An easy way to make a charitable estate gift is to name Berkshire Medical Center, Fairview Hospital, or Berkshire VNA as a beneficiary of your retirement account (a 401k, 403b, traditional IRA or other tax-deferred account, for example). Contact your account administrator or make the change online. It’s that simple!

IRA owners over age 70½ have the option to transfer up to $100,000 to Berkshire Medical Center, Fairview Hospital, or Berkshire VNA tax-free each year. These transfers, known as qualified charitable distributions or QCDs, offer eligible donors a great way to easily give to Berkshire Health Systems before the end of the year. Moreover, for those who are age 72 or older, QCDs count toward the IRA owner’s required minimum distribution for the year. While you cannot claim a charitable deduction for IRA gifts, this distribution from your IRA counts toward your minimum required distribution for the account and does not trigger income tax for you. It is a tax-free transfer from the IRA account directly to BMC, Fairview, or Berkshire VNA. Please contact your IRA provider for exact instructions.

Sample Bequest Language for an Unrestricted Bequest

“I hereby give, devise, bequeath to BERKSHIRE MEDICAL CENTER, INC., or FAIRVIEW HOSPITAL, a non-profit corporation as described in section 509(a) and 170(b)(1)(A)(iii) of the Internal Revenue Code and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, _______ dollars ($_________) [or percent of/all of/the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate] to be applied to the general uses and purposes of said institution.” Contact Us for help with Unrestricted Bequests.

If you would like to create a bequest with restrictions (allocated to a specific area of the hospital, such as the Phelps Cancer Center or the Berkshire VNA), please contact us to discuss the parameters of your gift and how it serves the mission of BHS.