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Give for today. Give for tomorrow.
As the calendar year draws to a close, we reflect on the incredible support that has sustained our community. Your generosity has helped us address pressing needs and bring hope to many. As we look ahead to the new year, we invite you to think about Jewish life today through supporting our Annual Campaign and the Jewish people's collective future by creating a legacy through the Jewish Community Foundation. This month’s FedFive focuses on making an impact that will be felt for generations.

New Name, Stronger Future

“Our team of professionals is available to help you make an easy to understand and smart choice that will make a lasting impact for the Jewish causes you care about most in our local community and in Israel.”

– Jen Brier, Chief Planned Giving Officer for Jewish Community Foundation

One of the most significant ways of ensuring Jewish continuity is to grow and manage an endowment for our community’s future. On Sept. 1 of this year, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Endowments Program was renamed the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Philadelphia. This new name highlights the Jewish Federation’s increased focus on our collective future. You can learn more by reading the Jewish Federation’s Chief Planned Giving Officer Jennifer Brier's op-ed here.

Securing Our Future

“We are happy to know that our gift can make a difference in the Jewish community in the future.”

- Herb Bass, Bequest Donor

An endowment ensures that funds are available to support an organization’s mission and long-term priorities. It is through these secured dollars that our Jewish community’s ever changing and diverse needs – from combating food insecurity to responding to global emergencies – can be addressed, not just for today, but for years to come. Learn more about the different ways you can make an endowment gift by here.

The Jewish Community Foundation currently manages over 800 funds, including 260 donor advised funds, and more than $380 million in assets.

Meet the Jewish Community Foundation Co-Chairs

“As Co-Chair, I aim to help the Jewish Community Foundation secure a bright future for the coming generations. I’m raising money for my grandchildren and those after them, to ensure that no Jewish organization ever finds itself in need without a cushion of support for the future.”
– Jewish Community Foundation Co-Chair Mark Fishman

Co-Chairs Karen Kramer and Mark Fishman of the Jewish Community Foundation, collaborate with the Jewish Federation’s professional team to implement strategic endowment initiatives that reach the larger community. They aim to provide accessible and deep-rooted understandings of planned giving, its importance for sustaining legacy organizations and the benefits people receive through this vehicle of philanthropy.

Learn more about their backgrounds and their vision for the Jewish Community Foundation in this article.

One Year of Life & Legacy

"This past year has been inspiring as we have seen our community unite in recognizing the power of creating lasting legacies to secure a strong Jewish future."

- Karen Kramer, Life & Legacy Chair

Greater Philadelphia’s Life & Legacy initiative, a partnership between the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Philadelphia and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, just celebrated one year. The initiative provides Jewish institutions across North America with the skills and resources needed to build and grow endowment programs to be used to sustain their Jewish communities for the future. The Jewish Community Foundation joined the Life & Legacy partnership as part of its commitment to provide local Jewish organizations with training, guidance, consultations and the opportunity to grow their endowments to ensure a vibrant Jewish future. Learn more about Life & Legacy and its celebration by clicking here.

Within its first year, Greater Philadelphia’s Life & Legacy initiative engaged 286 donors, securing 305 gifts and raising almost $30 million in funds across 13 participating organizations.

Endowments for All

“We often think philanthropy is something we get to when we’re more established in our careers or after we’re more settled in life, but the reality is that we all play an important part in making sure future generations are capitalized appropriately to take on the future challenges that the Jewish community may face. Making a planned gift provides the building blocks for tomorrow and if not us, then who?”

- Michael Shaid, Life Insurance Donor

Did you know that creating an endowment gift can be done at any age? Young adults are taking the future into their own hands and are ensuring that there are funds for Jewish continuity for generations to come. In addition to cost-effective planning, creating an endowment early on allows for the opportunity to create a collective support net for the community. Explore the options for creating an endowed gift by clicking here, or talk to a Jewish Community Foundation professional to find the right path for you at Jbrier@jewishphilly.org or 215.832.0528.

HERE AS ONE

Show the world that we are Here As One by supporting the Jewish Federation’s mission of Caring for Those in Need, Supporting Israel and Global Jewry, and Securing a Vibrant Jewish Future. Make your gift before year’s end by clicking here.