Many would-be donors assume that the only way to make a philanthropic donation is by writing a check--which may conflict with their personal circumstances. By overlooking other methods of charitable giving to the JEF, they prevent themselves from making a profound impact on the Jewish community. In this section, we specify the many forms your gift can take: bequests of assets today that will be donated after your death; designating a JEF endowment fund or trust as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement assets; gifting appreciated assets or a retained life estate; and, of course, cash.

We encourage donors to consult with the JEF staff and their financial advisors about estate and gift planning to ensure that their desire to create lasting gifts to the Jewish community will be accomplished effectively.

Through your will you can make a planned gift to the JEF without impacting your finances during your lifetime. Bequests are one of the most effective and significant ways that supporters perpetuate charities they cherish. By leaving a legacy with a portion of your estate, your taxable estate is reduced by the amount of the charitable bequest.

The Legacy Society - The Legacy Society of the Jewish Endowment Foundation is a community-wide bequest program established by the JEF and our local agencies and synagogues. The Legacy Society serves to recognize and thank those generous and thoughtful individuals who have let us know they have made a provision for the Jewish community in their wills. Because these gifts are transferred to the JEF and our partner agencies at the end of the donor's lifetime, there is no opportunity to acknowledge their generosity and commitment. The Legacy Society, therefore, recognizes individuals today for the charitable gifts they will bequeath to our community in the future.

Another way to make a significant gift if you have limited liquid resources is to name the JEF as beneficiary of a policy you don't need. Because the life insurance premiums are based on mortality rates, gifts of life insurance are extremely affordable for younger donors, thereby enabling them the opportunity to make sizable deferred gifts with modest out-of-pocket cost. If you wish to provide financial security to a surviving spouse, a "second-to-die" policy may be appropriate and economical. Proceeds of a life insurance policy are estate tax free. And life insurance is not a matter of public record. Your gift may be public or private, as you prefer.

Appreciated Assets

Many people have stocks, bonds, securities, or real estate that have increased significantly in value. Selling these assets triggers substantial capital gains tax consequences. However, contributing them to charity minimizes the capital gains tax, and allows a current income-tax deduction. Appreciated assets are a tax-wise way to make charitable gifts.

If you no longer depend on your retirement funds to assure your financial security, you may want to consider using these assets to establish an endowment gift. IRAs and pensions, often the most heavily taxed assets in an estate, are ideal assets for creating a gift while enabling you to leave less tax-burdened assets to heirs. You can designate a portion or the entire plan to charity. The JEF can help you determine whether you are a good candidate for making a substantial donation with retirement plan assets (such as a pension, profit sharing, Keogh, IRA, 401(k), etc.) that would otherwise have been used to pay income and estate taxes. The procedure is simple: get a Change of Beneficiary form from your plan administrator and name the JEF as the new beneficiary of part of your plan.

You may have purchased your residence many years ago, and it is probably worth a great deal more today. A Gift of Residence allows you to donate your home to charity, receive a current income-tax deduction, and live in your home as long as you wish. By not selling your home, you are able to make a major charitable contribution with an asset that otherwise would have been heavily taxed. You also are able to remove this asset from your taxable estate, thus saving your heirs time, trouble, and money.