August is National Make-A-Will Month, an annual reminder about the benefits of creating or updating your will, including planning major gifts to impactful charities and organizations.
At Eversight, there are many ways to leave a planned gift, including becoming a member of Eversight’s Visionary Society. The Visionary Society is a community of passionate advocates who have chosen to support Eversight through a planned major gift during their lifetimes or at their time of passing as part of an estate plan or other financial arrangement.
Meet the Masters
Husband and wife Stan and Alysia Masters are members of Eversight’s Visionary Society after adding Eversight to their estate plans in 2023.
The Masters are members of the Blissfield Area Lions Club in Michigan, which works closely with Eversight in our shared mission to help others. After touring Eversight headquarters, Stan was inspired to join the Visionary Society and leave Eversight a planned gift.
“Eversight's been a part of the conversations that we've had as Lions,” Stan said. “I really respect the organization in terms of what they do to serve families and serve those in need.”
Stan and Alysia worked with a program through their church to set up their estate plans.
“We wanted to leave some wealth that we've stewarded over the course of our lifetime,” Stan said. “We wanted to name those important charities in our estate plan. We went through the process of setting up a charitable remainder trust so that when Alysia and I are both gone, that will act to not only help to distribute funds to our family, but then also to help to donate to various charities.”
Stan and Alysia chose certain charities and organizations to leave planned gifts for and they both agreed on including Eversight.
“For myself, it was Eversight because of the work that they’ve done with Lions and to continue that process,” Stan said.
Lifelong impact & beyond
As president of his Lions Club, Stan has volunteered and served at many events, activities and dinners over the years to serve others. This year, the Masters volunteered at a local elementary school, collecting sunglasses to give to MOST Ministries.
It was at this event that Alysia learned about the vast need for eye care in developing countries, a shared value with Eversight.
“And for me, it was an easy choice too,” Alysia said. “Giving the sunglasses to different countries, seeing the need and realizing there's a need here too in the United States, I was on board with that.”
Stan and Alysia believe that everyone over the age of 18 should have a will, so that when the time comes, your wants and needs can be communicated, and you can have a future impact on those in need.
“The wonderful thing with a charitable remainder trust is that it'll be managed and stewarded well, while we're gone,” Stan said. “It could help pay for the cornea tissue people need in other countries.”
“If our remainder trust can help fund those projects and build awareness so that other people know about donation, that would be wonderful.”
Make a will
If you are considering adding Eversight to your will or estate plans, Stan suggests taking a tour of the facilities and getting to know the process and people involved in the cycle of sight.
“Talk to the people that are involved in calling the donor families,” he said. “Talk to recipients so you can learn more about why this is such a great organization and one that could be included in your will and estate plans.”
Stan and Alysia joined Eversight’s Visionary Society because of the values they share with their Lions Club and with Eversight.
“It's the act of service,” Stan said. “Providing that service when we die, we can leave behind resources that we've stewarded so well throughout our lives that can be used for other people.”
Planned giving is a meaningful way to express your belief in Eversight’s vision–a world without blindness–and your commitment to creating a lasting impact.
“I feel giving someone the opportunity to have vision is a wonderful thing because we take it for granted,” Alysia said. “That ability to be able to give somebody that chance to have vision that otherwise they might not be able to is something that I think is really important.”
Leave a legacy
Every situation is unique, and Eversight honors each one with deep gratitude for the generosity that our Visionary Society community extends to us through every planned gift.
“The motto of Lions is ‘We Serve,’” Stan said. “If we can serve even in those last opportunities through our estate plan and will to give a portion of our resources to organizations that do such great work, that's what I feel is important as part of the legacy that I can leave behind.”
Planned gifts are essential to helping Eversight carry out our mission–to restore sight and prevent blindness through the healing power of donation, transplantation and research.
You can include Eversight in your will during Make-A-Will month and beyond. Your planned gift makes a lasting impact that will help transform lives through transplantation, research or education. You, too, can change lives.
