The Eclipse Society
Eclipse every gift with a legacy. By the year 2050, without effective intervention:
- Diabetic retinopathy will increase 72%
- Cataracts will increase 87%
- Glaucoma will increase 100%
- Age-related macular degeneration will increase 100%
- Vision impairment and blindness will increase 150%
Lions Vision Services is committed to tackling these challenges head-on in the decades ahead. Like an eclipse, our clients’ sight is darkest just before a ray of light shines through, just before they see again.
It will take a collective work to eclipse the hurtles we face. Are you up for the challenge?
Your Will is your legacy. It embodies your values, your priorities, and your community.
Often charitable gifts in a Will can eclipse every gift you’ve ever made, leaving a legacy enshrined on a cause you care about forever.
And yet, the majority of Americans don’t have a Will. Making a Will doesn’t have to be stressful. Making a Will can give you hope for the future.
LVS has created a special group: the Eclipse Society. These are individuals who have partnered with LVS and are committed to working with us to address the growing vision health issues in our state by making a gift to LVS through their Will or Estate.
These individuals know that the work to empower the blind and visually impaired is crucial to a healthy community.
Our staff is ready to talk with you today about joining this prestigious group and help you craft a Will that takes care of your family while enshrining your legacy as a Knight of the Blind by supporting our shared work for generations to come.
Will your legacy eclipse the challenges we face with hope?
Members of the Eclipse Society have the opportunity to:
- Be inducted in a special ceremony
- Receive a distinguished lapel pin
- Join an annual round-table discussion with LVS staff and board members about current events and future plans of LVS and vision health in South Carolina
- Enjoy close and regular communication with LVS staff throughout the year
- Harness the expertise of LVS staff in leading intergenerational giving conversations with family members
Please contact our office at info@lionsvisionservices.org for more detailed information or to schedule a personal meeting about making a planned gift.
A Typical Estate
A Charitable Estate
Images courtesy of Thompson & Associates, Values-Based Estate Planning.
Your Will can convert taxable income into meaningful charitable gifts that will leave a legacy of sight conservation for generations, as demonstrated by the estate graph displayed here. Below are some giving vehicles that you can discuss with your financial advisor to maximize your impact through your estate.
Gifts “Anyone Can Make”
- Bequests in our Will or Trust
- Stock and appreciated securities
- Life insurance
- Stock
- Tangible personal property
- Real estate
- Retirement plans
- Donor advised funds
Gifts That Pay Income
- Charitable Gift Annuities (Immediate, Deferred, and Flexible)
- Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts
- Charitable Remainder Unitrusts
- Pooled income funds
Gifts That Protect Assets
- Charitable Lead Trusts
- Retained Life Estates
Tools To Get Started Now
The simplest form of planned giving is a bequest in a Will. This is a deferred gift you make by naming LVS in your Will. You receive an estate tax deduction for the value of your bequest. This allows you to make a gift later without giving up cash now.
In order to make a bequest, you should speak with your attorney. Your attorney can help you include a bequest to Lions Vision Services in your estate plan. We have provided some basic bequest language for an outright bequest of a percentage of your estate below to assist you and your attorney.
I hereby give, devise and bequeath ____ percent (___%) of my total estate, determined as of the date of my death, to Lions Vision Services, a nonprofit organization located at 234 Outlet Point Boulevard, Suite C, Columbia SC, 29210, Federal Tax ID #23-7105526, for the organization’s general use and purpose.
If you would like sample language for outright bequests of a specific dollar amount, personal property, or real estate; residuary bequests; or contingent bequests, please contact our office at info@lionsvisionservices.org.
Tools To Dig Deeper
The creation of our own, personalized plan is a conversation about what we want (and need!) to do for those we love, and what we hope to accomplish in the way of passing our values to next generations and demonstrating those values not only in word, but in deed.
LVS began partnering with Thompson & Associates in 2022 to offer value-based estate planning services to LVS donors to do just that. Beth Wingard is LVS’s Associate at Thompson & Associates for South Carolina.
Whatever your personal situation, charitable interests, or prior planning, this estate planning process can help you. Speak with our CEO today about getting involved in this process. These services are provided at no cost to you, and the initial consultation is a virtual meeting that can easily fit into your schedule.
Watch the video below to learn more, or request more information from our staff.