Legacy Matters Plan your future giving

If you already have a will or revocable trust, amending it is actually quite easy.  Contact your estate planning attorney and have them to insert language to include JELF (sample below).  Doing this will help ensure that your values help generations of students after you're gone.

Sample Language:
"I leave ____% of my estate /or  _____ dollars ($____) to JELF - Jewish Educational Loan Fund (JELF), located at 4549 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, Atlanta, GA 30338. JELF's EIN is: 58-0568686"

Many individuals are only comfortable including a non-profit organization in their will if they know they have first provided for their family.

A contingent bequest can be a good way to leave "what’s left" after loved ones are looked after.  The named charity only gets what is left after all costs and bequests to others have been satisfied.

Retirement plan assets passed on to your heirs are subject to taxes that most other assets are not.  Naming JELF as the beneficiary of your retirement plan is one of the most efficient ways of passing along your assets in a tax efficient manner.

These assets are not typically governed by your will or trust. A separate beneficiary designation form shall be used by the administrator of your retirement plan. On that form name JELF with the following language:

Jewish Educational Loan Fund
EIN: 58-0568686

A life insurance policy that you no longer find useful, or a new one purchased with JELF as both owner and beneficiary, is a great way to leverage your legacy.  Further, a charity such as JELF can also be added as a partial beneficiary or a percentage of Death Benefit.  This does not replace any of your current beneficiaries.

Annuities can also make a dramatic impact on students' lives. Setting aside a certain amount or a percentage can be a great way to save your family on taxes, as well as help generations of Jewish students to come.

Contact your insurance professional to discuss the right option for you. We are happy to provide a preferred list of life insurance brokers.  Please email [email protected].

There are several ways you can inspire your loved ones to show their respect and love to you after you are gone:

• Leave instructions about where you prefer mourners donate to in lieu of flowers.
• Material donations of items you leave behind in your will, such as a car, boat or other property can be donated to lower taxes as well as increasing liquidity for your beneficiaries.
• Suggest that others volunteer or donate to JELF themselves -- so that your interest in helping Jewish students pursue their education can live on long after you are no longer here.

These types of gestures reminds those left behind of your passions and your generosity.

Do you wish you could afford to do more to help the community and make a larger gift? Charitable remainder trusts allow participants to make a donation of cash or assets to charity and draw annual income for their lifetime (or a specific time period). Each type of plan has unique benefits and is more or less appropriate depending on the assets you are considering using to fund the gift.

Call JELF or your tax advisor to discuss if a charitable gift that pays you income makes sense for your situation.