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Building a Legacy of Strength in the Jewish Community

Rose Community Foundation has begun a new two-year grant initiative designed to strengthen the Jewish community in the long term. Called Live On: Build Your Jewish Legacy, the initiative will offer participating Jewish organizations training, grant funds, and advertising and public relations support to help them learn how to solicit and encourage bequest giving by donors.

The word “bequeath”, as defined by Webster’s, means “to leave (property) to another through last will or testament.” While many organizations have the know-how they need to solicit and acknowledge charitable donations, many do not pursue bequest giving to the extent that they could.

Consider this: experts predict that $41 trillion will be transferred via estates over the next 50 years, $6 trillion of it to charity. Many people are hesitant or unable to give large gifts in their lifetime but will leave generous bequests in their wills. The aim of Live On is to help metro-area Jewish organizations capitalize on that fact.

“I give charitable contributions now, but I also have a commitment to leaving money to organizations in my trust after I die,” says Dail A. Neugarten. “I believe I will have more than enough money to leave to my family, so I also wanted to make sure there were bequests in my trust to organizations that fit the values of my family.”

Michael Feiner feels a similar pull to give. “All four of my grandparents came steerage,” he says. “There was someone there to help them. I just want to be the next helping hand.” Feiner, like Neugarten, has established bequests in his will in addition to making charitable donations during his life.

Live On is designed to encourage that kind of thinking, and continues efforts begun in 1999 by Rose Community Foundation through The Endowment Challenge, a successful three-year grant initiative in partnership with Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado. The Endowment Challenge offered 19 local Jewish organizations training and financial incentives that resulted in the establishment of new endowment funds currently valued at approximately $23 million, which will continue to grow and produce income far into the future.

Rose Community Foundation hopes to attract up to 30 Jewish organizations to participate in Live On. With a national average bequest amount of $50,000, if 30 organizations are able to secure bequest commitments from 20 donors each over the next two years, the Denver/Boulder Jewish community could be $30 million closer to a stronger future in just two years.

More information about Live On can be found at liveonlegacy.org.

- From Impact, Rose Community Foundation's newsletter - Fall 2005