Endowment and Planned Giving

Making an outright endowment gift today or providing for a legacy gift in your estate plan is a clear statement about the values and beliefs that have shaped your life, as well as your vision of the congregation for future generations.

In October of 2000, the Boards of Trustees of both Isaac M. Wise Temple and the Plum Street Temple Historic Preservation Fund approved the formation of The Wise Covenant as a means to preserve and enhance the rich legacy of our congregation by securing vital endowment funds.

Wise Covenant provides many ways in which members of the Congregation can create a permanent legacy to nourish Jewish life for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren, and for the generations to come. Some common ways to create a permanent legacy include:

Donate Gifts of Securities

Gifts of appreciated securities provide an excellent way for you to support Isaac M. Wise Temple and to receive tax benefits as well. When you donate shares of stock or mutual funds that have appreciated in value since their purchase, you:

• Make a generous gift to Isaac M. Wise Temple.
• Receive a charitable income tax deduction equal to the fair market value of the securities at the time of donation (if you have owned the shares longer than one year).
• Avoid the capital gains tax you would incur if you sold the shares instead of donating them.

If you have securities that have decreased in value since you purchased them, consider selling them and making a tax deductible gift of the cash proceeds. You may then be able to deduct the loss from other taxable income. The combined tax benefits of the charitable donation in cash and the capital loss may actually exceed the current value of the investment.

Consult with your financial advisor about these and other tax-advantageous ways of making a gift to Isaac M. Wise Temple. For additional information and necessary forms, please contact Betti Greenstein, Executive Director at 513-793-2556 or click here to email Betti.

Donate Matching Gifts

Many companies have programs through which they will match charitable contributions made by their employees. Some companies may double or even triple the value of your gift. Through corporate gift matching, your employer can multiply you generous support to Isaac M. Wise Temple.

Check with your company's human resources department to determine if they offer a gift matching program. When you make your gift to Wise Temple, include your company's gift matching form with your donation. We will verify receipt of your gift and return the form to your company.

Make a Bequest

Estate gifts have played a critical role in enabling Wise Temple to serve its 1,400 member families.
By naming Wise Temple a beneficiary of your estate, you will give the gift of Jewish worship, learning and community in the years to come.

We recommend that you consult your estate-planning professional about including Wise Temple in your plans.

Please contact Betti Greenstein, Executive Director, for sample wording that might be used to include Wise Temple in wills and bequests. In addition, new tax laws may make designating Wise Temple as a beneficiary of your retirement account even more advantageous to your estate plans. Please contact a professional planner about distribution requirements for retirement plans.

Your planning today will make the difference in the future of Wise Temple for years to come.

For more information, please contact: Betti Greenstein, Executive Director, at 513-793-2556 or click here to email Betti.

Planned Giving

Your support of Wise Temple with a "Planned Gift" can help you now, while providing the Temple with income in the future. Planned giving is a philanthropic tool that enables a donor to realize significant financial gains while providing support to the Temple.

It allows you to tailor your donation to fit both your needs and those of Wise Temple. There are a variety of different Planned Giving strategies including Bequests, Donations of Appreciated Assets (Real Estate, Stocks, Bonds, etc.), Life Insurance, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, and the like.

In considering a Planned Gift, you may find that your generosity will not only insure the future of Wise Temple, but will also help you in your desire to be philanthropic and financially secure. We ask that you think about these concepts and consider entering into a partnership with us to help secure the future of Wise Temple.

Please note that this is only general information regarding available options to consider when considering a Planned Gift. We strongly suggest that you consult with your attorney, financial planner and/or insurance agent prior to making any Planned Gift.

For more information about these or any other tax-advantaged Charitable Planned Giving vehicles, please contact Betti Greenstein, Executive Director at 513-793-2556 or click here to email Betti.

FOR THOSE 70 ½ BY DECEMBER 31, 2009

For a limited time, individuals aged 70 ½ have a unique opportunity to make significant contributions to Wise Temple using their IRA distribution.

Thanks to a provision in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 that was passed in October 2008, older Americans are once again able to contribute directly to public charities from their individual retirement accounts (IRAs).

The IRA Charitable Rollover tax incentive, which is available through the end of 2009, allows individuals aged 70-1/2 and older to donate up to $100,000 per year from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and Roth IRAs to public charities without having to count the distributions as taxable income.

Now is your opportunity - as a donor - to take advantage of this valuable incentive.

How does the IRA Rollover Work? Taxpayers age 70-1/2 and older are required to make annual distributions from their IRAs. The distributions are included in their adjusted gross income (AGI), and the taxpayers pay taxes on them.

The IRA Charitable Rollover permits taxpayers to make donations directly to charitable organizations from their IRAs without counting them as part of their AGI and, consequently, without paying taxes on them.

Age Requirement Donors must be 70-1/2 years old or older when the distribution is made.

Give Now Only contributions made between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009, are eligible for the enhanced tax benefit. Distributions can only be made from traditional Individual Retirement Accounts or Roth IRAs.

Charitable donations from 403(b) plans, 401(k) plans, pension plans, and other retirement plans are ineligible for the tax-free treatment.

Charitable Deduction You cannot claim a charitable deduction for an IRA Charitable Rollover gift because the money inside the IRA has never been taxed. Excluding the money that comes out of your IRA and goes straight to our organization from your income is the key, and this advantage can really help at tax time.

Wise Covenant Endowment Donation This could be the right time to use the IRA Rollover to fund your commitment to the Wise Covenant Endowment Fund.

For more information about a gift to Wise Covenant, please contact Betti Greenstein, Executive Director, and consult your tax advisor.

8329 Ridge Road | Cincinnati, OH 45236 | 513.793.2556 | welcome@wisetemple.org