To pay by check, please mail to B’nai Jeshurun at 270 West 89th Street, New York, NY 10024.

To pay by phone, please contact Liza Sacks, Senior Development Manager, at 212-787-7600 x263.

Making a planned gift to BJ ensures that your commitment to our spirited and dynamic community continues to help us grow, innovate and make lasting social change for generations to come.  Planned giving also helps you make a larger contribution than a cash gift, which furthers your support for BJ–while providing tax and other financial benefits to you. There are many ways to create a meaningful legacy:

• Make a bequest to BJ. You can bequeath assets in a will or a trust for a specific amount of money or assets, a percentage of those assets, or the residual (what is left over after heirs and other obligations are paid) from an estate. Please consult with your attorney or financial planner, and contact Amanda Greenawalt at 212-787-7600 x228 to arrange the bequest.
• List BJ as a beneficiary. Beneficiary designations are an easy way to make a planned gift. Simply list B’nai Jeshurun as a full or partial beneficiary of a retirement account, insurance policy or savings account.
• Create a Charitable Gift Annuity for BJ. A Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) enables you to make a charitable contribution to BJ and receive financial benefits for yourself. When you create a CGA for BJ, you will receive guaranteed income for life, and, potentially, both an immediate tax deduction and future tax savings. Many donors find that a CGA enables them to boost their philanthropy to a higher level than they had ever thought possible.

It is an important Jewish tenet to support the institutions that help us live meaningful Jewish lives. By designating B’nai Jeshurun as a beneficiary of your gift annuity, you will help sustain the many rituals and practices, spiritual experiences, and educational and social programs that are so vital to our Jewish community and crucial to ensuring the continuity of our people.

What is a charitable gift annuity?

A charitable gift annuity (CGA) enables you to give charitable contributions to B’nai Jeshurun and receive financial benefits for yourself. When you create a CGA, you will receive guaranteed income for life, and the potential for an immediate tax deduction and future tax savings. In fact, because of these benefits, many donors find that a CGA enables them to give more philanthropically than they ever thought possible.

Do I have to be wealthy to create a CGA?

No. The minimum amount required to set up a CGA is only $10,000. And with the tax savings and guaranteed income from a CGA, you may find that it is easy to make a substantial charitable contribution to B’nai Jeshurun.

How does the CGA program work, and how does it help BJ?

UJA-Federation of New York administers the program on behalf of many charities, including B’nai Jeshurun. Annuity payments to you will come from UJA-Federation, and ultimately 90% of the remaining value will go to B’nai Jeshurun. The remaining 10% will go to UJA-Federation, which supports the entire Jewish community and helps cover the administration of the CGA program.

How do I create a CGA?

Creating a CGA is very simple. It is an agreement between you and UJA-Federation. As part of the agreement, UJA-Federation is obligated to pay you an annual income for life, based on your age, starting at age 65.

With a CGA, you have the opportunity to lock in a high fixed rate of return for life, and the potential for immediate tax deductions. You can also make a lasting impact on the community you care so much about. Because annuity payments begin at age 65, a CGA can be a useful retirement-planning vehicle.

For those younger than 65, a deferred CGA may be established to yield potential immediate tax deductions, as well as retirement security for the future. Two-life CGAs are also available. In this case, the annual income payments usually continue through the last survivor’s lifetime.

Charitable Gift Annuity Rates

Please contact Amanda Greenawalt to learn more.

If your family has a foundation or donor-advised fund, you can make a grant to support any one of BJ’s programs or exciting new initiatives. Please contact Amanda Greenawalt to learn how your family can support BJ in this way.

Using securities that have appreciated in value is an excellent way to make a gift to BJ. In most cases, you will be entitled to an income tax charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the securities on the date of the gift and will not have to report capital gains income. Please review this document for stock transfer information, and ask your broker to contact Amanda Greenawalt at 212-787-7600 x228.

How to Make Stock Transfers: Our DTC number is #0062 and our broker is Vanguard Brokerage Services. The account number for Congregation B’nai Jeshurun is #60703765. You must contact us any time you make a transfer of stock to let us know how to allocate the funds and so that we can readily match your generous gift to you as the donor.

You may be able to double or even triple your gift to BJ through a corporate matching gift from your employer. As a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, BJ may be eligible for many employers’ corporate matching gifts programs. Please ask your employer if they have a matching gift program, then contact Amanda Greenawalt. We’ll do the rest—and let you know when your corporate match comes in.

Please click here for wire transfer details, and contact Amanda Greenawalt for more information.