On Feb. 14, the Jewish Community Foundation brought together community leaders for the latest installment of its “Parking Lot Lunch” series.
The program, “Five Strategies to Invigorate Your Planned Giving Program: Choose Your Own Adventure!,” was presented by the Kansas City Symphony’s vice president for philanthropy, Alex Shapiro, and director of individual philanthropy, Karen Casebolt. Shapiro and Casebolt shared tips for engaging and enhancing each organizations’ planned giving efforts.
A group of 25 professionals and lay leaders representing 11 unique agencies and synagogues participated in the event. Prior to the presentation, attendees had the opportunity to socialize and network with one another before a lunch that included Meshuggah Bagels and Hershey’s Symphony candy bars. In addition to learning development and marketing tactics, attendees also shared best practices and personal successes in their respective planned giving programs.
“I always enjoy JCF programming, but especially Parking Lot Lunches,” said Cristina Cowan, senior development associate at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy. “I was pleasantly surprised to learn how applicable planned giving at an arts organization, the KC Symphony, can be for us at an educational institution. The food may have persuaded me the first time, but the energy, insights and camaraderie keep me coming back.”
The gathering illustrates the Foundation’s efforts to help connect communal organizations through their commitment to create a brighter future through planned giving. The Parking Lot Lunch series is part of the Foundation’s Create a Jewish Legacy program which has provided nearly 250 professionals, lay leaders, and clergy with development training, consulting, networking opportunities, customized marketing resources, and financial incentives. The series is funded through a generous endowment by the late Sam and Lucy Gould and gets its memorable name from Sam’s profession as a parking lot owner. The name also acknowledges the fact that some of the most meaningful communal discourse takes place in the parking lot following meetings.
Attendees were invited to participate in an anonymous survey after the event. The responses indicated that 100% of participants thought the presentation was very good or excellent. An anonymous respondent shared the following thoughts: “The presentation was extremely straightforward, and I left with real tools to be able to start planning our planned giving programming.”
Legacy giving has been at the forefront of the communal agenda since the Foundation debuted its Bushman Community Endowment Program in 2007. Since then, community agencies and synagogues have actively worked to establish legacy gifts to support their missions in perpetuity. Legacy gifts, which are generally established during a donor’s lifetime and come to fruition at a donor’s death, help ensure the future stability of an organization and its ability to provide services for future generations. Nearly $114 million has been committed in future gifts to benefit the local Jewish community, adding to the more than $75 million that has already been realized. These totals represent in excess of 1,000 unique gifts from more than 900 donors and their families. The gifts range in size from $1,000 to $12 million and utilize a wide variety of planned giving vehicles.
Those wanting more information about the Create a Jewish Legacy program or how to leave a planned gift to benefit the community can contact Josh Stein at (913) 327-8121 or .
