eJewish Philanthropy, February 2, 2021
Donor-Advised Funds are the Future of the Jewish Future Pledge
Mike Leven and others are engaged in trying to integrate the pledge into the systems of Jewish philanthropy by identifying where that wealth is currently sitting, and then motivating financial planners, fundraisers and influential younger donors to become ambassadors for the pledge.
The Jewish Exponent, January 28, 2021
“The Jewish Future Contest” – Atlantic Seaboard NCSY and Jewish Future Pledge’s Youth initiative announced a video/essay competition!
The contest kicked off recently when NCSY gathered 35 teen leaders from regional high schools to hear from Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia board co-chair David Adelman, who is the CEO of Campus Apartments. He described how he got where he is and how each of them could embody philanthropic principles and give back to the Jewish community.
The Times of Israel, January 21, 2021
Michael Leven’s Philanthropy Campaign
The Jewish Future Pledge is designed to ensure that core components of Jewish life — Jewish organizations, religious institutions and causes related to Israel — are sustained, precisely when there is no guarantee that future generations will produce Jewish-focused philanthropy to match the levels of the current era.
eJewish Philanthropy, January 11, 2021
Talking To Your Children About Jewish Giving
As we took our seats in the living room surrounded by our four children and their spouses just one year ago, a mixture of trepidation and excitement filled the air. My wife and I began the conversation.
Inside Philanthropy, January 11, 2021
Behind a Pledge to Mobilize Billions in New Giving for Jewish Causes
It’s been more than a decade since billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates launched the Giving Pledge, a campaign that encourages the most affluent people in the world to join Buffett and the Gateses in donating most of their wealth to charity.
Enter the Jewish Future Pledge—a new campaign that’s based in part on the Giving Pledge but geared toward Jewish philanthropists of all income brackets.
Mayberg Foundation, December 03, 2020
Values that have encouraged Jews to allocate their charitable dollars to the Jewish future
Every Jewish family actualizes their values in different ways, and one recently launched initiative, Jewish Future Pledge, provides a platform for Jews to express their values through a lasting gift to the Jewish people.
The Algemeiner, December 3, 2020
Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life, 2020
Mike Leven and Amy Holtz, co-founders of the Jewish Future Pledge, have been included in the list of the Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life, 2020. Mike Leven is a legendary business executive and philanthropist. Amy Holtz is a visionary leader and strategist with more than two decades of experience leading and growing businesses and nonprofits.
The Forward, November 12, 2020
The Joy of Paying it Forward, by David Cygielman
Watching Moishe House participants grow into strong Jewish communal leaders over the years and reflecting on the generosity I’ve benefitted from throughout my life fills me with enormous joy and gratitude. So when I discovered the Jewish Future Pledge, a new nonprofit initiative formed to encourage Jews around the world to commit 50% of the charitable dollars in their estate plan to Jewish causes, my wife and I didn’t think twice about making the commitment. In fact, when I first brought it up with my wife, she looked at me and asked, “Why wouldn’t we?”
The Jewish News of Northern California, November 9, 2020
Today’s youth are seekers, so let’s creatively show them Judaism
Jewish institutions often fail to attract young people because we don’t package Judaism in a way that resonates with them. Like any product, service or idea, Judaism needs to be marketed. We need to reach future generations through creative channels with innovative products so that they may too share our love and passion for Judaism.
WealthManagement.com, November 6, 2020
Pandemic Philanthropy: Align Giving With Your Clients’ Faith
Families with MS GIFT accounts may also consider participating in the Jewish Future Pledge, a new collaboration part of MS GIFT’s ongoing commitment to faith-based giving and investing, by committing 50% or more of their charitable assets to support the Jewish people and/or the State of Israel.
CT Jewish Ledger, November 3, 2020
Jewish Future Pledge and JFNA partner to ensure the future of Jewish giving
Today, Jewish Future Pledge and The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) announced a new partnership, which will advance a shared vision and commitment to secure a vibrant Jewish future, sparking critical intergenerational conversations about Jewish values and proliferating a culture of legacy giving.
Webinar: JFNA’s General Assembly, October 26, 2020
Power of Legacy: Planned Giving’s Role in Mobilizing Crisis Response and Securing the Future.
As our panelists, Michael Balaban, David Brown, Michael Friedman, Mike Leven, Laura Linder, Elisa Palter, Julie Platt and Mark Silberman shared, planned giving has played a lead role in mobilizing our response to this current crisis and will play an increasingly important role in the coming years as we continue to strengthen our communities and secure the Jewish future.
Jewish News Syndicate, October 25, 2020
Partnering to Ensure the Future of Jewish Giving
The Jewish Future Pledge and JFNA announced a new partnership, which will advance a shared vision and commitment to secure a vibrant Jewish future, sparking critical intergenerational conversations about Jewish values and proliferating a culture of legacy giving.
The Algemeiner, October 23, 2020
New Initiative Seeks to Secure Jewish Future Through Charitable Giving
The non-profit initiative Jewish Future Pledge recently announced a new partnership with Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) that will help advance their shared commitment to secure a vibrant Jewish future.
Jewish News Syndicate, October 12, 2020
The Jewish Future Pledge partners with Morgan Stanley, asking donors to plan ahead.
The two organizations plan to work together in educating clients and advisors about the opportunities to ensure that their values are reflected in their financial, estate and charitable planning.
The Associated Press, September 30, 2020
Jewish Future Pledge Announces Collaboration with Morgan Stanley GIFT to Advance Faith-Based Giving Initiative
Today, the Jewish Future Pledge announced a new collaboration with Morgan Stanley’s charitable giving vehicle, Morgan Stanley GIFT, a donor advised fund.
Times of Israel, September 14, 2020
Facing our future this Rosh Hashanah
“Ayeka!?” – “Where are you!?” With this one-word question posed by God to Adam, one of humanity’s fundamental missions is revealed: Where are you when you are needed?
The Jerusalem Post, September 2, 2020
How to ensure a vibrant Jewish future
If Jews do not support our own community, our communal institutions will not have the support they need to continue.
eJewish Philanthropy, July 14, 2020
Ensuring the Jewish future, One Conversation At a Time
If you care about the Jewish future, I hope you will join me in signing this pledge. It is a powerful way to lead by example – for your kids, for your community, and for future generations. As my father taught me many years ago, there is no greater gift than you can give than inspiring a commitment to the Jewish people.
The Forward, June 23, 2020
Unless Jews Start Listening to Each Other, Our Future Will Be Lost
We come from the same places and share the same history. I think about the countless Jewish lives persecuted, oppressed, and killed by regimes of all kinds over millennia. While there were wide divides within our community throughout the ages, we found ways to bridge our gaps and move forward with our shared Jewish project.
It is time for everyone in the Jewish world to take a breath, take some time to think, and focus on what makes us similar rather than what makes us different.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, June 22, 2020
Jewish organizations are in danger. Our legacy planning should make sure they survive.
While I was creating my own donor-advised funds for my sons, my wife wisely asked, “How do you know they are going to spend this Jewishly?” It hit me like a bolt. I never thought about what was going to happen to my donor-advised funds after I die. I started the Jewish Future Pledge to invite others — not only Warren Buffet’s billionaires — to pledge that upon their passing, they leave at least 50% of their assets for charitable purposes to continue to support our people.
Jewish News Syndicate, June 9, 2020
Jewish Future Pledge calls on Jews to allocate half of their charitable estate to charity
This is not a fundraiser. It is a monumental chance to sustain the financial future of the Jewish people, and to ensure that our values and wisdom endure for generations.
New Jersey Jewish Standard, May 28, 2020
Giving it to the Jews: Jewish Future Pledge asks donors to plan their bequests
“What’s really powerful is you’re having these conversations with professionals — stockbrokers, insurance people — and you’re having these conversations with your children. It’s not unusual to talk about estate planning with your peers. Having this conversation and this pledge is a powerful vehicle for making a change and commitment for our future.”
Jewish Future Pledge Asks for Commitment
Part of that is stressing to potential signers that the pledge requires only 50% of the charitable funds they’d leave behind support Jewish causes. There’s no restriction as to what can be funded, as long as it’s Jewish.
“It doesn’t make any difference to me where the resources are going to be spent in the end,” Leven said.
eJewish Philanthropy, May 17, 2020
A $600 Billion Opportunity to Secure the Jewish Future
“This initiative comes at a critical time for the Jewish community. More and more young Jews are disengaged; the U.S.-Israel relationship faces new challenges; and the institutions that have held our community together for generations hang in the balance. Nearly two-thirds of young Jews do not belong to any synagogue, and nearly 25% of people born to Jewish families now claim they have “no religion.” Intermarriage continues to pull many younger Jews out of the community because our institutions have not adapted to accommodate interfaith families fast enough. At the same time, fewer and fewer Jews see Israel as a critical part of their Jewish identity.”
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, May 14, 2020
New Jewish giving pledge takes a page from Gates and Buffett initiative
“We have an historic opportunity to write the next chapter of the Jewish story,” Leven said in a statement. “By acting now, we can ensure that more than $600 billion is set aside for Jewish causes as wealth is transferred from this generation to the next. I wanted to start a conversation with my family about the importance of securing the Jewish future. I see an enormous opportunity to help spark thousands – even millions – of similar conversations around Jewish tables before my generation passes about why the Jewish future matters.”
Times of Israel, May 14, 2020
New US Jewish donation pledge takes a page from Gates and Buffett initiative
A new initiative asks Jewish-American donors to earmark at least 50 percent of the charitable giving in their estate plan to Jewish- or Israel-related causes. The Jewish Future Pledge, co-founded by philanthropist and entrepreneur Michael Leven and Jewish executive Amy Holtz, was launched on Wednesday.
Cleveland Jewish News, May 14, 2020
New US Jewish donation pledge takes a page from Gates and Buffett initiative
“We have an historic opportunity to write the next chapter of the Jewish story,” Leven said in a statement. “By acting now, we can ensure that more than $600 billion is set aside for Jewish causes as wealth is transferred from this generation to the next. I wanted to start a conversation with my family about the importance of securing the Jewish future. I see an enormous opportunity to help spark thousands – even millions – of similar conversations around Jewish tables before my generation passes about why the Jewish future matters.”
Times of Israel, May 13, 2020
New US group seeks to ensure young Jewish donors keep giving to Jewish causes
“We trust the next generation,” co-founder Amy Holtz said. “We think they’re going to make great decisions. We’re not mandating where they give. We just want to make sure that they give Jewish.”
AEPi’s The Lion – Winter Issue 2020
Securing the Jewish Future
“As AEPi Brothers, we understand that we need to step up as leaders in the Jewish community, and I invite AEPi Brothers to become leaders in the Jewish Future Pledge,” said Leven. “The Jewish future is in our hands, and it starts with each one of us.”
American Jewish University Webinar, April 21 2020
A Six Billion Dollar Opportunity
A person’s net worth is measured not by what he earns, but by what he gives. Join David Groshoff, J.D., M.B.A., Ed.M. Interim Dean, Graduate School of Nonprofit Management, and Professor of Business & Law at American Jewish University, in conversation with Mike Leven and Mark Silberman: two leading entrepreneurs and philanthropists behind the Jewish Future Pledge, a new movement designed to ignite a culture of Jewish legacy giving and spark critical intergenerational conversations about why the Jewish Future matters.
Jewish Funders Network Webinar, March 22, 2020
Tzedakah We Can Believe In: A $600 Billion Opportunity to Secure the Jewish Future
Jewish philanthropy is declining, as many families are increasing their giving to causes outside the community. A rising percentage of the next generation of Jews are disconnecting from Judaism and the State of Israel. Now is the time to do something radical to secure the Jewish future. The Jewish Future Pledge is igniting a national conversation and encouraging Jews to commit at least 50 percent or more of the charitable dollars in their legacy giving to Jewish and Israel-related causes.
Atlanta Jewish Times, July 10, 2019
Pledging Today for Tomorrow’s Jewish Future
Over the next 25 years, a staggering amount of money – estimates range as high as $60 trillion – will transfer from the Baby Boomers to the millennials and Gen Z.
Copyright 2020 © Jewish Future Pledge
Copyright 2020 © Jewish Future Pledge
Copyright 2020 © Jewish Future Pledge