A Guest Blog by Ken Heyman, chair, Create a Jewish Legacy.

Last Monday I had dinner with Arlene D. Schiff…and about 85 fellow synagogue/agency lay leaders and professionals! Arlene is the national director of the LIFE & LEGACY program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF), and she joined us to kick off our partnership in HGF’s latest initiative to strengthen American Jewish life. It’s known locally as Create a Jewish Legacy (CJL), and I am delighted to chair the program, working alongside Karen Secular, program coordinator.

CJL is a terrific opportunity for our synagogues and agencies to get solid training and support to encourage them to seek — and close — legacy gifts (aka donations that are realized after the donor’s lifetime).

Greater MetroWest NJ is just the 15th community selected by HGF for this initiative. Arlene and I could not have been more excited as guests lingered after the program for almost an hour. She said, “Your crowd is our largest at a kickoff event to date. Such enthusiasm is truly inspiring.”

Our application process will identify 10-15 Jewish agencies and synagogues as “CJL Partners” for the next two years. Each CJL Partner will create a legacy team that will receive hands-on training, marketing materials, and mentoring.  Partners will learn how to ask donors to remember their organization in their will, or to name the organization as a beneficiary in a life insurance or retirement policy. [Other planned giving methods will also be explored; these are just a few.]

Finally, the Grinspoon Foundation is making it possible for JCF to provide incentive grants — of $10,000 each year for the first two years — to CJL partners that meet their goals. I am thrilled that JCF can again help local organizations supplement annual fundraising with gifts to secure their futures. More philanthropy for our community — what could be better?

Organizational applications are due back no later than 2 p.m. on Friday, April 11. If you need an application, or have questions, call Karen at (973) 929-2918 or email ksecular@jfedgmw.org. 

 

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Originally posted March 26, 2014