Erika's Lighthouse Legacy Society

Erika’s Lighthouse Legacy Society

Invest In the Future of Mental Health

Ensure schools have access to mental health education for generations to come and make an enduring investment in youth mental health by leaving a bequest to Erika’s Lighthouse in your will, living trust, or with a codicil.

Legacy Society Benefits

Membership to Erika’s Lighthouse Legacy Society is included for all estate gifts totaling over $10,000.

Members of Erika’s Lighthouse Legacy Society receive:

recognition on the Legacy Society wall at Erika’s Lighthouse offices.
special publications and communications.
a Certificate of Generosity for your contribution.
the opportunity to memorialize a loved one through your support.

Bequest Benefits

A bequest is generally a revocable gift, which means it can be changed or modified at any time. You can choose to designate that a bequest be used for a general or specific purpose so you have the peace of mind knowing that your gift will be used as intended. Bequests are exempt from federal estate taxes. If you have a taxable estate, the estate tax charitable deduction may offset or eliminate estate taxes, resulting in a larger inheritance for your heirs.

Sample Bequest Language

Specific Bequest

A specific bequest involves making a gift of a specific dollar amount. For example, you may wish to leave $10,000 to Erika’s Lighthouse. If you are considering making an outright bequest to Erika’s Lighthouse, we recommend the following language:

I hereby give, devise and bequeath _________ and No/100 dollars ($DOLLARS) to Erika’s Lighthouse: A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent Depression, a nonprofit organization located at 897 1/2 Green Bay Rd, Winnetka, IL 60093, Federal Tax ID #20-1069100, for Erika’s Lighthouse general use and purpose.

Percentage Bequest

Another kind of specific bequest involves leaving a specific percentage of your overall estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 10% of your estate to Erika’s Lighthouse. If you are considering making a bequest of a percentage of your estate to Erika’s Lighthouse, we recommend the following language:

I hereby give, devise and bequeath ____ percent (___%) of my total estate, determined as of the date of my death, to Erika’s Lighthouse: A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent Depression, a nonprofit organization located at 897 1/2 Green Bay Rd, Winnetka, IL 60093, Federal Tax ID #20-1069100, for Erika’s Lighthouse general use and purpose.

Residual Bequest

A residual bequest is made from the balance of an estate after the will or trust has given away each of the specific bequests. A common residual bequest involves leaving a percentage of the residue of the estate to charity. For example, you may wish to leave 30% of the residue of your estate to Erika’s Lighthouse. Here is some language:

I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Erika’s Lighthouse: A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent Depression, a nonprofit organization located at 897 1/2 Green Bay Rd, Winnetka, IL 60093, Federal Tax ID #20-1069100, ALL OR A PERCENTAGE of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to be used for Erika’s Lighthouse general use and purpose.

Contingent Bequest

A contingent bequest is made to charity only if the purpose of the primary bequest cannot be met. For example, you could leave a percentage of your estate to a relative, but the bequest language could provide that if the relative is not alive at the time of your death, the residual will go to Erika’s Lighthouse. Here is some language:

If (primary beneficiary) does not survive me, then I hereby give, devise and bequeath to Erika’s Lighthouse: A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent Depression, a nonprofit organization located at 897 1/2 Green Bay Rd, Winnetka, IL 60093, Federal Tax ID #20-1069100, AMOUNT OF GIFT to be used for Erika’s Lighthouse general use and purpose.

Restricted Bequests

If you are considering a bequest but would like to ensure that your bequest will be used for a specific purpose, please let us know. We would be happy to work with you and your attorney to help you identify ways to give and meet your charitable objectives. We will also work with you and your attorney to craft language to accomplish your goals.

If you are making a restricted bequest, we recommend that your attorney include the following provision to give Erika’s Lighthouse flexibility should it no longer be possible for us to use your gift as you originally intended:

If, in the judgment of the Board of Directors of Erika’s Lighthouse: A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent Depression, it shall become impossible for Erika’s Lighthouse: A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent Depression to use this bequest to accomplish the specific purposes of this bequest, Erika’s Lighthouse: A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent Depression may use the income and principal of this gift for such purpose or purposes as the Board determines is most closely related to the restricted purpose of my bequest.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about how to make a bequest to Erika’s Lighthouse, or if you have included a bequest for Erika’s Lighthouse, please contact us either by reaching out to Meade Means at meade@erikaslightouse.org, or filling out the form below.

Please know that nothing on this page is meant to replace the advice of legal or accounting professionals. Sample language and options are provided for consideration only.