Which doctrine requires that when a trust or bequest cannot be completed, funds be used to the nearest possible purpose?

• A. Inter vivos
• B. Cy-pres doctrine
• C. Grantors
• D. Statutory law

Answer: (B)

The cy-pres doctrine deals with redirecting a charitable gift or trust when the exact purpose can no longer be carried out. In that situation, the court steps in to apply the donor’s general charitable intent to a nearby or closest possible purpose—often a related charity or program—so the gift isn’t wasted and the donor’s spirit of giving is honored as closely as possible. The phrase cy-pres means “as near as possible” in French, and the key idea is preserving the charitable intent even when circumstances change.

Inter vivos refers to transfers made during the giver’s lifetime, which is unrelated to adjusting a trust or bequest when its original purpose can’t be completed. Grantors are the people who create trusts or wills, not a doctrine for reallocating funds. Statutory law is the body of legislation, broad in scope, and not the specific mechanism used to adapt a failed charitable gift.