Any person may, by will, deed or other instrument, give, devise or bequeath property, real or personal or both, to any trustee or trustees, and may provide in such instrument that the property so given, devised or bequeathed shall be held in trust and the income or principal applied in whole or in part for any charitable purpose. A donor or testator shall not be required to designate in such will, deed or other instrument the particular charitable purpose or class of purposes for which the property shall be used or the income applied. Any such gift, devise or bequest shall be valid and operative, provided the donor or testator shall give to the trustee or trustees thereof or to any other person or persons, the power to select, from time to time and in such manner as such donor or testator may direct, the charitable purpose or purposes to which such property or the income thereof shall be applied; and such gift, devise or bequest, accompanied by such power of selection, shall not be void by reason of uncertainty.

(1949 Rev., S. 6883; P.A. 80-476, S. 224.)

History: P.A. 80-476 rephrased provisions; Sec. 45-80 transferred to Sec. 45a-515 in 1991.

Annotations to former section 45-80:

Trusts for support of religion are charitable trusts; trust giving trustee power to select particular mission held to comply with statute. 113 C. 231. Trust not void for uncertainty if trustee can distribute only to institutions exclusively devoted to charitable purposes. 123 C. 552. Trust valid with direction that trustee distribute “to such charitable and educational purposes as it may deem wise and prudent.” 126 C. 665. Effect of section is to make valid a bequest to charity generally, provided that by the terms of the bequest there is an absolute power vested in either a trustee or some other person to determine to what specific charity the property bequeathed shall be devoted. 138 C. 676. Cited. 157 C. 268.

Cited. 18 CS 100. A trustee, in fulfillment of his duty to give effect to the testator's charitable intentions as made apparent in the will, may use surplus income to bestow on the charities named by the testator additional benefits in proportion to their original shares. 22 CS 409.