Originally Posted by
Kelly I
My mother left a significant sum to a local animal shelter. Her will instructed if that shelter were no longer operational, then the money was to go to a specific national animal rescue. Unfortunately, the local shelter was defunct. I called the current operation and asked if they had reorganized/renamed. No, they were completely separate. I told the attorney that I was sure my mother would rather her money stayed local. The attorney instructed me that the money had to go to the national organization because her will didn't allow for a different, local shelter.
You might take that experience into consideration in your wording.
Similar experience here, I was executor of my mother's estate, things changed before she died and my hands were tied due to specific wording.
You want those that are carrying out your wishes to have the ability to pick something else, perhaps specify some broad criteria to use if the contingency is needed.
And do not leave any ambiguities in a will. One of my uncles left a will with some hand written directions and a hand drawn line. How that line was interpreted was decided by a judge to mean something that changed how collectables worth a couple hundred thousand dollars were distributed.