Alumni and Giving

Wills and Bequests

Large or small, bequests are an important part of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's growth. Bequests continue to account for a major portion of the seminary's endowment and provide significant funding for many of the seminary's current programs.

Everyone needs to have a will indicating how your property is to be used after your lifetime. For many SBTS alumni and friends, the bequest is the most popular form of planned gift. A will does not reduce your current income, yet it enables you to provide substantial future support for the work and mission of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

What is a bequest?
A bequest is a transfer, by will, of property such as cash, securities (stocks), or tangible property to an individual or a charitable organization.

What are the benefits of making a bequest to the seminary?
For many donors a bequest offers the opportunity to make a more substantial gift than would be possible during the donor's lifetime. Other donors view a bequest as an opportunity to round out a lifetime of giving with a lasting legacy to the seminary. Because of the tax advantages associated with a bequest to a charitable institution, assets from your estate that would otherwise go directly to government treasuries can instead be given to the seminary to meet faculty, student, and program needs.

Does the seminary want to know my bequest intentions?
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary recognizes that your bequest intentions are a very personal matter and that you may quite understandably wish to keep them confidential. If you are willing to inform us, however, knowledge of your intentions would be very helpful to SBTS in its financial planning and would qualify you for membership in the 1859 Circle.