Jewish Foundation to Kick Off a Jewish Legacy Initiative
This fall, the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven is preparing to kick off its second Create a Jewish Legacy initiative in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s LIFE & LEGACY® program.
Launched nationally by the Grinspoon Foundation in 2012, LIFE & LEGACY provides training, support, and monetary incentives to help Jewish organizations, agencies, and synagogues secure their individual financial futures by spearheading their own endowment and bequest drives. Greater New Haven was one of the very first communities selected to participate in this important program in 2012, and between 2013 and 2016 the Jewish Foundation distributed over $300,000 in incentive grants to participating local Jewish organizations and synagogues and secured legacy commitments from over 375 households, totaling an estimated $8.1 million. The program solidified the strong partnership between the Jewish Foundation and the synagogues, agencies, and organizations in Greater New Haven.
Today, LIFE & LEGACY has expanded to more than 70 communities nationally and has secured over $1.24 billion in commitments, making a transformative impact on the American Jewish community. The Jewish Foundation is proud to announce that on January 1, 2023, we will kick off a second 4-year Create a Jewish Legacy initiative with our partner organizations in Greater New Haven to steward, sustain and build on all that we have already accomplished together as well as to further assist our organizations in integrating legacy giving into their culture.
“The Harold Grinspoon Foundation is thrilled to continue its partnership with the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven. The work of the Jewish Foundation and participating organizations over the last 10 years has truly transformed giving in the community,” said Arlene D. Schiff, Senior Advisor of LIFE & LEGACY at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Schiff added, “However, while legacy giving is in many ways part of the community’s philanthropic culture, there is more work to do for it to become normative behavior. We want every member of or donor to a Greater New Haven Jewish organization to have the opportunity to make a gift that will ensure the Jewish community remains strong and vibrant for future generations.”
Funded equally by the Grinspoon Foundation and the Jewish Foundation, Create a Jewish Legacy Greater New Haven will have a twofold mission: First, to support past partner organizations in stewarding their existing donors and securing new legacy commitments; and second, to engage organizations and synagogues that did not participate in the previous program to safeguard their long-term financial health. To achieve this mission, the Jewish Foundation will distribute $170,000 in incentive grants along with funding for annual legacy events, host local and national professional training sessions in partnership with the Grinspoon Foundation, and provide consulting, marking and publicity resources to the participating organizations
“We want every member of or donor to a Greater New Haven Jewish organization to have the opportunity to make a gift that will ensure the Jewish community remains strong and vibrant for future generations.”
Arlene D. Schiff, Senior Advisor of LIFE & LEGACY at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation
“The Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation were instrumental in our ability to launch Temple Emanuel’s first successful legacy program,” said Ed Cantor, past President of Temple Emanuel in Orange. He continued, “The campaign would not have happened without their guidance and resulted in the Temple receiving pledges from about 25% of our membership. We look forward to taking part in the next round.”
In addition, the Jewish Foundation recently hired a new community professional, Tamara Schechter, as the first Create a Jewish Legacy Manager. Along with Lisa Stanger, Esq., Executive Director of the Jewish Foundation, Tamara will assist each agency to develop a personalized plan, implement action and track progress, ensuring their successful participation in the program.
“This is what the Jewish Foundation does—we assist our local Jewish agencies and synagogues to raise endowment dollars and we advise our professional advisors and donors on philanthropic giving. We are so fortunate to have Tamara as part of our team and to have an organization like the Grinspoon Foundation supporting us, “ stated Lisa Stanger.
By building the current and future endowments for our community organizations, Create a Jewish Legacy Greater New Haven continues to advance Jewish life in New Haven, sustaining valued organizations and vibrant Jewish communities for the next generation and beyond. What will YOUR legacy be? Join us!