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Be there beyond your lifetime.
From the day JCFS Chicago opened its doors as a soup kitchen in 1859, our donors have offered generous support to help those most in need.
One way to support JCFS is through a legacy gift.
- A legacy gift does not need to impact your current finances. It can be funded during your lifetime or distributed from your estate.
- There is no minimum amount required.
- You can designate a particular JCFS program to receive your support or let it be used where JCFS needs it most. It’s your choice.
By choosing to leave a legacy gift for JCFS, you help ensure that the caring, vital support you funded during your lifetime will continue for generations to come.
Your legacy gift, in any amount, is added to the JCFS Chicago Endowment Foundation. The endowment funds are invested and the income from that foundation is distributed every year to help JCFS programs deliver services to those in need.
- A legacy gift of $100,000 or more can establish a named endowment fund.
- A legacy gift in any amount can be directed to support a particular program or service. It’s your choice.
Please consider one of the legacy gift options below. Every gift in any amount is deeply appreciated and makes a real difference.
Ways to Make a Legacy Gift
- Outright – cash, stock or other property given during one’s lifetime
- Testamentary – part of one’s estate.
- Bequest, Life Insurance, IRA
- Deferred – blends current financial and testamentary planning
- Charitable Gift Annuity, Donor Advised Fund
Bequests
The Most Commonly Chosen Legacy Gift
A bequest is a simple statement in your will or trust, such as: “I leave (dollar amount or percentage of my estate) to JCFS Chicago Endowment Foundation.”
- There is no minimum amount for a bequest. It could be $50, $1000, $100,000 or more. Every dollar helps us continue our mission.
- The amount you choose can be a percentage of your estate. Even 1% of a small estate would be a welcome gift to JCFS.
- You can leave property as a bequest – stock, a car, even a home.
Life Insurance or IRA Beneficiary
Leave a legacy by making JCFS the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or an IRA.
- If the current beneficiary of your life insurance policy will not need the funds, consider naming JCFS as beneficiary and letting those dollars help those we serve.
- For younger donors, buying a life insurance policy at an age when premiums are very low can be a very affordable way to make a significant gift.
- Naming JCFS as the beneficiary of an IRA is a win-win because you can leave a meaningful gift to those in need and your family avoids paying double taxes on the IRA dollars.
Charitable Gift Annuity
A donation that benefits both the giver and the charity.
- In return for a gift to JCFS, the donor receives regular, fixed payments for life.
- After the donor’s lifetime, the remainder of the gift goes to JCFS.
- This provides security for you during your lifetime and security for JCFS after.
Learn more about current Charitable Gift Annuity rates.
We welcome the opportunity to speak with you and your attorney or financial advisor about this and other ways you can continue to support JCFS beyond your lifetime. For more information or to schedule a conversation, please contact Lauren Grossman, Director of Individual Giving, or call 773.467.3913.
The JCFS Chicago Endowment Foundation was created in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago’s Agency Endowment Program, which was established to ensure that JCFS Chicago and our sister agencies have the necessary resources to meet growing and evolving Jewish community needs. All commitments to the Agency Endowment Foundation are recognized as gifts to the Jewish Federation’s Centennial Campaign.
