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Leave a Legacy

Give the next generation a better world.

Donor Stories

The Brooks Family

Alexis Smith Schallenberger

Jeff Flancer and Melissa Medvin

Enid and Michael Seiden

Life & Legacy Society Members

Create Your Own Legacy

Bequests

Leave a meaningful legacy to Jewish Family and Children’s Service by making a distribution from your estate. Whether you support a specific program, honor a loved one as a Named Fund, establish an endowed fund to exist in perpetuity, or give outright, you can support what is most important to you.

Your benefits include:

  • Possibility to make a more sizeable gift than you could during your lifetime
  • Potential reduction of taxes for your estate and heirs
  • How to make your gift:
    • Choose which assets, including cash, stock or mutual funds, real estate, or other property, to give to JFCS
    • Add language to your will or trust to establish your bequest.
  • You can also designate JFCS as an eventual beneficiary of your IRA.

Charitable Gift Annuities

You can make a generous gift and receive a stream of payments to you and/or a loved one – all while generating valuable tax benefits.

How it works:

  • JFCS promises by contract to pay you and/or a loved one fixed payments for life in exchange for a gift of cash or securities
  • Amount of payments is based on your and/or your beneficiary’s age and the value of the donated asset
  • After your lifetime(s), the remaining balance passes to JFCS

Your benefits include:

  • Income for you and/or a loved one for life
  • Immediate income tax deduction for a portion of your contribution
  • A portion of future payments may be tax-free
  • Favorable capital gains treatment for appreciated securities
  • Flexibility to start payments immediately or defer to a later date
  • Favorable payout rates
  • Security of your investment being backed by JFCS and not affected by market fluctuations

IRA Gifts

Donors who are 72 or older (or who turned 70 ½ by December 31) can direct all or part of the required annual minimum distribution (up to $100,000 per individual) from a traditional IRA to JFCS. By doing so, you pay no taxes on the distribution while helping our neighbors most in need.

Your benefits include:

  • Reducing your taxable income while simultaneously benefitting our community
  • The opportunity to direct the distribution to create a new Named Fund, add to an existing Named Fund, or satisfy an existing pledge to JFCS
  • NOTE: The distribution cannot be directed to a Donor Advised Fund, nor used to pay for tickets to an event.

How to make your gift:

  • Contact your IRA custodian, requesting that a specified amount of your distribution be made directly to JFCS, Tax ID 86-0096781
  • Notify JFCS that your gift is on the way and let us know how you would like it to be used
  • Thinking of leaving a bequest? You can also designate JFCS as an eventual beneficiary of your IRA.
  • If you make a contribution to your IRA this year, the amount you are allowed to give tax-free through a Charitable IRA Rollover may be reduced by the amount added to your IRA.

Named Funds

Establishing a Named Endowment Fund is a wonderful way to provide support for the most vulnerable in our community now and for future generations. This giving opportunity enables you to contribute to JFCS (or a specific JFCS program that is especially meaningful to you), to memorialize a loved ones, or to commemorate a special occasion. With a gift of $10,000 or more (which may be paid over four years) you will create an endowment that lasts into perpetuity for generations to come.

Donor Benefits:

  • An income tax deduction (and avoidance of capital gain taxes on gifts of appreciated stock),
  • An annual impact report describing your Fund’s investment performance (after reaching the $10,000 threshold) and those helped during the year through its income distribution,
  • The opportunity to add a customized web page about your Fund to JFCS’ website and/or to have announcements about the creation of your Fund sent to family and friends.

Donor Advised Funds

Your JFCS Donor Advised Fund serves as your own private “mini-foundation,” providing a streamlined way to achieve your charitable goals.

How it works:

  • Establish your Fund with a gift of $10,000 or more in cash, securities, or property through a simple agreement
  • JFCS invests the funds prudently
Make fund distribution recommendations

Your benefits include:

  • Immediate income tax deduction for assets contributed to your Fund at any time
  • Choose which charities to support now or over time
  • Potential capital gains tax avoidance for appreciated assets
  • Fund assets grow tax-free and are professionally managed

Other Ways to Give

Gifts of Stock

With a gift of appreciated stock, you support people in need while bypassing capital gains taxes and receiving substantial income tax deductions. Click here for stock donation instructions

Life Insurance Gifts

Transfer ownership or make JFCS the beneficiary of a policy by requesting and completing a form supplied by your life insurance company. By doing so you may avoid certain taxes to you and your heirs.

Real Estate Gifts

By gifting real estate to JFCS you can claim a charitable tax deduction based on the full market value of the property. You also avoid capital gains taxes and eliminate certain costs associated with the transfer of real property.

Because special IRS regulations, such as substantiation of value through a “qualified appraisal” and depreciation recapture, apply, it is especially important to obtain professional advice if you are considering this option.

Retirement Assets

Giving retirement assets—for example, from your 401K or IRA—is both convenient and tax-efficient. Continue to take tax withdrawals during your lifetime and achieve favorable tax results for your heirs. Simply update your beneficiary designation form through your retirement plan administrator and notify JFCS.

As with all important financial decisions, you may want to consult legal and financial professionals for advice.

View Legacy Gift Confirmation Form
View Declaration of Commitment Form

For More Information About Planned Giving Options, Please Call:

Carrol Gottfried (602) 567-8313

The Legacy Society is a partnership with the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix. To learn more about the endowments and planned gift programs, go to https://phoenixcjp.org/

  • Check out some resources to help you get the guidance and support you need.
  • Learn more about the lives that have been impacted by the programs and people at JFCS.