No one every became poor by giving.

For Donors

Book of life

The Jewish Community Foundation of New Mexico is here to help you create your legacy plan — a blueprint of how you can match your values with your valuables to support causes important to you after you're gone.

Legacy planning can join children, parents and even grandparents in the common goal of sustaining the community. Some families work together to discuss and make decisions about what organizations and causes to support. Involving family members can open a dialogue about ideals, traditions, and visions for the future.

There are many types of funds available through which you can establish, or continue, your charitable giving. Some distribute funds during the donor's lifetime. Others are endowments funded after death.

Community nonprofit charitable organizations can create endowment funds to manage their donors' designated gifts or consider a non-endowed fund to help manage reserves or other resources.

Most Common Funds

Please contact the Foundation for other options that may be available.

Donor-Advised Fund

Allows you to make charitable contributions easily and efficiently

  • Non-endowed; minimum initial contribution $5,000
  • Additional contributions to fund can be made at any time in any amount
  • Established by the donor(s) to recommend grants to charitable organizations
  • Donor selects investment pool while funds held by Foundation
  • Online access to your fund is available 24/7 through Donor Central
  • Encourage family charitable giving by creating a L'Dor Va Dor fund.

Endowment Fund

Ensures your legacy is professionally managed and your charitable intent is fulfilled

  • Minimum initial contribution $10,000
  • Established by the donor(s) to preserve the corpus of the fund permanently
  • Donor names the beneficiaries and purpose
  • Distributions are made from available earnings based on the spending rate established annually by the Foundation.
  • Additional contributions can be made at any time in any amount

Life Income Funds

If a lifetime income for you and/or your spouse is appealing, consider a charitable gift annuity that enables you to receive guaranteed revenue and benefits your special causes after you're gone.

  • Charitable Gift Annuity
  • Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust
  • Charitable Remainder Unitrust

Organization Endowment Fund

  • Minimum $10,000
  • Established by nonprofit organization to preserve corpus permanently
  • Organization may state a specific purpose for the fund
  • Distributions are made from available earnings based on spending rate
  • Additional contributions can be made at any time in any amount

Organization Non-Endowed Fund

  • Minimum $10,000
  • Nonprofit agency may state a specific purpose for the fund
  • Distributions can be made from both initial investment and earnings at any time
  • Additional contributions can be made at any time in any amount

Funding Your Legacy Plan

You can make a gift to any fund with a variety of assets, including:

  • Cash
  • Life insurance
  • Marketable securities (stocks, bonds)
  • Israel bonds
  • Distributions from your retirement plan
  • Certain real estate, such as personal residence or commercial property

Consult with your professional advisor about potential tax advantages of contributing certain assets.

About 80% of legacy gifts are made via bequests.

You can make a provision in your will, or revocable living trust, to bequeath certain assets or a percentage of your estate to the Jewish Community Foundation of New Mexico or to a fund you have created at the Foundation.

If you expect your gift to be $10,000 or over, you may create a donor-named fund under a separate agreement with the Foundation and distributions will be governed by that Fund Agreement.

We are happy to work with your professional advisors to assure that you have everything you need to make informed decisions about creating and funding your legacy.

Contact us for more information.

Special Giving Opportunities

Some donors want to give to an established fund instead of, or in addition to, starting their own funds. We welcome contributions in any amount to special funds, including the Foundation funds listed below.

Community Fund

Makes grants to Jewish organizations or for community emergencies

Operating Fund

Supports the Foundation's mission to build and perpetuate support for a vibrant, caring Jewish community through partnerships with donors and organizations.

Immigrant and Refugee Assistance Fund

Provides grants to charitable organizations in New Mexico that support family stability, economic security and health & safety of immigrants and refugees.

Israel Experience Fund

Assists Jewish students from New Mexico to finance an educational trip to Israel

Jewish Women's Endowment Fund

Provides grants to charitable organizations to fund programs and services for New Mexico Jewish women and/or children in the areas of education, health, Jewish identity and social services. (Minimum contribution of $1,000 to become a member of allocations committee)

Galit Mares Scholarship Fund

Provides summer camp tuition scholarships for Jewish children 8-18 years old, attending a Jewish sleep-away camp accredited by the American Camping Association and listed by the Foundation for Jewish Camps

Irving and Hertha Auerbach Fund for Jewish Identity

Provides summer camp tuition scholarships as described above

Neil Isbin Scholarship Fund

Provides a $1,000 scholarship to Albuquerque-area high school seniors who demonstrate achievements or ongoing volunteer work supporting human rights and human dignity and who will be enrolling in an accredited, nonprofit or public university or college

LIFE & LEGACY™ New Mexico Opportunity Fund

Will provide grants to help launch new programs and support valued ones that foster Jewish engagement and ensure the continuity of our community. In addition, this new endowment fund will enable us to respond collectively to emergencies, both within the Jewish community and beyond.

Or the programmatic Donor Advised Funds listed below:

Environmental Peacebuilding Fund

Supports environmental projects that promote cross-border and multicultural collaboration in Israel and Palestine where environmental education and collaboration can play an important role in peacebuilding. Current projects supported by this fund include the Water Resources Action Program and the Kidron Valley/Wadi Nar Master Plan. Read more about the Environmental Peacebuilding Fund.

If you'd like to contribute to any of these funds, or for more information, contact our Executive Director.