Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

David Harris

By Jim Friedman

Charitable gift planning expert Bryan Clontz was in town on February 7 to talk to our Create Your Jewish Legacy teams, who are beginning year three of a four-year initiative to increase legacy giving in Jewish Cincinnati. Our community has achieved what Bryan called a “ridiculously successful” number of gifts: 755 in the last two years. He had some real, practical wisdom—he has given over 2,000 presentations, published over 20 articles, and has advanced degrees in the field. When I asked if I could share it with you, he readily agreed. I’ve distilled his hour-long presentation into nine useful tips for securing our community’s future.

• Leaving a gift to an organization you love is not hard. This gift guarantees a continuation of support that you have provided to an organization over many years. It can simply be a gift in your will, retirement account, or insurance policy. You often don’t even need a lawyer.

• Anyone can do it at any age. In the first year of CYJL over 40 percent of our legacy commitments came from people under the age of 45. They knew they didn’t have to part with any money currently, and that these commitments can be changed at any time if needed.

• Leaders lead: Bryan said that statistically if 70 percent of board members make a legacy commitment in the first year, those organizations will be successful in reaching their goal.  Those organizations that do not have the leadership commitment almost never reach their goals.

• If you are a long-term donor, it just makes sense. If you are a Silver Circle member, having made annual gifts year after year—and many of you are—you are the most important people for strengthening our Jewish community through legacy giving. You are the people who love our Jewish organizations the most, and you are statistically the ones most likely to give. Pay it forward.

• Thank you for elevating us to the level of your children. Bryan emphasized again and again what a serious, value-driven commitment a legacy gift is. He said, “Tell your donors: I want to thank you for elevating us to the level of your children in your estate plans, so that our work can continue forever. Thank you!” He is completely right: you are including that Jewish organization at the level of your heirs and we appreciate it, on behalf of everyone you will help.

• Find or be a champion. A champion is someone who believes in the organization’s mission so much that they fight for it. They say, “Why aren’t we doing this?” If you can be that person, or know someone who would be perfect to champion your organization, please let the head of that organization know, today—enthusiasm is contagious, and necessary, to get the sustained funding our organizations need.

• What could have been. Bryan asked us: if we had initiated the Create Your Jewish Legacy program in the 1980s or 1990s, what kind of permanent sustainable endowment would we have now?  How essential, then, it is to do it now!

• The magic of percentages means everyone can participate. Bryan offered: If I care about an organization and my entire worth is $10,000, I can still participate at a level comfortable to me. If I leave 5 percent of my estate—I am participating!  Everyone can participate no matter the wealth. Plus a legacy gift is revocable, so if you need that 5 percent if you get sick or your kids get sick, you can easily take it back. A legacy gift is about the “what’s left” after you have taken care of needs.

• The power of asking: Bryan told a story about a community where legacy gifts were not the norm. Most of the community was supported by a few influential families.  However they realized that one of the patriarchs, in his nineties, had never made a legacy commitment. A board member approached him and asked for the gift. The man replied, “I’ve been waiting thirty years for someone to come and have this conversation with me. What we have built must be sustained.”

My own takeaway is to also ask: Please leave the Jewish community a legacy. We need you now.

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You can reach Jim Friedman, Director of Gift Planning and Endowments at the Jewish Federation, at 513-985-1524 or jfriedman@jfedcin.org.  You can reach the Federation’s Create Your Jewish Legacy team here and the Create Your Jewish Legacy website here.