What Is Legacy Giving? Honoring the Memory of a Loved One

What is legacy giving?

Legacy giving is a form of charitable donation made through an individual’s estate plan – often through a will, trust, or beneficiary designation. It allows individuals to leave a meaningful and lasting impact by supporting the causes they care about most, even after their lifetime. For many, legacy giving is a final act of generosity that reflects their values, identity, and hopes for the future.

Put simply, legacy giving means making a plan today to give to charity after you pass. It’s often as easy as including a line in your will or naming a nonprofit as a beneficiary on an account or insurance policy. It’s a way to turn your lasting values into lasting impact.

Why Legacy Giving Matters for the Jewish People

Charity – or tzedakah – is not just encouraged in Judaism; it’s a foundational part of Jewish life. The connection between Jews and charity runs deep, spanning thousands of years. From Torah commandments to modern practice, Jewish tradition teaches us to care for the vulnerable, feed the hungry, and sustain our communities.

Legacy giving is an extension of this timeless value. It offers an opportunity to continue fulfilling the mitzvah of tzedakah even after life. For many donors, it is a way to uphold their identity, support Jewish people in need, and express gratitude for the blessings they received.

When you plan a legacy gift, you’re not just giving funds – you’re leaving behind a story, a mission, and a message that endures.

How Legacy Giving Works

Legacy giving is usually arranged during a person’s lifetime but carried out after their passing. It can take several forms, including:

• A bequest in a will
  
  
• Naming a charity as a beneficiary on a retirement or insurance account
  
  
• Donating real estate or appreciated securities
  
  
• Creating a charitable trust or donor-advised fund
  
  

These planned gifts allow donors to maintain control of their assets during life, while ensuring their legacy lives on. For some, it also provides tax benefits to their heirs or estate. Legacy giving doesn’t have to be complex – it just takes intention and a little planning.

The Benefits of Legacy Giving

Legacy Giving – Focusing on sustainability for people in Israel

Legacy giving creates long-term stability for nonprofits and communities. For donors who care deeply about supporting vulnerable populations in Israel, legacy gifts provide a reliable stream of support that can fund essential services far into the future – ensuring these critical programs continue uninterrupted.

Importantly, legacy gifts don’t require donors to give up financial security during their lifetime. It’s a way to take care of your family, preserve your assets, and still support causes that reflect your heart.

At Colel Chabad, legacy giving plays a vital role in sustaining services like healthcare, education, and food distribution – ensuring help is always available when people need it most, now and for generations to come.

Legacy giving opportunities as a form of financial sustainability

Colel Chabad is Israel’s oldest continuously operating tzedakah network, with over 230 years of experience helping Jews in need. A legacy gift helps extend that mission, making it possible to reach more people for years to come.

Legacy donations directly support life-changing programs such as:

• Widows and orphans charity – providing emotional, financial, and educational support for families facing loss
  
  
• Jewish charities for children – helping students learn, grow, and thrive
  
  
• Pantry Packers Israel – ensuring that food and dignity reach families facing hunger
  
  

These programs are more than services – they are lifelines. Legacy gifts ensure they never run dry.

Legacy Giving vs. Planned Giving

While the terms are often used interchangeably, they’re not quite the same.

Planned giving refers to any charitable donation arranged through financial or estate planning. This could include gifts made during life (such as donating stock or setting up a trust) or after death.

Legacy giving, on the other hand, specifically refers to gifts made after a person’s passing. It’s focused on creating a lasting legacy – an enduring act of tzedakah that continues beyond a donor’s lifetime.

Legacy giving is also often simpler than people realize. For example, adding a charitable bequest to your will or naming Colel Chabad as a beneficiary of a retirement account involves minimal legal work but creates a deep, long-term impact.

How Colel Chabad Benefits from Legacy Giving from the Heart

Legacy giving helps ensure that Colel Chabad can continue serving the Jewish people for generations to come. It allows the organization to expand its reach, improve its programs, and meet urgent needs with dignity and compassion.

It all starts with one Colel Chabad pushka – a small, everyday reminder that even simple acts of giving can change lives. That same spirit lives on in legacy gifts, which fund large-scale programs, emergency services, and community support systems across Israel.

Colel Chabad makes legacy giving easy and meaningful. 

Donors can:

• Set up a named family fund
  
  
• Choose specific programs to support
  
  
• Leave a general bequest to be used wherever it’s needed most
  

No matter the size or form, every legacy gift becomes part of a larger mission – one rooted in Jewish continuity, compassion, and community.

Legacy gifts also serve as a powerful way to honor loved ones. Many donors dedicate their gift in memory of a parent, spouse, or child – ensuring that their name lives on through acts of kindness and care.

Conclusion

Legacy giving is more than a financial choice – it’s a sacred opportunity to live your values and uplift others, even after your lifetime.

By making a legacy gift to Colel Chabad, you join a tradition of Jewish generosity that has spanned centuries. You help feed the hungry, support vulnerable families, and build a stronger, more compassionate Israel.

Your gift becomes a living tribute – one that honors your memory, carries forward your compassion, and touches countless lives in quiet, powerful ways.

Explore how your legacy can make a difference.

Start the conversation today – because the best legacies begin with intention, compassion, and care.

Learn more at the Jewish charity tradition page or discover the impact of tzedakah with Colel Chabad.