How Your Gift Can Become Your Legacy with the Fund for the Jewish Future

How do you feel about the future of the Jewish people? Worried? Hopeful? Unsure? At Birthright Israel Foundation, we feel excited. We know the future will be bright, as long as we continue to raise funds in the US so that nearly 50,000 Jewish young adults get to experience Israel and its people every year. 

The life-changing, educational Birthright Israel trip has an “undeniable impact” on Jewish identity, and it’s the reason why supporter Dr. Marty Schulman first became involved with the Fund for the Jewish Future, formerly our Planned Giving program.

“In the end,” said Schulman, “I've contributed to something that will go on.”

As you think about future generations of Jews, even those beyond your own lifetime, you may be wondering what you too can do to contribute to “something that will go on.” The Fund for the Jewish Future provides quick, easy, long-term ways to be charitable. It enables you to sustain your family, secure the future of the Jewish people, and turn your gift to Birthright Israel Foundation into a lasting legacy.

Top Reasons to Make Your Gift a Lasting Legacy

1. It’s an easy, hassle-free process for you and your loved ones.

The Fund for the Jewish Future, established in 2025, is run by the friendly staff at Birthright Israel Foundation. We provide several financial options for planned or legacy giving, including:

• Direct Bequests
• Retirement Account Distributions
• Specialized Endowment Funds
• Charitable Lead Trusts
• Charitable Gift Annuity 

Don’t feel overwhelmed by all the planned giving choices—you won’t have to navigate the process alone. We’ll work one-on-one with you to determine a giving structure that best suits your needs, and the needs of your family, while also supporting our important mission.

2. Your loved ones are taken care of. 

Legacy giving won’t hurt your lifestyle or hamper your family’s finances in any way. If anything, it’s a path to financial planning and creating more wealth. A Birthright Israel Charitable Gift Annuity, for instance, can provide you with income for life while also securing a future gift for Birthright Israel Foundation. Benefits include a fixed rate of return and a tax deduction on the gift’s future value.

Opt for a charitable trust, meanwhile, and you can pass your assets onto your children and grandchildren. Ask us about all our options for gifts that generate income. You may ultimately be able to make a much larger gift than you originally thought you could afford.

3. Your gift helps ensure the continuity of the Jewish people.

At Birthright Israel Foundation, we have helped provide the gift of a connection to Jewish heritage to more than 900,000 Jewish young adults around the world for more than 25 years. The trip, which costs $5,000 for one person, is funded by individual donors, Jewish agencies, and the government of Israel.

The once-in-a-lifetime Birthright Israel trip isn’t just educational and experiential; it also has a lasting impact on the Jewish Diaspora. When polled by Brandeis University Maurice & Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies upon return from Israel:

• 85 percent of participants call Birthright Israel a life-changing experience
• They are twice as likely to feel "very much" connected to Israel
• 84 percent of participants are raising their children exclusively Jewish
• They are 122% more likely to celebrate their child's bar/bat mitzvah

Alumnus Daniel Winston called Birthright Israel the 10 most important days of his life. “Birthright Israel did, in fact, create my Jewish identity, something I will never lose sight of again,” he said.

It’s Birthright Israel Foundation’s donors who we have to thank for making these life-changing experiences possible. “We’ve seen the stats, we’ve heard the stories, and we’ve been fortunate enough to meet the alumni, so we know the program works,” said donor Sara Meyers. “There is power in the experience young adults have on the trip and it enables them to form community.”

4. Your Jewish values will be honored forever.

Do you want to see the impact of your generosity during your lifetime and also continue to contribute afterwards? Ensure the continuity of your strong ideals, your philanthropic goals, your name (or a loved one’s name), and the Jewish community with the strongest possible message of support: an Endowment Fund. 

Made through your local Federation or directly through Birthright Israel Foundation, your gift to an endowment fund can support any aspect of Birthright Israel's work.

5. It’s an opportunity to take control of your long-term financial goals. 

A legacy gift to the Fund for the Jewish Future doesn’t have to hit your wallet now. Instead, you can preserve both the value of your estate and the financial health of your family while simultaneously realizing your philanthropic aspirations. One way to do this is to bequest a gift by will or through a revocable living trust. 

Bequests, which take several forms, may be designated for a particular purpose or program, or left up to our discretion. Funds may be named in honor or memory of particular individuals, foundations, or families.

6. You will become part of the Fund for the Jewish Future community.

When you become part of our Fund for the Jewish Future community, your philanthropic family instantly grows. You’ll receive exclusive invitations to events sponsored by the Fund for the Jewish Future. Plus, you’ll get to see the impact your support is making. Rest assured, it will continue to make an impact, even beyond your lifetime. Best of all, there are no dues or obligations.

Your Gift Can Be Your Legacy

Before Birthright Israel, Abbey Taub feared for the future of the Jewish people, especially “the trajectory of my generation and those to follow.” But during her Birthright Israel trip, the alumna gained hope and peace of mind. “Because of Birthright Israel,” she said, “I am confident American Jews will always stand with Israel.”

Contribute to the continuity of the Birthright Israel trip so that Jewish young adults like Taub can connect with the Jewish State now and forever. Become a member of the Fund for the Jewish Future.