Resources after donation
We’re here for you
The loss of a loved one is one of the most difficult life experiences we all go through. As you and your family experience this now, you are likely to have questions, seek resources and support, or seek more information to better manage what comes next as you grieve.
This page is to provide you with information, resources and answers to questions that families often have about Gift of Hope and what comes next.
We are not affiliated with these organizations, and providing them as resources is not intended as an endorsement—simply a resource that may be helpful.
Our Donor Family Services Aftercare Specialists will be in contact with you in the two weeks following your loss, for any questions or support we can provide. Six weeks following your loved one’s donation, you will receive a letter from us with more information regarding the outcomes of the gifts they have given.
Our Donor Family Services Team is here for you. Please reach out to us any time that we may help.
More information about donation and Gift of Hope
Many donor families seek to understand even more about our work with organ and tissue donation following their loved one’s donation.
Memorial contributions
While making service arrangements, some families kindly ask that memorial gifts and contributions in their loved one’s name are directed to Gift of Hope. You can find information here about how to direct these generous contributions to the Gift of Hope Community Foundation.
After a Donation
Making funeral arrangements
Gift of Hope will coordinate closely with the funeral home your family may have selected to manage your loved one’s arrangements and services. This is to ensure everyone is aware of timing, and we can provide donor family pins and Gift of Hope bracelets for the service should your family request them.
Many donor families share these bracelets and pins to celebrate the gift of hope their loved one gave to others, as part of honoring their life and legacy at memorial services.
Funeral costs vary widely, as you may know. The law requires funeral directors to provide pricing information over the telephone, and many offer general information about costs on their websites.
Obtaining a death certificate
Certified death certificates are important documents that you will need to file for life insurance benefits, transfer or close bank accounts and credit cards, transfer home or auto property titles, and handle other responsibilities.
Because costs are involved with obtaining a death certificate, think through the legal and financial reasons you may need certificates and order them all at once to avoid additional fees. You also may want to order a few more than you think you might need, just in case.
To obtain a death certificate, speak with the funeral director managing your loved one’s services. You can also obtain a death certificate through the appropriate state agency:
- In Illinois, request online through the Illinois Department of Public Health
- In Indiana, find information and apply for a certificate through the Indiana Department of Health.
Funeral and burial assistance
Affording funeral costs can be a concern. Federal, state, religious and other charity resources offer programs and services that may provide financial assistance with funeral, burial and/or cremation assistance.
If your loved one was a police officer, fire fighter, teacher, military veteran or member of a fraternity or sorority, or other organization, assistance programs may be available through their membership.
Assistance in covering funeral, burial and cremation expenses for a loved one who was an organ donor may also be available through the Tristan Scott Foundation. Tristan’s family established the foundation in 2016 to support Gift of Hope organ donor families in need. Click here to review and complete the grant application.
Additional resources
Faith-based resources
Faith-based organizations may provide financial support contributing the burial of congregation members, in addition to other support. Several such organizations are:
Transportation of remains to another state or country
Some families wish to return the body of their deceased loved one to another state or country for burial. Transporting human remains a complex process involving state, federal and international laws, and can be quite expensive, ranging anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000 or more.
Your funeral director can help guide you on how to arrange these services. Most airlines also have programs to assist with shipping remains. Embassies and consulates of the country you wish to transport remains to may also be helpful.
When a death investigation is involved
Families often have questions regarding their loved one’s eligibility to donate once the medical examiner or coroner’s office is involved. We developed this resource guide to help answer your questions.
Whole body donation
Whole body donation is another way in which your loved one can leave a meaningful legacy to humanity through medical education and research. In most cases, whole body donation includes complimentary cremation and return of remains within a few weeks following the death. Below are whole body research organizations accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks in Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network’s donation service area. Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is not affiliated with nor endorses any research organization.
- Anatomy Gifts Registry, Full body donation after donation of vital organs and/or cornea donation for research and medical/scientific advancement; will not accept after donation of skin or bone tissue. Offers free cremation services with a requested $35 charge for shipping cremation remains.
- Medcure, Full body donation after cornea donation only, for the advancement of medical science, through participation in a wide variety of research and educational programs. Offers free cremation services and delivery of cremation remains.
- Medical Education & Research Institute (MERI), Full body donation after donation of cornea/eyes, upper long bone, brain, and internal organs for essential medical training. Offers free cremation services and delivery of cremation remains.
- Science Care, Full body donation after donation of vital organs, cornea/eye, brain, and spinal cord, providing to qualified medical researchers and educators in more than 50 countries who develop and improve medical technologies and treatments. Offers free cremation services and delivery of cremation remains.
Grief, bereavement and mental health resources
Donation is a meaningful end-of-life decision that can help ease grief and bereavement following the loss of a loved one. There are still painful and tender moments along the way. You are not alone; Gift of Hope Aftercare Specialists are here to guide and support you every step of your journey as you learn to live without your very special person.
Please reach out to us at [email protected], or (877) 577-3747.
In addition to Gift of Hope, a number of agencies provide support and resources specifically for the families of organ, eye and tissue donors. A few of these organizations include:
- Grasp Recovery After a Substance Passing (GRASP), offers support for those who have lost someone they love through addiction and overdose
- Grief.com, offers education and helpful resources for those who are navigating the challenging road of grief and those who support them
- GriefShare, a network for support groups and seminars for all those recovering from loss
- Missing Pieces, support for families and communities after the loss of a child
- National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG), raising awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and providing education and resources for anyone who supports them
- Open Path, a nonprofit that serves clients who lack health insurance or whose health insurance doesn’t provide adequate mental health benefits, assists members access their choice of affordable in-person or online care from a vetted mental health professional
- Sesame Workshop, for kids and families coping with the death of a loved one
- Dougy Center, providing grief support, resources and training for children, teens, young adults, and families
- Willow House, providing supportive services for children, teens, families, schools and communities coping with grief and the death of a loved one
If your loved one was a cornea and eye tissue donor, support and information related to your loved one’s donation is offered through the eye bank that worked with you and your family: