Illuminating wishes, creating joy
The heart of the Lighthouse of Hope Fund is a commitment to making dreams come true for those nearing the end of life. Like a lighthouse guiding a ship to safe harbor, our program helps guide patients and their families toward moments of happiness and fulfillment. These special moments bring light to the darkest times, offering solace and unforgettable memories.
Your generosity serves a unique role in helping to keep this light burning, bringing joy and enhancing the quality of life of hospice patients and their families.
Lighthouse of Hope FAQ
The fund is strictly for experiences. This could range from flying to visit a family member, to visiting the ocean, to going out to a nice dinner with loved ones.
The fund does not cover basic or medical needs.
We know those basic needs are important; however, paying for these needs is not the purpose of the Lighthouse of Hope. For those needs, try reaching out to the Dream Foundation or a local United Way or service charity.
There also must be a financial need, demonstrating that the patient could not afford this experience without assistance from Lighthouse of Hope.
Visit our website Click on “Online Request Form” and fill out the information about yourself, your patient, and the desired experience. Please include an itemized estimate of the costs.
You as the provider are point of contact with Lighthouse of Hope, not the patient or the family. NHF staff will respond to your request within 2-3 business days. If approved, we will send a check made out to the hospice.
Keep all receipts and send copies back to us. Please also include a one-page Impact Report of the activity or event, including a breakdown of how the funds were used. We need this report within 30 days after the experience.
We encourage participants to take photos and share them with us! We love seeing how the Lighthouse of Hope Fund is helping give people more memories. Please ask your patient and their family if we can share their story and have them sign the release forms.
After the experience, we need copies of all receipts and a one-page Impact Report about the experience. These can be emailed to your point of contact at NHF. If possible, please include a photograph of the event or activity and include a family impact statement. If the report is not received from the provider in a timely manner (30 days following the experience) future grant submissions will be returned without review.
If for any reason the experience is not able to occur, the funds must be returned to the National Hospice Foundation.
No, checks can only be made out to the provider in the amount specified on the application. We encourage you to work with your accounting department to pay for things directly or provide the funding to the family.
Ask for receipts whenever possible. Small amounts are acceptable without receipts but should be noted in the Impact Report. Every dollar must be reported on or returned to NHF.
Unfortunately, we cannot expedite checks. In these situations, we encourage you to talk to your accounting department and ask them to cover the up-front costs until the Lighthouse of Hope check arrives.
Patients who have received an experience from another wish-granting organization are not eligible for a grant from the Lighthouse of Hope Fund.
No, funds are only to be used for experiences. Grants cannot be used for things like medical-related expenses, home improvements, quality of life items, funeral arrangements, basic needs, and other similar requests. Please see for a more detailed list of restrictions.
If you have questions about a specific patient’s request, please contact us before applying. We are happy to discuss it with you.
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