Life & Legacy® has its roots in San Diego, California. Gail Littman (of blessed memory) and Marjory Kaplan, former CEO of the San Diego Jewish Community Foundation, launched the Endowment Leadership Institute (ELI) in 2004.
Word of its success soon reached Harold Grinspoon, who is committed to preserving vibrant Jewish communities. In 2008 he invited Gail to launch a similar initiative in his hometown community in Western Massachusetts.
After the success in Western Massachuestts, and other pilot initiatives, Life & Legacy was launched in 2012.
Life & Legacy is a eight-year partnership program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation that assists communities across North America, through partnerships with Jewish Federations and Foundations to promote after-lifetime giving to build endowments that will sustain valued organizations and vibrant Jewish communities for the next generation and beyond.
Through training, support, and monetary incentives, Life & Legacy motivates Jewish
organizations to secure legacy gifts, steward donors, and integrate legacy giving into the philanthropic culture of the Jewish community. Read our latest white paper here.
Life & Legacy’s four main objectives are to:
- Impact Jewish communal philanthropic culture to make legacy giving normative behavior
- Enable all donors to be philanthropists
- Encourage strong stewardship practices in organizations and communities
- Develop camaraderie and respect among organizations while sharing the goal of legacy building
"Life & Legacy is an amazing tool for our community organizations to use to promote legacy giving and endowments. It is unlike anything we have ever used in the past, and it is bringing real, meaningful results to our community. We are so grateful to be part of this nationwide program."
– Judi CoRsaro, Chief Executive Officer, The Jewish Federation of Charleston, SC
“Life & Legacy has professionalized us and given us a real sense of purpose and know-how in securing our future. It’s really changed us as an organization in profound ways that can’t be overstated.”
- Rabbi Menasche East, Freedom Jewish Center, Randolph, NJ