Planned Giving and Leaving a Legacy to Charity: The Thelma Schorr Society
The Thelma Schorr Society honors the former Editor-in-Chief of the American Nursing Journal, then Publisher and President of the company. Thelma Schorr went on to direct the publication of multiple nursing journals and pioneered the inclusion of continuing education articles. Ms. Schorr was a tireless advocate for nurses and was instrumental in establishing a national nursing voice.
Members of the Thelma Schorr Society have decided to include Nurses Educational Funds (NEF) in their estate plans. NEF Board Member Emeritus Dr. Rita Reis Wieczorek had a dual purpose when she initiated the creation of the Thelma Schorr Society: to facilitate a means of ongoing recognition for a national nursing leader and to increase support for graduate nursing scholarship. Dr. Wieczorek accomplished these goals by making a bequest to the society, offering a meaningful way to honor a nurse's legacy while creating a permanent nurse legacy donation that funds future master's and doctoral scholars.
Members of the Thelma Schorr Society who have made or pledged a bequest to NEF:
- M. Elizabeth Carnegie, DPA, RN, FAAN
- Harriet R. Feldman, PhD, RN, FAAN
- M. Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, EdD, RN, FAAN
- Margaret Gould Tyson, EdD, RN
- Dr. Jane Eleanor Knox
- M. Janice Nelson, EdD, RN
- Rita Reis Wieczorek, EdD, RN, PNP, FAAN
- Barbara L. Tate, EdD, RN
Many think of a will as a means of reaching specific goals: assuring funds for a child's or grandchild's education; providing for a spouse's comfort; and generally expressing your estate-planning desires. However, a will can have a greater long-term effect by creating memorials beyond these goals, by paying tribute to friends, loved ones, or institutions that "last forever."
To make a bequest to NEF, you may use one of the following statements in your will:
"To the Nurses Educational Funds, Inc., I give _____% of my estate.”
"To the Nurses Educational Funds, Inc., I give $_____ from my estate."
A specific scholarship designation may be added.
Giving a percentage of the estate ensures that the gift remains in proportion to other bequests. Since few can anticipate the value of our assets at death, giving by percentage retains flexibility. Giving the residue is another option. The residue refers to all property available after all terms of the will have been satisfied. Residual bequests may be any size, but in either case, the maker of the will enjoys the assurance that his or her loved ones will be provided for before any charitable dispositions are made.
Bequests of $50,000 or more may create a permanent named scholarship, as was done by Dr. Mary Elizabeth Carnegie, a distinguished nurse educator and author known for breaking down racial barriers and preserving the history of African-American nurses. She endowed a scholarship in her name and dedicated it to doctoral study for African-American nurses. Upon her death, her bequest was added to this scholarship fund. Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt organization.
For more information on making a bequest to NEF, please contact NEF Executive Director Ginger Berman at
Special Bequests & Memorials
Specific Bequests
An outright bequest designates that a specific amount be transferred as a gift for either general or defined use. Such a gift can take the form of cash, stocks, real estate, autos, jewelry, or any other type of asset. All such transfers are deductible for federal estate tax purposes. This often makes it possible to give a larger gift at a lower cost.
Leaving an Income
If all property will be needed to ensure a comfortable lifestyle for a surviving spouse or others, consider leaving the use of your property to a spouse or other person for their life. At that person's death, the property can then be distributed to other persons or charitable institutions and organizations as you specify in your will. When the charitable gift is received, it will be used to establish a memorial, as you direct.
Such a plan provides a lifetime income for a spouse or other relative, and can ensure an eventual memorial in honor of the spouse and/or other loved ones. It is usually drawn in the form of a trust. If a spouse is the lifetime beneficiary, the property used to fund his or her income can be deductible for federal estate tax purposes. At the spouse's death, further tax benefits may be available.
For Short-Term Needs
Another attractive alternative to outright bequests is to set aside property for a period of years, generating income for a specific purpose. For example, you can provide for the education of children or grandchildren until they reach a certain age. At the end of the period named, all or a portion of the property goes to one or more nonprofit organizations or institutions, as you have specified.
Funding Memorials During One's Lifetime
You need not wait to create a memorial in your will. Many choose to begin funding memorials during their lifetime and then make a final addition to the fund in the form of a bequest. Just as it is possible to create an income for surviving loved ones and a memorial at their death, you may make charitable gifts during your lifetime and establish a memorial at death.
Whether or not your will contains a memorial gift, it is a very important document for you and your loved ones. Contact a qualified attorney to advise you about how to achieve your goals.
Planned Giving FAQs
When including estate planning charitable donations in your will or trust, you can allocate a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the residual balance to a 501(c)(3) non-profit like Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. Charitable bequests are generally 100% deductible for federal estate tax purposes, preserving more of your assets while supporting graduate nursing education.
To include NEF in your estate plans, your attorney can use the following standard charitable bequest language: "To Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. (EIN: 13-6122744), located in Brooklyn, NY, I give [____% of my estate / $_____ / the residue of my estate] to support graduate nursing scholarships."
You can choose to make a donation in someone's memory by designating a gift online or by check. For gifts of $50,000 or more, donors can establish a permanent named scholarship, such as the Dr. Mary Elizabeth Carnegie Scholarship, to permanently honor a nurse's legacy or remember a mentor in healthcare.
