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Legacy Giving at Reconstructing Judaism

Thank you for considering supporting Reconstructing Judaism through a planned gift. A planned gift demonstrates your foresight, ensuring you will help sustain our mission to educate, inspire, offer meaningful Jewish connection, and strive for a more just world in perpetuity. For over 50 years, our movement has been built with the help of generous donors who have provided support through a variety of means. This includes:

Bequests

A gift in your will can help secure the future of the Reconstructionist movement. The opportunity to make a lasting contribution is not just for those of significant means. People from all walks of life leave charitable gifts—because a bequest can be designed to fit any budget. All it takes is a legal will or a simple codicil. Sample bequest language: I give to the Reconstructing Judaism, Wyncote, Pennsylvania, the sum of (or % of, or describe a specific piece of property) to be used for such charitable purposes as the governing board of Reconstructing Judaism may determine.

Life Insurance Gifts

Your life insurance policy may be a hidden asset that you can use to make a difference. If you are maintaining life insurance that you and your family no longer need, consider donating your policy to Reconstructing Judaism. Making Reconstructing Judaism the owner and beneficiary of your policy gives you an immediate income tax deduction and does not affect your investment portfolio or cash flow. And signing over your policy is easy to do.

Retirement Funds Gifts

Sharing your retirement savings (in an IRA or 401K) can benefit Reconstructing Judaism and your estate. If you leave the assets in these plans to a non-spouse beneficiary, such as your children or grandchildren, they will be taxed at current income tax rates. But designating Reconstructing Judaism as the beneficiary will help you to avoid taxes, remove the asset from your estate, and provide needed funds to help strengthen the Reconstructionist movement.

Charitable Gift Annuities

This is a planned gift that can provide income for you during your lifetime or the joint lifetime of you and your spouse. Charitable Gift Annuities (CGA’s) can be funded with cash or appreciated assets like stocks and bonds. This gives you an additional benefit—avoidance of the capital gains tax. A CGA gift can be a way of converting an underperforming asset into additional income, while funding our important work. Reconstructing Judaism is currently writing gift annuities in several states and providing competitive return rates. Please get in touch with Sandy Newman, Development Operations Manager (snewman@reconstructingjudaism.org) to learn more and receive an individualized CGA plan.

Real and Personal Property

RRC accepts gifts of land and other personal property such as valuable artwork, rare books or special collections. Please get in touch with Sandy Newman, Development Operations Manager (snewman@reconstructingjudaism.org) to discuss this further. This information is not intended to be a substitute for individualized tax, legal or investment planning advice. Where specific advice is necessary or appropriate, RRC recommends consultation with a qualified attorney, tax advisor, CPA, financial planner or investment manager.

Endowed Gifts

When supporters of the Reconstructionist movement and Reconstructionist Rabbinical College make significant contributions to endowed programs, Reconstructing Judaism prospers and grows. In turn, this enables us to provide the high level of rabbinic education the Jewish community requires for its future leaders. Your endowed gift to Reconstructing Judaism provides a broad spectrum of opportunities to support our movement in ways that are personally meaningful to you. Endowment opportunities include scholarships and fellowships, prizes, academic programs, library programs, community support and general endowment. An endowed gift can be arranged through a legacy gift such as a bequest or initiated with a current gift of cash or securities. Endowment gifts are directed toward a purpose or program that is selected by you and may carry your name or the name of someone whom you wish to honor or memorialize. General endowment funds allow for income to be directed to areas where additional funds are needed and maintain your annual support in perpetuity. Contact Rachel Robinson, Director of Individual Giving, at rrobinson@reconstructingjudaism.org to learn more about endowment opportunities that will best match your interests.

The Reconstructionist Network