Legacy Gifts

Securing the future of Valley Beth Shalom is our collective responsibility.
We simply cannot do it without you.
We need your support, your commitment and your legacy.

For more than 60 years Valley Beth Shalom has been a vibrant, inclusive and innovative center of Jewish life and learning. Thanks to our members, VBS continues to grow and thrive.  

Shaping The Future

We all play a role in shaping the future…Your wisdom, generosity, and the impact you’ve had on Jewish life in the community and at this synagogue will be remembered and forever appreciated. It costs nothing today to include VBS in a future legacy gift, but making legacy plans still allow you to support VBS... And you'll join a dedicated circle of supporters ensuring the future VBS with a legacy gift.

Create Your Own Approach to Philanthropy

Everyone has different priorities to  account for in their budgets, and juggling it all can make it hard to decide how much to give to your favorite charitable causes. The good news is that your support doesn’t have to come all at once! By combining a current gift with a future gift, you can make a big impact on those we serve—both today and tomorrow. Your generosity will help us meet critical needs today and allow us to plan for the future with confidence.

You can make a positive difference for others by creating your philanthropic legacy. Commit to give what makes you feel good out of your trust or will. There are many tax-wise ways you can make a permanent impact on our future:

• Donate cash from your estate
  You can commit to a particular amount to be paid out of your estate or trust in one lump sum to help us provide Endowment support or operational necessities.
• Make an estate gift of other assets
  Stocks, bonds, and other financial products that have grown in value since you first purchased them make it possible to give a larger donation for less cost.
• Include Valley Beth Shalom in Your Will or Trust
  This is an easy and flexible way to extend your support. You can agree to donate a specific dollar amount or leave a percentage of your assets from your estate. Typically something as simple as one sentence in your trust documents or will is all it takes to establish your gift.
• Donate Retirement Plan Assets
  By making a simple designation on your plan’s beneficiary designation form, you can save your loved ones from a significant tax burden while helping VBS.
• Donate a Life Insurance Policy
  You can donate a no-longer-needed policy or simply name VBS as the beneficiary.

Naming Valley Beth Shalom on a beneficiary designation form for current assets or accounts is just one simple way to ensure that your support leaves a legacy. You can use a beneficiary designation form to name a person or organization to receive proceeds from life insurance policies and retirement plan assets after your lifetime. You can also do this with bank and brokerage accounts. Most states allow you to designate a beneficiary for these types of accounts in one of two ways:

• Payable on death (POD)
  You name one or more persons or charities as the beneficiary of your checking, savings or certificates of deposit once you, the account owner, pass away. 

• Transfer on death (TOD)
  You designate one or more persons or charities to receive proceeds from your brokerage or investment account after your lifetime. Bear in mind, it is not necessary for the designation to transfer all of the account solely to VBS—you can designate a certain percentage of the account instead.

Also, with both POD and TOD accounts, the beneficiary (VBS) has no rights to the funds until after your lifetime. Until then, you are free to use the money in the account, to change the beneficiary or to close the account.

Keep It Simple

Naming VBS as a beneficiary of a bank or brokerage account is just one simple and straightforward way to support our work. It also simplifies estate planning and administration because the executor of your estate won’t have to take any action to ensure your account transfers to whomever you designated.

Be sure to let us know that you have named us as a beneficiary so we can contact your administrator at the appropriate time and put your gift to work as you intend.

Many people consider a gift in their wills (or through their trusts) to be the simplest way to recognize a program close to their hearts. It’s an easy way to support our mission in the future without using any of your assets today. There are two special features that make this a popular type of gift:

Flexibility: A gift in your trust or will let you balance your philanthropic goals with the future needs of your loved ones. Because you aren’t parting with assets today, you don’t have to worry about living expenses and future medical costs should you need the assets during your lifetime. Plus, if established as a revocable gift, you can change your mind down the road.

Versatility: You can give a percentage of your estate to Valley Beth Shalom. Most people can’t predict the exact size of their final estate; therefore, making a gift by using a percentage amount can be a more effective means of dividing it. This allows you to benefit loved ones and VBS in the proportion you prefer.

Decide whether you wish to support specific programs at Valley Beth Shalom, or whether your gift will be made to VBS or the, VBS Endowment. Unless designated, your legacy gift will typically be invested in  the VBS Endowment Fund upon receipt by VBS. We are happy to work with you to designate funds to specific VBS programs or operations as well, if that is your preference.

Work with your attorney and/or, your financial advisor to update your estate plan. Notify us of your wishes so we can make sure your gift is used as you intended. Your generosity could set an example for others to follow.

If you have already included VBS in your will or estate plans, thank you. Please let us know so that we can show our appreciation and gratitude.

EVERY GIFT COUNTS
Give Today - Give Tomorrow

To learn how you can leave a lasting legacy to Valley Beth Shalom, please contact 
Judy Feldman, Development Director, at 818.530.4009

Help shape the future of Valley Beth Shalom