Bequests

The Museum of Tolerance* has been the designated beneficiary in numerous wills of generous donors from all over the United States and Canada. A great deal of our proactive social action and educational efforts can be directly linked to these generous individuals. These donors named the Museum of Tolerance, alongside their loved ones, as beneficiaries of their wills and received all the appropriate recognition associated with their generous major gifts.

Your testamentary charitable bequest ensures that your support of the Museum of Tolerance will continue in perpetuity. It is possible to designate a special purpose or program for your bequest, keep in mind, the specific needs of the Museum may change depending on the future state of world events. Therefore, it is preferable to authorize the Museum of Tolerance to use the bequest for its general charitable purposes in the event the designated use is determined to be inapplicable.

There are many types of Bequests:

Outright Bequest - The Museum of Tolerance is given a specific dollar amount or a specific asset, such as securities or marketable real estate.

Residuary Bequest - The Museum of Tolerance is given all or a percentage of the remainder of the estate after payment of all expenses of the estate and any other specific amounts bequeathed to other beneficiaries of the will.

Testamentary Trust - You may provide for income to be paid from the trust to a designated beneficiary, and after that individual's lifetime all or part of the principal passes to the Center.

Contingent Bequest - You may have family and friends for whom you feel a responsibility and choose to provide for them first in your will. The Museum is given a bequest only if the designated beneficiarie(s) predecease you.

The provisions in your will or revocable living trust for leaving a charitable bequest to the Museum of Tolerance will depend upon the type of gift and your unique circumstances. We hope these sample bequest clauses will be helpful to your attorney.


Unrestricted General Legacy (Outright Bequest)
I bequeath to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Inc., (dba Museum of Tolerance), a California not for profit public benefit corporation, having its principal offices at 1399 South Roxbury Drive, Los Angeles, California 90035, the sum of ($________) DOLLARS for its general charitable purposes.

Bequest for Specific Purpose I bequeath to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Inc., (dba Museum of Tolerance), a California not for profit public benefit corporation, having its principal offices at 1399 South Roxbury Drive, Los Angeles, California 90035, the sum of ($________) DOLLARS [OR] a percentage (%________) of my residuary estate to be used for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Inc., (dba Museum of Tolerance), [insert specific purpose designation]*. If in the opinion of the Board of Trustees, the purposes of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Inc., (dba Museum of Tolerance), would be better served by using the income or principal, or both, for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Inc's., (dba Museum of Tolerance),  general purposes, the income or principal, or both may be so used.

Bequest for Specific Purpose by Endowment I bequeath to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Inc., (dba Museum of Tolerance), a California not for profit public benefit corporation, having its principal offices at 1399 South Roxbury Drive, Los Angeles, California 90035, the sum of ($________)DOLLARS [OR] a percentage(%________) of my residuary estate to establish an endowment fund bearing the name of________________ . The net income therefrom shall be used for the benefit of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Inc., (dba Museum of Tolerance), [insert specific purpose designation]*. If, in the opinion of the Board of Trustees, the purposes of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Inc., (dba Museum of Tolerance), designated program would be better served by using the income and principal of the fund, they may have the discretion to do so.

Specific purpose designations:

  • Snider Social Action Institute Programs
  • Simon Wiesenthal Center
  • Center For Human Dignity, Jerusalem  
  • New York Tolerance Center
  • Moriah Films
  • iACT Campus Outreach

* The Simon Wiesenthal Center, Inc., (dba Museum of Tolerance),  is a tax-exempt nonprofit corporation as described under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; the Federal Tax Identification Number: 95-3964928. Gifts and Bequests to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Inc., (dba Museum of Tolerance), are tax deductible to the full extent provided by law.

For more information, contact:

Rabbi Meyer H. May
Executive Director
800-900-9036
rabbimay@wiesenthal.com