At Tidewater Jewish Foundation (TJF), our vision is to build and guide exponentially more resources to empower Jewish life in Tidewater and beyond. We work tirelessly to bring to this vision to life by securing endowments that ensure the future of our Jewish community. As philanthropic advisors, we are dedicated to connecting philanthropists with the causes they are most passionate about. With our help, anyone can become a philanthropist and align their giving with the issues that matter most to them.
At TJF, we house a variety of endowments that support different aspects of Jewish life. From synagogue life to summer camp experiences, building relationships with Israel, and Jewish educational opportunities, we are here to maximize the impact of legacy gifts, always keeping our donor interests at the forefront.
Since our founding in 1984, TJF has distributed over $200 million in grants to Jewish and secular charitable organizations. What began as a single endowment fund has now grown to over $125 million in assets, managing nearly 1,000 active charitable funds on behalf of individual donor advisors, the Federation, and various local affiliate agencies and synagogues. We work closely with donors and their professional advisors to implement tax-advantaged charitable giving strategies, often involving multi-generational philanthropy.
One of our most successful initiatives is the LIFE & LEGACY program, which we brought to Tidewater. Through this program, we have helped secure the future of the Tidewater Jewish community with an estimated $21 million in future endowed commitments. LIFE & LEGACY has transformed the philanthropic culture in our community, underscoring our belief that everyone, regardless of age, wealth, or affiliation, can make a lasting financial impact for future generations. This program is a partnership with local synagogues and Jewish agencies and is funded by TJF, with ongoing training and support from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
Our organization also has strong relationships with area congregations, agencies, and organizations. We continue to secure legacy gifts in partnership with our affiliated organizations through LIFE & LEGACY and the Jewish Future Pledge. The Jewish Future Pledge encourages community members to commit at least 50% of their charitable dollars in their estate to Jewish causes or to support the state of Israel.
In addition to these programs, TJF offers various other initiatives designed to allow donors to develop and grow their giving though different life stages, such as the B’nai Tzedek Youth Philanthropy Program, Feldman Family Medical & Health Professions Student Scholarship, One Happy Camper Program, Simon Family Passport to Israel, and Stein Family Scholarship.
We also provide services like donor-advised funds, fund matching for charitable life insurance, charitable bequests, charitable trusts, reserved life estates, and charitable IRA distributions and designations.
Truly, at TJF, we believe that anyone can dedicate their life to giving. Get in touch with one of our philanthropic advisors today to learn how we can help you bring your legacy dreams to reality. Together, we can make a difference and create a lasting impact for generations to come.