Create a Jewish Legacy of Western Massachusetts

Create a Jewish Legacy of Western Massachusetts (CJLWMA) is an innovative program that helps Jewish organizations in the region approach their donors for legacy gifts (bequests) in order to ensure that current good work can continue long into the future. Since its launch in June 2008, twenty organizations have joined CJLWMA - day schools, synagogues, and social service agencies. Each group has assembled a dynamic Legacy Team. Together they have learned about the importance of planned giving, mastered endowment basics, and set goals to hold many discussions with their constituents in order to educate them about legacy giving. The results speak for themselves. By the end of 2009, the pilot 13 organizations had received 232 legacy gifts for an estimated total of $6.5 million dollars.

The program's funding partners, the Jewish Endowment Foundation and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, not only provide the training, coaching, advertising and marketing materials but also reward organizations that reach their annual goals on time with an incentive grant. The Federations of Western Massachusetts and the Berkshires are program partners, and the Jewish Federations of North America awarded CJLWMA a generous 3-year grant for administrative staff support.  

For more information contact:
Sue Kline, 413 439-1960
sue@hgf.org
www.jewishlegacywesternmass.org

Nineteen organizations currently participate in Create a Jewish Legacy of Western Massachusetts:

• Beit Ahavah, the Reform Synagogue of Greater Northampton
• Congregation B'nai Torah
• Congregation B'nai Israel
• Congregation Sons of Zion
• Greater Springfield Chapter of Hadassah
• Heritage Academy
• Hevreh of Southern Berkshire
• Hillel House at the University of Massachusetts
• Jewish Community of Amherst
• Lander~Grinspoon Academy, the Solomon Schechter School of the Pioneer Valley
• Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts
• Jewish Federation of the Berkshires
• Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts (JFWM)
• Rachel's Table, a program of JFWM
• Jewish Geriatric Services
• Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy (LYA)
• Sinai Temple
• Springfield Jewish Community Center
• Temple Beth El