Legacy giving

Gifts by will are one of MSF's most important sources of support. Unrestricted gifts give us the greatest flexibility to use funds where they are most needed. 

You may leave MSF:

• A stated dollar amount
• A percentage of your residual estate (what remains after gifts to loved ones and expenses have been paid), or
• Specific liquid assets, such as securities

How to name MSF in your will

Legal name: Doctors Without Borders USA
Address: 40 Rector Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10006
Federal tax ID#: 13-3433452

This sample language may be useful:

"I give and bequeath to Doctors Without Borders USA, 40 Rector Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10006 [the sum of __________ Dollars ($____)] [ _______ % of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate], to be used for its general charitable purposes."

Notifying MSF of your gift

We hope you’ll let us know when you have named MSF in your will or trust so that we can thank you and include you in our Legacy Partner.

Please use this Bequest Intention Form to notify us of your intention.

Request a copy of our legacy brochure to learn more.

If you have questions, please contact Casey Saunders, Senior Director, Legacy Giving, at (212) 763-5750 or legacygiving@newyork.msf.org 

Naming MSF as a beneficiary on your retirement account or life insurance policy is a simple and powerful way to support the lifesaving work of our organization without changing your will or living trust. Beneficiary designation gifts pass directly to MSF without going through the probate process and go right to work to help us provide life-saving medical care.

Retirement accounts

Many of our donors name MSF as a beneficiary of all or a specified percentage of their IRA, 401(k), 403(b), or other retirement plan.

Individuals who inherit retirement plan assets are usually required to pay income tax on them, so they're often considered among the best assets to leave to charity.

How to name MSF as a beneficiary on your retirement accounts

Ask your retirement plan administrator or financial institution for a change of beneficiary form. Please list us as:

• Legal Name: Doctors Without Borders USA
• Address: 40 Rector Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10006
• Federal Tax ID #: 13-3433452

Notify us of your beneficiary designation

Please let us know when you’ve made a beneficiary designation for MSF so that we can thank you and include you in our Legacy Partner Program.

Notify us of your intention or request a copy of our legacy brochure.

To learn more, please contact Casey Saunders, Director of Planned Giving, at 212.763.5750 or plannedgiving@newyork.msf.org

Other ways to name MSF as a beneficiary

Bank and investment accounts and commercial annuities

You can leave a legacy by naming MSF as a Transfer-on-Death (TOD) or Payable-on-Death (POD) beneficiary on a bank or investment account, or a commercial annuity. Check with your financial institution to see if this option is available to you.

Life insurance policies

If you have a life insurance policy that is no longer needed for your family, designating MSF as a beneficiary is a simple way to support our work.

What is a charitable lead trust?

A charitable lead trust allows you to support the lifesaving work of MSF while safeguarding assets for your loved ones. You transfer cash, securities, or other assets to a trust. The trustee invests the assets, providing annual payments to MSF for a period of time that you select. When the trust terminates, the remaining amount is paid to you or your heirs with the benefit of a reduced transfer tax.

The trust may be a charitable lead annuity (fixed payments) or a charitable lead unitrust (fixed percentage).

What are the benefits of a charitable lead trust?

• Reduction in transfer tax on the amount passing to your heirs
• Appreciation in trust value passes to your heirs free of gift and estate tax
• Control over when your heirs inherit trust assets

To learn more, please contact your attorney or accountant, or  Casey Saunders, Senior Director, Legacy Giving, at (212) 763-5750 or legacygiving@newyork.msf.org.

The Legacy Partner honors those who share our commitment to providing medical care to those who need it most.

As a Legacy Partner, you’ll have access to special events and teleconferences. You’ll also receive updates on our programs through the quarterly Alert newsletter and our Executive Director's Insider Letter. 

Request a copy of our legacy brochure or if you have made plans to leave a gift in your will please notify us of your intention.

For more information, you can also contact Casey Saunders, Director of Planned Giving, at 212.763.5750 or plannedgiving@newyork.msf.org.

We are proud of the way we spend donor dollars. To find out more, read our commitment to our supporters.

Meet our donors

Michelle Zimmerman

MSF Legacy Partner member

After making annual donations to Doctors Without Borders for many years, I wanted to have a larger impact. When it came time to prepare my will, I provided for a percentage of my estate to go to MSF.

I am inspired by the dedication of Doctors Without Borders’ aid workers, and their willingness to venture to the most remote and insecure parts of the world to deliver quality medical care to people in crisis.

I have been to some of the countries where MSF works, including Cameroon and Burkina Faso, as well as Togo, Benin, and Ghana. I’ve seen the needs of these populations and I know that MSF is ready to overcome any challenge that presents itself—for that reason I continue to contribute unconditionally to MSF.

I am very proud to be part of the MSF family.

Diane & Werner Grob

MSF Legacy Partner members

We have always supported a number of humanitarian causes, but when we made out our will, we decided that it made the most sense to give to just a few humanitarian organizations that best represent our beliefs. Doctors Without Borders treats everyone, and is constantly working to ensure that children, mothers, and fathers get the care they need.

We are comfortable with MSF’s ratio of donations used for programs versus fundraising and administrative costs. Knowing that more than 85 cents of every dollar we give goes directly to saving lives and caring for the wounded and sick gives us the peace of mind we need to know that we are doing the right thing.

Wherever there is a need, Doctors Without Borders is there.