August Is National “Make a Will” Month
Have you considered making Cleveland Clinic part of your legacy?
August marks National “Make a Will” Month, a perfect time to reflect on the lasting impact you can have on the future of healthcare. By making or updating your will, you not only provide for your loved ones but can also create a legacy that supports Cleveland Clinic’s mission to advance patient care, research and education for generations to come.
Here are some specific ways to include Cleveland Clinic in your estate planning.
Bequest Through Your Will or Trust
A gift through your will or trust is one of the most popular and flexible ways to give. You can specify a dollar amount, a percentage of your estate or a specific asset. This allows you to use your assets during your lifetime, knowing your future gift will support Cleveland Clinic for years to come.
Beneficiary Designations
You can name Cleveland Clinic as the beneficiary of a financial account such as a retirement plan, life insurance policy or bank or stock account. Often, this can be accomplished with a simple form that you can obtain online. Beneficiary designations are a straightforward way to make a substantial impact and may offer significant tax advantages to you or your estate.
Life Income Gifts
Life income gifts, like charitable gift annuities and charitable trusts, allow you to receive income during your lifetime while benefiting Cleveland Clinic in the future.
A charitable gift annuity or a charitable remainder trust provides you with income for your lifetime or for a period of years, after which the remainder supports the Cleveland Clinic program or hospital of your choice. Conversely, a charitable lead trust benefits Cleveland Clinic for a set time, with remaining assets going to heirs or loved ones. Cleveland Clinic’s Gift Planning Team can provide sample calculations that illustrate the benefits of these types of gifts.
Have you already included Cleveland Clinic in your estate planning?
Thank you! We hope you will share your intentions with our Gift Planning Team. By sharing your intentions with Cleveland Clinic during your lifetime, our team can ensure your gift is used according to your wishes and welcome you into our Pyramid Legacy Society.
You can also honor a Cleveland Clinic caregiver or loved one through your legacy gift.
Each legacy gift, no matter the size, supports Cleveland Clinic’s groundbreaking work and brings hope to the communities we serve. Our experienced gift planning team is here to help you explore options that best fit your goals. To learn more, contact Cleveland Clinic’s Gift Planning Team at 216.444.1245 or giftplanning@ccf.org.
A Tale of Two Births and One Family’s Commitment
Dan and Elizabeth (Liz) Kosh welcomed their baby daughter Ella this spring in the newly renovated Labor & Delivery unit at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. Six years earlier, their daughter Emilie arrived at the same hospital, ahead of schedule, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the circumstances surrounding each birth couldn't have been more different, one thing remained constant, the quality of care.
Inspired by the exceptional care they received and their family's longstanding connection to Cleveland Clinic, the couple made a gift to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital and became members of the Eagle Society, a giving program whose members commit $10,000 or more in support of the hospital.
"Our gift is in gratitude for the excellent care Cleveland Clinic has provided our family over the years," Liz says.
Strong Cleveland Roots
Growing up in an eastern suburb of Cleveland, Liz was introduced to Cleveland Clinic through her parents, John and Margaret Wheeler, longtime Cleveland Clinic supporters who also maintain a home in Vero Beach, Florida.
"I remember going to a Cleveland Clinic fundraiser at the Museum of Natural History when I was a little girl," she recalls. "And all my doctors growing up were Cleveland Clinic doctors."
Years later, after Liz and Dan met as students at Vanderbilt University and ultimately married, the connection grew even stronger. While living in Seattle, Liz was diagnosed with melanoma, the most virulent form of skin cancer.
"I was on a plane two days after my diagnosis to be seen at Cleveland Clinic," she says. Over the next year, Liz and Dan traveled regularly between Seattle and Cleveland for treatment from a team she knew and trusted.
"It was a harrowing time," recalls Dan. "It was our first time facing a serious health issue."
The experience reinforced the importance of having access to high-quality healthcare and helped shape the couple's philanthropic priorities.
An Unexpected Move
In early 2020, while expecting their first child, Dan and Liz traveled from Seattle to Vero Beach as COVID was just getting started in the Pacific Northwest. The seaside town was a home away from home, where the couple were married and frequently vacationed.
It was supposed to be a one-week visit with Liz’s parents. But the day they arrived, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
"We had planned to go back to Seattle, but the world changed," says Liz.
The couple decided to remain in Vero Beach during the pandemic, where Emilie made her arrival five weeks early at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. "I went into labor at four in the morning; we didn't even have a hospital bag packed yet," Liz recalls.
"Hospitals around the country were banning spouses from the delivery room," says Dan. "Fortunately, Florida just began allowing one visitor in the room."
"It was also a difficult delivery, but my obstetrician (George Fyffe, MD), and the nursing staff were amazing," adds Liz. “They are my heroes.”
Not long after, Dan and Liz decided to make Vero Beach their home and permanently settled in 2021. Five years later, they returned to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital to welcome Ella.
Months before her birth, the couple toured the newly renovated Labor & Delivery unit and were impressed by the comfortable and welcoming environment created for patients and families. "The spaces are big, bright and happy," says Liz.
And this time, everything went according to plan. "It was a wonderful experience," she says.
Investing in the Future
Today, the Kosh family hopes their philanthropy will help ensure that future generations continue to have access to exceptional care.
"Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital is a bedrock institution for the community," says Dan. "It's an unbelievable gift to have high-quality healthcare so close to home, and we envision great things for the future."
"We also hope our gift will inspire other people to give, especially the younger generations raising their families here," says Liz.
