Local Jewish organizations secure $32 million in legacy commitments

from 400 donors to date through LIFE & LEGACY® initiative.

INDIANAPOLIS — Around 400 local donors have made more than 700 legacy commitments to support the Greater Indianapolis Jewish community. These commitments are part of a collaborative endowment-building effort that includes 13 Jewish organizations and congregations, the Jewish Federation’s and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s LIFE & LEGACY initiative, the goal of which is to provide future financial stability. The initiative just topped $1 Billion in Commitments including $32 million in Indianapolis.

“It is the dedication of our community members who recognize the importance of creating a legacy for generations to come that is the cornerstone of the great success of LIFE & LEGACY in Indianapolis,” said Paula Glanzman Goldberg, Director of Legacy Development for the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis. “The strength and vibrancy of this Jewish community currently stands on the shoulders of those who came before us. These new legacy donors are leading the way to ensure that their values live on for the future of our Jewish community.”

In less than 8 years, LIFE & LEGACY has motivated more than 17,000 donors in 63 communities across North America, including Indianapolis, to commit more than one billion dollars in current and after-lifetime assets to the Jewish organizations which shaped their lives. In challenging times like these, endowments provide organizations with the financial stability to meet evolving needs. Legacy commitments ensure that organizations that are providing impactful programs and services during both calm and turbulent times have the necessary resources to adapt.

“The cooperation and collaboration fostered by LIFE & LEGACY as local organizations work to a shared goal of endowment building is especially critical now,” said Arlene D. Schiff, national director, LIFE & LEGACY. “Even in the midst of so much disruption and uncertainty, we continue to empower many generous and committed individuals and families to give back to the Jewish organizations that have played and are playing an important role in their lives.”

The commitments made by Indianapolis’ legacy donors are just the beginning of a community-wide effort to ensure a bright Jewish future. To learn more about the Indianapolis LIFE & LEGACY program and our local participating organizations, please visit www.jewishindianapolis.org/life-legacy.

“Providing Jewish organizations with a strategy to help secure their long-term financial goals is absolutely vital, especially now in the middle of an economic crisis,” said Harold Grinspoon, founder of HGF. “Supporting our Jewish institutions is critical to ensuring future generations are able to enjoy our rich culture and heritage. I am thrilled that LIFE & LEGACY is motivating donors to make legacy commitments that will sustain vibrant Jewish communities for years to come.”

To learn how you can be part of securing Indianapolis’ Jewish future, call Paula Glanzman Goldberg, Director of Legacy Development, at (317) 726-5450 or visit www.jewishindianapolis.org/life-legacy.

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The mission of the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis is to promote the vision of a vibrant, engaged, inclusive, and sustainable Jewish community by serving as its central philanthropic, planning, community engagement, and unifying partner.

LIFE & LEGACY is an initiative of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) that assists communities across North America, through partnerships with Jewish Federations and Foundations, to promote after-lifetime giving to build endowments that will sustain valued organizations and vibrant Jewish communities for the next generation and beyond. Through training, support, and monetary incentives, LIFE & LEGACY motivates Jewish organizations to secure legacy gifts, steward donors, and integrate legacy giving into the philanthropic culture of the Jewish community.

CONTACT:

Andrea Hirsch
Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis Communications Manager
ahirsch@jfgi.org
(317) 417-2609