil) to an existing will.
There are a number of ways to consider making a bequest to Goodwill:
Outright bequests
The outright bequest is the most direct way to make a gift through your estate plan. An outright bequest could include a fixed amount of money or a specific asset (e.g. stock). Or, it could call for a percentage of your estate to be bequeathed to Goodwill.
Sample language for an outright bequest:
I give to Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries ("Goodwill"), a corporation organized under the laws of Massachusetts and situated in Boston, Massachusetts, $__________.
Or
I give to Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries ("Goodwill"), a corporation organized under the laws of Massachusetts and situated in Boston, Massachusetts, __________ percent ( %) of my estate.
Residual bequests
After your beneficiaries receive a designated portion of your estate, the remainder of the estate can be left to Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries.
Sample language for a residual bequest:
All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, I give to Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries (“Goodwill”), a corporation organized under the laws of Massachusetts and situated in Boston, Massachusetts.
Contingent bequests
The contingent bequest will benefit Goodwill only if the named beneficiaries predecease you.
"I give, devise, and bequeath to ____________, the sum of $ ________ dollars. In the event s/he shall predecease me, I direct this sum be paid to Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries ("Goodwill"), a corporation organized under the laws of Massachusetts and situated in Boston, Massachusetts.
Life Income Bequests
A life income bequest provides income to a person of your choice for his or her lifetime after your death, with the principal later donated to Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries upon the death of the beneficiaries.
Charitable Gift Annuities
A charitable gift annuity is an agreement between the donor and Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries. Today, given the fluctuations in the stock market, more and more individuals are considering the charitable gift annuity as a way to make a gift to Goodwill while also receiving a steady stream of income for life.
In exchange for your irrevocable gift, Goodwill pays you an annual fixed income. This income is guaranteed for life. The annuity rate is determined by the age of the person designated to receive the income (the annuitant) at the time the gift is made. The charitable gift annuity can begin when the gift funding the annuity is given to Goodwill, or the annuity can be deferred to a future time—this type of annuity vehicle is known as a deferred charitable gift annuity.
Goodwill is pleased to provide the guidelines and benefits of a gift annuity below. We also recommend that you consult with your attorney or financial advisor to determine if establishing a charitable gift annuity at Goodwill is right for you.
Charitable Gift Annuity Guidelines
Benefits of Charitable Gift Annuities
Many donors find the gift annuity attractive for its high guaranteed payments and simplicity. The contract is one page in length.
Please contact Goodwill with any questions, or if we can provide further information—including income and charitable deduction projections—regarding a charitable gift annuity. Call (617) 541-1259 or reach us via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Thanks to your donations, Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries annually diverts 18 million pounds of goods from local landfills.

Rugenia Zimmerman: The Career-Course Connection
For Rugenia Zimmerman, the recession was a wake-up call. She had been working in the healthcare field for 25 years and knew that caring for people was her passion. But she also knew that losing her job as a patient observer at a local hospital was a very real possibility due to cutbacks and layoffs. Wisely, Rugenia sensed it was time to look into job training options that would help her transition to a better job with more security. She found out about Goodwill’s Human Services Employment Ladder Program (HELP) and enrolled. For Rugenia, this eight-week class that prepares individuals to work in the human services industry was just the ticket she needed to advance in a line of work she already loved.
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