Happy New Year, and welcome to the January edition of the Jewish Future Pledge Newsletter! Pledges to date: The Jewish Future Pledge reached 12,007 Pledgers, and the Jewish Youth Pledge now has 11,041 youth Pledgers! 
In this edition: - Meet Pledger Ken Fink, who has made it his life’s work to help families plan their charitable giving
- How to properly evaluate a nonprofit organization before making a charitable commitment
- Everything new and newsworthy at The Jewish Future Pledge, including Noa Tishby’s signing the pledge and a celebration of Jewish contributions to society
Pledger Spotlight: Ken Fink
Why did you sign the Pledge? It’s so simple and such an easy “yes.” It’s a way for people to engage in a conversation about purpose and legacy in a non-threatening, but powerful way. You want to look backwards so you can reach forward, and the Pledge helps us tie together our connection to Israel, Judaism, and Jewish causes into the greater conversation about the future of the Jewish people. The past too often hangs on a string, and the Pledge lays the groundwork for important discussions with our family and friends. How does your practice help families leave their legacies? There’s a fundamental need to have an impact and purpose in your life, and most people don’t connect that to their estate planning. During a monthly sabbatical to Israel many years ago, I became inspired to show people with an interest in Tzedakah how to do so without paying taxes on their contributions. I was able to combine my business model with a personal sense of purpose, and soon had a national practice working with Jewish charitable organizations to help families incorporate charitable giving into their family planning. I personally believe no gift is too small and no gift is too big, and organize my firm to help everyone leave a meaningful legacy. To learn more about Ken’s story and what The Jewish Future Pledge means to him, click here. How To: Evaluating a Nonprofit Before You Donate 
It’s important to know that your charitable donation will be well spent and will support the programs you care about. Check out ProPublica’s full guide here on how to evaluate a nonprofit before donating. Topics within the guide include: - Why Should You Research a Nonprofit Before You Donate?
- How to Find Out Where Charity Money Goes
- How to Evaluate a Nonprofit’s Effectiveness
- Other Questions to Ask Before Donating to a Nonprofit
Click here to read the guide.New and Newsworthy 
Noa Tishby becomes the 11,000th person to sign the Jewish Future Pledge – Boulder Jewish News Renowned author, producer, actress, thought leader and Israel advocate Noa Tishby became the 11,000th pledger recently, signing at the 50th Annual International Lion of Judah Conference. Jewish empowerment: developing language to aim higher – eJewish Philanthropy Standing on the shoulders of those whose contributions have laid the groundwork in naming, leading and articulating a vision for empowerment, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto’s Yael Bendat-Appell suggests a framework for building towards advancing greater empowerment in the Jewish community. Jews, who knew? – Murray Rubin Enjoy a lighthearted highlighting of just a few of many Jewish contributions to society. You may or may not be familiar with their names, but for sure, your life has been impacted by their work. If you have not yet taken the Jewish Future Pledge, please do so by clicking here.
If you have taken the Pledge, forward this email to your friends and family to share the importance of the Jewish Future Pledge! | 
