Jewish Future Promise Explained

The Jewish Future Promise, originally Jewish Future Pledge, is a charitable campaign modeled after The Giving Pledge, to encourage American Jews to designate at least 50% of their charitable giving to Jewish- or Israel-related causes. From its inception in May 2020 to January 2024, it attracted almost 50,000 signers.

History

Co-creators Michael Leven and Amy Holtz launched the pledge in May 2020, modeled after The Giving Pledge, to encourage American Jews to designate at least 50% of their charitable giving to Jewish- or Israel-related causes.[1] According to Leven and Holtz, Americans will donate $68 trillion in wealth over the next generation, 20% of which will be given by Jewish donors. The pledge's aim is for at least half of that 20%, or more than $600 billion, to go to Jewish causes,[2] compared to the estimated 11% of donations that do now. The Pledge partnered with the Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish National Fund, and Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi[3] to integrate the pledge into traditional vehicles of Jewish philanthropy. The Pledge partnered with Morgan Stanley to create a donor-advised fund.[3]

In 2023, the Pledge launched the Jewish Youth Pledge for people aged 13-24 to commit to being active members of the Jewish community.[4]

On February 8, 2024, the Pledge changed its named to the Jewish Future Promise.[5]

Signers

As of October 2023, more than 25,000 donors, including individuals, family foundations, and families, had pledged $2.4 billion as part of the pledge.[6] By February 2024, there were almost 50,000 signers.

Notable signers of the pledge include businessman Charles Bronfman, The Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus, philanthropist Julie Platt, advocate Morton Klein, activist Noa Tishby,[7] comedian Modi Rosenfeld, and lawyer Alan Dershowitz.

Notes and References

  1. News: Oster . Marcy . New Jewish giving pledge takes a page from Gates and Buffett initiative . 9 October 2023 . Jewish Telegraphic Agency . 2020-05-14.
  2. News: Chernikoff . Helen . Donor-advised funds are the future of the Jewish Future Pledge . 9 October 2023 . eJewishPhilanthropy . 2021-02-02.
  3. News: Rudee . Eliana . Jewish Future Pledge partners with Morgan Stanley, asking donors to plan ahead . 9 October 2023 . . 2020-10-12.
  4. News: Putney . Fran . Jewish Future Pledge Spawns Youth Pledge Initiative . 9 October 2023 . Atlanta Jewish Times . 2023-05-10.
  5. News: The Jewish Future Pledge becomes The Jewish Future Promise . 28 February 2024 . . 2024-02-08.
  6. News: Cohen . Haley . Jewish Future Pledge gets 25,000th pledge, amounting to $2.4 billion to Jewish causes . 9 October 2023 . eJewishPhilanthrophy . 2023-10-04.
  7. News: Noa Tishby Becomes The 11,000th Person To Sign The Jewish Future Pledge . 9 October 2023 . Boulder Jewish News . 2022-12-19.