In the first year of operation, the Create a Jewish Legacy program has raised 323 endowment gifts totaling $8.8 million for Chicago area Jewish agencies, synagogues, and day schools.

Create a Jewish Legacy , a national program operating in 23 cities, is designed to train and support communal organizations in the areas of legacy giving, planned giving, and endowments. Supported by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and an anonymous donor, Create a Jewish Legacy is being led in Chicago by the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

The 15 local partner agencies, synagogues, and day schools that participated in year one of Create a Jewish Legacy attended group seminars on how to secure bequests from donors, received marketing tools, and had individualized coaching sessions. In the first year of the program, all of the Create a Jewish Legacy partners met their goals in securing declarations of intent from donors who pledged to leave them bequests in their wills. In addition, $817,797 in cash gifts was realized. All of the organizations will receive a $10,000 incentive grant for their unrestricted use.

“We are proud of the accomplishments of the participants and are extremely pleased that JUF/JFMC has been able to provide resources to help them be successful,” said Jane Cadden Lederman, Create a Jewish Legacy Chair.

Create a Jewish Legacy Chicago partners include: Am Yisrael Conservative Congregation; The ARK; Chicago Jewish Day School; Chicago Sinai Congregation; CJE SeniorLife; Hebrew Theological College; Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School; Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center; Jewish Child & Family Services; Keshet; North Shore Congregation Israel; North Suburban Synagogue Beth El; Oak Park Temple B’nai Abraham Zion; Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago; and Temple Jeremiah.

“The program has done an excellent job in providing the impetus for us to tackle planned giving,” Sheryl Cohen Solomon, Development Director at North Shore Congregation Israel. “Our congregants have been excited to participate in order to help us receive the incentive grant, and it has provided a perfect opportunity for us to begin what can sometimes be a difficult conversation.”

Ed Plotkin, Director of Development at Hillel Torah said, “Discussions about endowments and legacies have been going on for some time at Hillel Torah, but this program put everything together and provided the incentive that helped us start to act. Next year, legacy giving will be part of our Society of Patrons and Grandparents Club Campaigns.”

To learn more about the program, contact Naomi Shapiro at (312) 357-4853 or [email protected].

Ron Krit is manager of endowment development, Legacies and Endowments, for the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago.