When a small group of individuals and families gathered in 1965 to create Temple Shalom, they were guided by a simple but powerful belief. They imagined a Reform Jewish home where people could pray, learn, raise children, celebrate milestones, and form friendships that felt like family. The founders were not major philanthropists or headline-makers. They were everyday people – like you and me – with full lives and busy schedules. What set them apart was their willingness to build. Together they planted the seeds of the community we now enjoy.
As Temple Shalom enters its 60th anniversary year, now we become the stewards of its future. The question facing us is simple. What will we build for the next sixty years? How will we strengthen the foundation we inherited? And how will we empower the generations who will walk through our doors long after us?
Temple leadership has set a clear and meaningful path forward. Our congregation is working to increase Temple Shalom’s endowment to $10 million and inviting every member of our community to take part.
One of the best ways to guarantee the Jewish future is to invest in it. And endowment is one of the best strategies to accomplish it. Endowment giving is an opportunity for every household, regardless of age, to leave a lasting imprint on Temple Shalom. Many people assume endowment gifts are only for individuals with substantial wealth, but that isn’t the case. Broadly, families choose one of two timeframes to fund an endowment, depending on each family’s circumstance and stage of life.
Lifetime Giving allows donors to contribute while they are here to witness the impact. These gifts are documented through a Funding Agreement, which outlines the amount and the timing of contributions. Lifetime gifts often set a powerful example for children and grandchildren. They tell the story of what matters within a family. Gifts may be funded all at once or in installments.
Legacy Giving, sometimes called testamentary giving, happens through documents such as wills, family trusts, or beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance. This type of gift does not affect your current income. Instead, the funding comes from the wealth you leave behind once loved ones are cared for, in the way you determine.
Both paths begin with a simple Letter of Intent, a non-binding document that expresses your plan to create an endowment now or in the future. It is not a contract. It is a statement of your values and your hope for Temple Shalom long after your lifetime. Because every family’s circumstances are unique, consulting with your attorney, CPA, or financial advisor is valuable. Endowment gifts can be structured in tax-efficient ways, including bequests, use of IRA or 401(k) accounts, gifts of appreciated stock or real estate, or through more advanced vehicles such as charitable gift annuities or charitable remainder trusts.
Introducing The Legacy Leadership Society
To honor the importance of endowment giving, Temple Shalom has established the Legacy Leadership Society (LLS). Membership is open to those who create a qualified endowment during their lifetime or by signing our non-binding Letter of Intent. During this 60th anniversary window, anyone who establishes an endowment or signs a Letter of Intent by May 31, 2026 will be recognized as a Founding Member of the Legacy Leadership Society. Temple Shalom Endowment’s existing funds and future commitments total $7.15 million, thanks to the generosity of the Legacy Leadership Society founding members show below, as of November 30, 2025:
The LLS highlights a simple truth: Investing in our temple’s endowment is one of the strongest ways to guarantee its future.
The founders of Temple Shalom built something enduring out of vision and heart. Sixty years later, we honor them by continuing to build, together. The future of our congregation depends on the choices we make now. An investment in our endowment is a promise that the warmth, learning, worship, and community we cherish will be here for the generations who follow.
Become a Part of Temple’s Legacy
The Endowment Committee created several meaningful ways to participate. Donors may establish Named (your family) Endowments, Forever Endowments, Naming Opportunity Endowments, or through Temple’s General Endowment. These are funded immediately through Lifetime Giving arrangements. Every gift begins with a conversation and a Funding Agreement or Letter of Intent that outlines the donor’s vision.
These opportunities allow families to recognize loved ones or direct support toward areas of personal importance. Some may choose to endow Social Action, strengthening our community’s impact in the broader world. Others may focus on Education, Religious School, Music and Worship, clergy support, or maintaining a welcoming building and campus. A Forever Endowment can even secure a family’s annual belonging commitment. Members of our Endowment Fundraising Committee – Mike Hirsh, Raelaine Radnitz, and Rodney Schlosser – are available for confidential conversations to help you understand options.
The chance to shape a legacy is both personal and communal. As the African proverb says, “If you want to go somewhere fast, go alone; if you want to go somewhere far, go together.” These endowments ensure that we continue forward, together.
