Jewish organizations are no strangers to doing more with less. Whether it’s a synagogue led by dedicated volunteers, a day school juggling tuition assistance and rising costs or a JCC anchoring a community through changing times, we’ve all learned to stretch our resources with creativity, commitment and grit. 

Over the past 12 years, Jewish communities across North America have taken steps to leverage these resources into the transformational power of endowment giving. Time and again, communities have watched legacy commitments turn hope into sustainability, and good intentions into long-term impact. The lesson is clear: When communities prioritize endowment giving, they don’t just help their institutions survive — they enable them to thrive.  

FANDSrabutan/Getty Images

FANDSrabutan/Getty Images

They are supported in these efforts by Life & Legacy, an initiative of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in partnership with local Jewish federations and Jewish community foundations. At the heart of the program is training, funding and coaching to help leaders across 75 communities engage donors in making legacy gifts, whether through wills, retirement accounts or current contributions. Collectively, these communities have secured more than 42,000 legacy commitments representing an expected future value of over $1.8 billion, with an estimated $260 million in realized gifts already at work in organizational endowments. 

When organizations invest in endowment giving, they’re building a bridge to the future — one that ensures stability, continuity and strength for generations to come. 

Consider B’nai Israel Synagogue in Rochester, Minnesota. The synagogue’s fluctuations in membership — a function of serving medical students, residents and patients at the Mayo Clinic — present unique financial challenges, particularly when it comes to maintaining its building and addressing budget deficits. During the pandemic, the strain intensified. 

By investing in endowment through legacy giving, they began building something they could count on. As Sandra Weissler, co-chair of their Life & Legacy program, put it: “We really needed to build something that would generate dollars that we could depend on.” That commitment to long-term sustainability is helping B’nai Israel continue to serve its evolving community with strength and compassion.

Transforming communities 

The ripple effects of legacy giving go far beyond the financial. At the individual level, donors feel the deep satisfaction of making a lasting impact. Legacy giving becomes a personal expression of Jewish identity, values and hope; it’s an act of generosity that continues, long after a person is gone, to help ensure there is a Jewish future. 

At the institutional level, organizations get to shift from surviving to planning. Institutions often face recurring budget stress, but legacy giving changes that narrative. 

At the communal level, Life & Legacy is breaking down silos. Federations, foundations, synagogues, schools and family service agencies come together to strengthen each other. One community member shared that the most meaningful change has been the relationships: “Rabbis speaking to each other who never did before, agencies aligning around a shared goal. It’s been beautiful to witness.” 

The last few years have tested us all. From the isolation of the pandemic to the deep sorrow and security concerns following Oct, 7, we’ve faced moments that demanded strength and flexibility. In these challenging times, legacy gifts made years ago became lifelines. They allowed organizations to adapt quickly, support their members and continue serving with compassion. “We’ve always focused on the now,” one synagogue leader said, “but now we can focus on the present and the future.” 

Not a campaign but a culture

Since Life & Legacy began, we’ve seen a shift in how communities approach the future. Nevertheless, encouraging and facilitating legacy giving is not a one-time box to check. Legacy giving must be part of the everyday rhythm of Jewish communal life, just like annual giving. 

Think of it as a constant melody playing in the background of Jewish communal life. We ask. We thank. We celebrate. We tell our donors’ stories and we remind people that their gifts can make a difference — today, tomorrow and forever. 

You don’t need to launch a major campaign to start. Here are a few ways to keep the melody playing: 

• Add a legacy message to your newsletter. Even one line stating why a supporter has joined Life & Legacy can start a meaningful conversation. 
• Include a tagline in your email signature. For example: “Be remembered forever with a gift to [organization] in your will, trust or retirement plan.” 
• Share donor stories. Show the heart behind the commitment in public forums. 
• Mention legacy at lifecycle moments. Holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Passover, Tu B’Shevat and Chanukah and lifecycle events like b’nei mitzvahs, weddings and anniversaries are all opportunities to reflect on values, continuity and the future. These are powerful moments to inspire legacy conversations.
• Celebrate legacy donors to strengthen your stewardship. Express gratitude often — and make it personal. Organizations that meaningfully recognize legacy donors often see their annual support grow, as donors feel even more connected and invested.

This work isn’t flashy, but it’s enduring. It’s like planting a garden, quiet and hopeful; with steady care, it grows into something sustaining and strong. Now is the time to nurture that garden — for the sake of our children and grandchildren, for the sake of our synagogues and schools, and for the sake of a vibrant Jewish future that will endure long after we’re gone. 

Katherine A. Sarlson is the national director of Life & Legacy, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.