Today, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) has announced that the Life & Legacy program has surpassed $2 billion in legacy commitments. This program, a collaborative effort across 70+ communities, is paving the way for a vibrant Jewish future across North America.
Life & Legacy assists communities across North America, through partnerships with Jewish federations and foundations, to promote endowment-building and legacy giving to benefit local Jewish day schools, synagogues, social service organizations, and other Jewish entities. Over the last 13 years, Life & Legacy has bolstered 977 organizations in 75 communities with the training and support they need to secure legacy gifts, steward donors, and integrate a culture of philanthropy in their communities. Together, the Life & Legacy communities have marshalled:
- $2 billion in commitments
- 44,000 signed legacy commitments
- 35,000 individual legacy donors
Already, $316.8 million of this has been added to organizational endowment funds, providing lasting support that will grow over time. The rest is set aside in wills, trusts, retirement accounts, life insurance policies and other estate planning documents. These funds will be utilized by communities well into the future, shaping the communal life of North American Jews long after the signatories have passed.
“Securing two billion dollars proves that an organized effort can produce real results that will make a sizable impact on our community’s future,” says Winnie Sandler Grinspoon, President of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. “In challenging times for the world and the Jewish community, endowments provide organizations with the financial stability to meet evolving and unexpected needs. Legacy commitments ensure that organizations have the necessary resources to adapt and thrive during both calm and turbulent times.”
Sandler Grinspoon continued, “We could not have reached this milestone without every single person who has pledged to support their local Jewish institutions after their lifetime. By giving these gifts, forward-thinking donors ensure that they are part of the future of these institutions, alongside the generations to come.”
Realized Life & Legacy gifts and outright endowment contributions to date have made huge differences in communities. These gifts have established endowed scholarships for day schools and camps; provided sustained funding for synagogue programs; supplemented Israel emergency relief after October 7; and perhaps most importantly, offered consistent, reliable operating support that has carried communities through turbulent times.
By providing free consulting, ongoing training for professionals and volunteers, peer-to-peer learning, resource-sharing, and matching grants, the HGF has invested more than $30M in the program, signifying a 65x return on investment for the Jewish community. Going forward, Life & Legacy will continue to support participating communities to integrate legacy giving into their culture through trainings, tools, resource sharing, and grant funding.
Life & Legacy was created in 2012. Just eight years later in 2020, the HGF announced that, together with Jewish federations, foundations, and community agencies, Life & Legacy had assisted 17,000 individuals across 63 communities in dedicating more than $1B in legacy commitments. Now, five years later, Life & Legacy has secured its next billion-dollar milestone by doubling the number of individuals dedicating commitments to their local Jewish organizations.
Jewish tradition teaches that one does not plant a fruit tree for themselves, but for the generations to come. This wisdom carries a deep understanding of continuity and community in Jewish life and is exemplified by Life & Legacy. The rapid growth Life & Legacy has stewarded underscores the deep value and enduring impact of the program. By helping to foster a culture of giving in communities across North America, Life & Legacy ensures Jewish life will flourish not only in the decades to come, but for many generations into the future.
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