Atlanta Jewish Groups Secure Over $17.7 Million in Legacy Pledges

To support the Atlanta Jewish community, 274 local donors have made more than $17.7 million in legacy commitments. The pledges are part of a collaborative endowment building effort that includes 12 Jewish organizations and congregations, Atlanta Jewish Foundation and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s LIFE & LEGACY initiative, the goal of which is to provide future financial stability.

“LIFE & LEGACY reaffirms the importance of legacy giving at a time when we have been so reminded that you never know what the future will hold,” said Christy Eckoff, chief foundation officer and managing director of the Atlanta Jewish Foundation.

“Having this program in our Atlanta community is vital to Jewish continuity and for the future of our children and their children.”

In less than eight years, LIFE & LEGACY has motivated more than 17,000 donors in 63 communities across North America, including in Atlanta, to commit more than $1 billion in current and after-lifetime assets to the Jewish organizations that shaped their lives, according to a press release. 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 release stated.

“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 Atlanta’s legacy donors are just the beginning of a community-wide effort to ensure a bright Jewish future, the statement continued. Currently 12 organizations are halfway through the four-year LIFE & LEGACY program. Participating are: Alfred & Adele Davis Academy, Atlanta Jewish Academy, Congregation Bet Haverim, Congregation B’nai Torah, Congregation Shearith Israel, Jewish Family & Career Services, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Jewish HomeLife, Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta, Temple Emanu-El, The Epstein School and Torah Day School of Atlanta.

“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.”

The Atlanta Jewish Foundation stewards over $325 million in philanthropic assets for individuals and organizations in the Atlanta community. The Foundation also ensures that legacy gifts and endowments are invested and used for the purposes intended by the donor, to help create the richer future they envisioned. The Foundation works with individuals and their professional advisors to create the most beneficial charitable plans and engagement, empowering people to give in a way that is more meaningful to them, their families, the Jewish community and the world.

LIFE & LEGACY is an initiative of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation 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.

To learn how you can be part of securing Atlanta’s Jewish future, contact Rachel Rosner at rrsoner@jewishatlanta.org, 404-870-1879.