When Dr. Ernest Llynn Lotecka’s partner found his handwritten note after he passed, it felt like one final message from him: “I have endeavored to enjoy life, improve myself, and help others.”
That was Dr. Lotecka in a nutshell. A behavioral health psychologist, a researcher, a partner – someone who believed in learning, growing and giving back.
And even after he was gone, his generosity didn’t stop.
He left his estate to his passion project – the Alliance for Psychosocial Advancements in Learning (APAL) Foundation.
As the founder of the organization, he knew they would carry his mission forward. And they did – by creating the E.L. Lotecka Legacy Fund at San Diego Foundation, ensuring his lifelong commitment to helping others lives on.
A Passion that Never Faded
Dr. Lotecka poured his heart into the APAL Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping people reach their full potential. And he never slowed down.
“He worked right up until the time before he passed — helping others,” says Emily Spillman, his longtime friend and former APAL colleague. “He was always thinking of ways to reach people.”
He and APAL believed social-emotional skills were essential to a healthy life and overall well-being. Dr. Lotecka saw personal success not just as an individual achievement, but as a win for the entire community.
One of his lifelong goals was to work with youth in school districts—connecting with them, sharing mental health resources, and helping them build strong foundations for the future.
While Emily says he didn’t get the chance to see that vision fully realized in his lifetime, the E.L. Lotecka Legacy Fund is making it happen.
Supporting Monarch School Project
Since establishing a legacy fund in Dr. Lotecka’s name, Emily said supporting Monarch School Project was always a part of the plan.
In February 2025, it was announced that the nonprofit organization received a $1 million legacy gift from his estate.
The Monarch School Project’s mission is to nurture resilience in unhoused youth and their families. Its goal is to empower students to influence their own growth in academic success and social-emotional learning.
“The mission at the Monarch School is in alignment with the goals the APAL Foundation has had,” Emily says. “It was very easy for us to see that’s where we wanted to make our contributions.”
Avira DeVries, President & CEO at Monarch School Project, was shocked to hear the news.
“When people prioritize our mission, value it and recognize the credibility of our impact to leave our resources to us when they’re no longer here to have an impact themselves – it’s an honor that’s hard to even articulate,” she says.
The gift enables Monarch School to train more educators to support unhoused students, expand their impact and advance advocacy efforts to build a stronger, more equitable future for the families they serve.
For Emily, it was especially meaningful to support the K-12 students experiencing homelessness in San Diego.
“I love to see where the cycle of being unhoused can be broken,” she says. “That is a real testament to the effectiveness of the program.”
A Gift That Lives On
Emily says Dr. Lotecka would have seen supporting the Monarch School as more than just a donation — he’d see it as an opportunity, a challenge to do more, to grow and to create lasting change.
“He knew the power of an endowment fund. He wanted to leave a lasting gift,” she says.
“I could not have done it without the help from San Diego Foundation. This lives on for quite a while, and he would be so proud.”
About Legacy Funds
Giving back can last a lifetime and beyond.
A legacy fund provides lasting benefits to you, your family and the causes you care about. Some planned gifts provide lifelong income to your family, while others use estate and tax planning to provide for charity and heirs in ways that maximize your gift or minimize the impact on your estate.
If you are considering ways to make an impact through a legacy fund, contact our Donor Services team today.
