An all-volunteer organization formed in June 2023, Meg’s Legacy’s mission is to strengthen the mental health of at-risk teens and young adults through mental health programming and support. Since its inception, Meg’s Legacy has supported groups with more than $300,000 in grants and support to continue their life-changing and lifesaving work, including direct counseling and suicide prevention education and training.
Larry and Mary Jo Butz founded Meg’s Legacy to honor their oldest daughter, Meg, a 2012 Carmel Catholic graduate who died in 2020 at age 26.
"Evidence-based suicide prevention measures must be prioritized within our public health framework,” said Larry Butz, cofounder. “We believe the most significant impact comes from supporting local programs with additional funds to increase their reach to young people in underserved areas.”
Added Mary Jo Butz, cofounder, “Unfortunately, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to increasing mental healthiness and preventing suicide, so our approach recognizes that community-based interventions, when properly funded, create those vital access points for vulnerable populations.”
Not-for-profit organizations receiving 2025 grants from Meg’s Legacy grant team include:
- Elyssa’s Mission (Northbrook) - $19,500 to provide critical school-based suicide prevention education and resources to help prevent teen suicide and connect at-risk youth to needed mental health support.
- Josselyn Center (Grayslake) - $25,000 to their Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), which utilizes trauma-informed and evidence-based treatments for children and teens, helping them address critical mental health issues and improve their daily functioning.
- Juvenile Protective Association (Chicago) - $30,000 for support of their in-school programs assisting children in 14 schools throughout the 2025 school year. Funding helps provide at least one dedicated therapist for in-school individual and small-group student therapy.
- Partners for Our Communities (Palatine) - $25,000 for the “Skyward Bound” counseling program in 2025 Skyward Bound provides clinical therapy for under-resourced teens in their first language and without waiting for months in the Northwest suburbs.
- Willow House (Bannockburn) - $15,000 for youth and family bereavement support groups, which are offered in four categories: peer support, survivors of suicide (SOS), expressive arts, and on-site 8-week school support groups.
- Youth and Family Counseling (Libertyville) - $30,000 to help YFC provide mental health care to families in Lake County who otherwise face barriers to accessing the help they need.
Meg’s Legacy also provided $23,000 to Megan Butz’s alma mater, Carmel Catholic High School, to fund the expansion of its mental health curriculum. Via Meg's Legacy, a guest speaker will deliver evidence-based programming on mental wellness to the entire school body in Fall 2025. After the presentation, all staff and student leaders will receive suicide prevention training.
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among youth aged 10 to 14 in Illinois and the third-leading cause of death for young people aged 10 to 24, according to the National Institutes of Health.
About Meg’s Legacy of Hope
Meg’s Legacy of Hope is a 501(c) (3) based in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. The nonprofit aims to support mental health services through funding initiatives for teenagers and young adults managing their mental health. For more information, visit https://megslegacyofhope.org/.