Welcome to the February edition of the Jewish Future Pledge Newsletter! Pledges to date: The Jewish Future Pledge reached 13,439 Pledgers, and the Jewish Youth Pledge now has 11,634 youth Pledgers! 
In this edition: - Meet Pledger Jackie Goldstein, who shares her perspective on why legacy discussions don’t have to be difficult
- Check out six tips to rally the next generation of philanthropists
- Everything new and newsworthy at The Jewish Future Pledge, including a pair of Jerusalem Post features and an article looking at the gap between Jewish donors and Jewish-focused giving
Pledger Spotlight: Jackie Goldstein
Why did you take the Jewish Future Pledge?
During COVID, I think we were frightened and thinking about our own mortality. That time was sobering, but in hindsight, lockdown gave me the luxury of downtime to really look at my legacy. Somewhere along the journey, I was told about the Jewish Future Pledge – and signed it. Up until that point, I had not given much thought to allocating charitable contributions in my will. Since signing the Jewish Future Pledge, 100% of my charitable giving will be going to Jewish organizations.
Why is it so important to take steps to establish your Jewish legacy?
Each one of us has unique talents, but we’re only here for a short time. We need to make that time mean something. We need to move the needle forward. Our intentions and our mindset make the world a better place, for sure. But there’s another step required as well: we need to turn those great thoughts into action.
One way I did this was to have conversations about my legacy with important people in my life, which some people find hard. But I didn’t think of these legacy discussions as “difficult conversations.” If I had started with the mindset, "this is going to be tough," then it likely would have been.
Instead, I saw them as a wonderful opportunity and learned how beautiful these conversations can be. They gave me a chance to discuss the things that mattered to me with the people that mattered to me; a chance to assess my priorities and to make sure I shared the stories that I wanted to share. It’s lovely to open the door to memories and hear the difference you’ve made and consider what you want to leave behind.
To learn more about Jackie’s story and what The Jewish Future Pledge means to her, click here. How To: Inspire Future Philanthropists with these Six Tips 
Making a difference can be a meaningful new adventure for young adults. Check out the full article here for more details on these six tips to inspire the next generation of philanthropists and establish or carry on a tradition of giving. The six tips: - Share your philanthropy story
- Be a hands-on guide
- Create meaningful roles
- Talk – and listen
- Share your philanthropic knowledge
- Get them in the game
New and Newsworthy 
'The Jewish Future Pledge is a wakeup call' – The Jerusalem Post
Tamar Uriel-Beeri, managing editor of Jpost.com, speaks with Russell Robinson, CEO of JNF-USA, about the importance of the Jewish Future Pledge and the Jewish Youth Pledge, two unique initiatives designed to help sustain the future of the Jewish people. JNF-USA, says Robinson, is an enthusiastic proponent of both pledges.
Julie Platt: Leaning in with the Jewish Future Pledge – The Jerusalem Post
It’s a long way from Wichita, Kansas, to New York City, the headquarters of the Jewish Federations of North America. Yet, Julie Platt, Chair of the Board of Trustees of JFNA, says that growing up in a small Jewish community in middle America played a vital role in developing the Jewish leadership skills that have served her throughout her career.
Half of US’s 25 most generous philanthropists are Jews. Few give to Jewish groups – Times of Israel
One thing that stands out about these Jewish philanthropists is that almost none focus giving on the Jewish community. Only Lynn and Stacy Schusterman of the Tulsa oil dynasty, who are paired together on the list, are prominent donors to Jewish causes. |
