Book – Partners Program

Introduction

Making a Legacy gift commitment can be an empowering and moving experience for donors.

Their commitment, or promise, to including your Amuta in their plans is a testament to their support for and their intention to make an enduring impact on the world.

The Israel Legacy Book program provides your Amuta with a way to honor your donor’s gift commitment in a meaningful way. It’s also a unique opportunity for your donors to speak to the intention of their gift – in the form of a personal statement – and express what Jewish Legacy means to them.

As an Israel Legacy partner, your Amuta is invited to have a printed and online Legacy Book as part of your Legacy gift commitment program.

Join us and Harness the Power of Legacy

Creating a legacy plan has a certain magic.

You sit in this world pondering a future one and wonder what you would do if the power to shape it were yours. You may not see yourself as possessing such power, but you do.

For your donors, Legacy represents an opportunity to express their personal belief system – their values – and join them with the material means they have acquired. This marriage of values and valuables is the essence of legacy planning. It is an exhilarating experience open to everyone, regardless of age, wealth or interests.

We created the Legacy Book program to provide your Amuta and your supporters with a meaningful way to come together and capture the essence of Legacy. The Legacy Book, filled with personal statements written inside, will become an enduring way for your donors to share their experience with family members and future generations.

CAROL KARSCH, Founder

From the inside cover of the ISRAEL LEGACY BOOK

About theLegacy Book Program

The Legacy Book brings the spirit of Legacy to life. Each of your Legacy donors will be invited to sign it and include a personal statement to be printed in the Book.

Signing the Legacy Book becomes the culmination of your donors’ gift commitment. It’s a chance to put into words what Legacy means to them. For your organization, the Legacy Book program offers a way to honor your donors and build a sense of community among your Legacy donors. Your Legacy book can become the cornerstone of your program!

What’s included in the Legacy Book program:

Printed Legacy
Book Online Legacy Book
Gift Commitment Process
Personal Statements
Donor Recognition
Promoting Your Legacy Book Program

The Gift Commitment

With Legacy, most donors choose to make a gift commitment before formalizing their gift in their will or estate plan.

When you create a legacy gift through your estate plans, you ensure that Israel will thrive for generations. Common gift commitments include wills, trusts, life insurance, and retirement plans.

We welcome legacy gifts of all sizes and will work with you to craft a meaningful acknowledgment of your generosity.

A note about GIFT COMMITMENT FORMS

Many nonprofits gift commitment forms or Letter of Intent forms to signify the donor’s intent to make a Legacy gift. Although these are not required when you have a Legacy Book program, some donors may still request them. For that reason, it’s a good idea to create these forms in case they are needed. See example template forms here that you can customize.

Gift commitment Forms Letter of Intent Forms

Donor Recognition

Recognizing and thanking your donors for their Legacy gift commitment is an integral part of successful Legacy programs.

There is no one way to do it, but special events and thank-you letters are commonly used.

Israel Legacy is creating a new donor recognition print that will be available to all donors who include Israel in their Legacy. You are invited to incorporate the donor recognition print into your Legacy book program.

Getting Started with Your Legacy Book

Here are a few next steps to get started with the Legacy Book

The Printed Book

The printed Israel Legacy Book will reside at your physical location and includes individual pages where your donor can sign it and a printed personal statement.

The Online Book

The online version of the Book can be added to your website and will offer an easy and effective way to showcase your program and donor statements online.

Personal Statement with Signature

Each donor will receive a page in the printed Book with their personal statement and signature. You will manually print the personal statements and insert them into the physical Book. Personal statements can also be shown online on your website.

Personalizing Your Legacy Book

Every Legacy Book will be personalized with your organization’s logo and text on the cover and inside cover. You can create any language you choose.

To get started, fill out our Legacy Book order form.

Promoting your Legacy Book

There are many ways to promote your Legacy Book and support your overall Legacy marketing and communications eﬀorts. Israel Legacy can help support your Legacy Book and overall marketing eﬀorts.

Here are a few ideas for your promotional eﬀorts

SHOW YOUR LEGACY BOOK TO DONORS AND VISITORS – When donors or other supporters visit your oﬀice or program location, show them the Legacy book and tell them about your Legacy program.

YOUR WEBSITE – Add information about the Legacy Book to your Legacy page, blog, and home page.

BROCHURE – Create a printed and PDF brochure showcasing your Legacy book and program.

How Israel Legacy can help:

Online Legacy Book

We will provide you with a turn-key online Legacy Book website or designs that you can easily add to your website.

Promotional Templates

We will provide templates and examples for your print, email, brochures, and website. This includes a specially designed Legacy invitation for email and print.

Marketing and Advertising

We will be promoting the Israel Legacy Book program and partner organization through our marketing and advertising eﬀorts.

More about the Personal Statement

The donor personal statement is an opportunity for your donors to share something about their Legacy gift, their values, their story, or something important to them with their family and community. There are no specific requirements – your donors should share something meaningful to them.

Many donors choose to share their ideas, motivations, or aspirations behind their gift Some of your donors will honor a specific individual, such as a parent or grandparent, while others will write about their story or connection to your cause.

“For me, Legacy is about our tradition and shared connection with the people and cause we support and love

FAQ

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What is the cost for the Print and Online Versions of the Legacy Book?

There is no charge for organizations who complete have completed or will complete our program in 2024 and 2025.

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Does our organization need both a printed and online Legacy Book?

We highly recommend having both a printed and online version. The print version of the book oﬀers a very impactful way to engage your donors, both in person and through your website and marketing. Most of your donors will appreciate the opportunity to have a permanent page written in your book. The online version of the book provides a way to showcase your donor’s personal statement online and build awareness for the program.

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Will my donors be familiar with the Legacy Book concept?

Some of your U.S. donors may be familiar with the concept of the Legacy Book from the Jewish Community Foundations Legacy program or the Life and Legacy program from the Harold Grinspoon foundation.

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Where will we keep the printed Legacy Book?

You can keep the book at your head oﬀice or other physical location. It is recommended that you showcase the Book to show prospective donors when they visit your location.

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Are donors required to write a personal statement or sign the book?

Participating in your Book program should always be encouraged but is optional. Some donors prefer to stay completely anonymous or may not want to sign the book for some reason. If they decline to sign the book, you can still recognize their contribution privately with a personal thank you and provide them with a donor recognition print.

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When should donors write their personal statement?

Ideally a personal statement should be written as soon as the Amuta is made aware of the donors intended legacy gift. This helps to capture the euphoria of being able to transition intangible values and visions into something real and tangible. At times this may not be possible, work with your donor to achieve whatever is possible.

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What other forms should the donor sign?

Once your donors have written their personal statement, you will print it out and add it to the Legacy Book on the paper provided in the book.

– If you donor chooses not to write a personal statement in the Legacy Book, you can still provide them with a donor recognition print.
– While the printed book will sit at your physical location, the online book will be available for all your donors and supports to read on your website.
– Showing your donor’s online personal statements is a great way to grow interest in your Legacy program.

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Are gift commitment or signing the book considered a legal transaction?

No, signing the Legacy Book or any other type of gift commitment form is an informal document that signifies the donor’s intent and commitment to include your organization in their will or estate plan. It is not a legally binding document.

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