Today, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) has announced that the Life & Legacy program has surpassed $2 billion in legacy commitments. This program, a collaborative effort across 70-plus communities, is paving the way for a vibrant Jewish future across North America.
Life & Legacy assists communities across North America, through partnerships with Jewish federations and foundations, to promote endowment-building and legacy giving to benefit local Jewish day schools, synagogues, social-service organizations and other Jewish entities. In the past 13 years, it has bolstered 977 organizations in 75 communities with the training and support they need to secure legacy gifts, steward donors and integrate a culture of philanthropy in their communities. Together, the Life & Legacy communities have marshalled:
- $2 billion in commitments
- 44,000 signed legacy commitments
- 35,000 individual legacy donors
Already, $316.8 million of this has been added to organizational endowment funds, providing lasting support that will grow over time. The rest is set aside in wills, trusts, retirement accounts, life insurance policies and other estate planning documents. These funds will be utilized by communities well into the future, shaping the communal life of North American Jews long after the signatories have passed.
“Securing $2 billion proves that an organized effort can produce real results that will make a sizable impact on our community’s future,” says Winnie Sandler Grinspoon, president of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. “In challenging times for the world and the Jewish community, endowments provide organizations with the financial stability to meet evolving and unexpected needs. Legacy commitments ensure that organizations have the necessary resources to adapt and thrive during both calm and turbulent times.”
She continued, “We could not have reached this milestone without every single person who has pledged to support their local Jewish institutions after their lifetime. By giving these gifts, forward-thinking donors ensure that they are part of the future of these institutions, alongside the generations to come.”
Realized Life & Legacy gifts and outright endowment contributions to date have made significant differences in communities. These gifts have established endowed scholarships for day schools and camps; provided sustained funding for synagogue programs; supplemented Israel emergency relief after Oct. 7; and, perhaps most importantly, offered consistent, reliable operating support that has carried communities through turbulent times.
By providing free consulting, ongoing training for professionals and volunteers, peer-to-peer learning, resource-sharing and matching grants, the HGF has invested more than $30 million in the program, signifying a 65x return on investment for the Jewish community. Going forward, Life & Legacy will continue to support participating communities to integrate legacy giving into their culture through trainings, tools, resource sharing and grant funding.
Life & Legacy was created in 2012. Just eight years later, in 2020, the HGF announced that, together with Jewish federations, foundations and community agencies, Life & Legacy had assisted 17,000 individuals across 63 communities in dedicating more than $1B in legacy commitments. Now, five years later, Life & Legacy has secured its next billion-dollar milestone by doubling the number of individuals dedicating commitments to their local Jewish organizations.
Jewish tradition teaches that one does not plant a fruit tree for themselves, but for the generations to come. This wisdom carries a deep understanding of continuity and community in Jewish life, exemplified by Life & Legacy. Its rapid growth highlights the program’s role in supporting long-term philanthropic engagement. By encouraging legacy giving across North American communities, the initiative aims to contribute to the sustainability of Jewish life for future generations.
