Lifetime and Planned Giving

Building a Financially Strong Future Together

Through membership growth, strategic fundraising, and responsible stewardship,
we ensure our congregation thrives for years to come.

Congregation Emeth, founded in 1977, is a diverse, inclusive community committed to Jewish life, spiritual growth, social justice, and community. Our mission is to meet the spiritual, intellectual, and social needs of our community, providing a welcoming space for all. Through lifetime and planned giving, you can help ensure that our sacred space remains a home for worship, learning, and celebration. Your support enables us to maintain our facilities and expand vital programs that foster Jewish identity, engage families, and strengthen interfaith relationships, while promoting inclusivity, diversity, and social action. By preserving our values and traditions, your generosity secures the future of Congregation Emeth for generations to come.

To explore giving opportunities listed below, please contact Congregation Emeth’s President  president@emeth.net.

Have You Made A Legacy Gift? We Want To Thank You!

The Congregation Emeth Legacy Giving Society has been created to recognize those members of Congregation Emeth, who by their generosity, have committed to support Congregation Emeth for generations to come with a planned gift.

If you’ve already included Congregation Emeth as a beneficiary in your estate plan, we would love to hear from you. By completing this Letter of Intent, you can be added to our Legacy Giving Society where we honor and celebrate all who choose to share their plans with us, while fully respecting the privacy of those who wish to remain anonymous.

Questions About Legacy Giving?

Please download our Frequently Asked Questions or review the resources from the Financial Planning Seminar on May 18, 2025 linked below. If you have additional questions or would like to explore the giving opportunities listed below, please contact Congregation Emeth’s President @ president@emeth.net.

Financial Planning and Planned Giving Seminar Presentations

Legacy Gifts May Be Provided in Several Ways

Bequest

Creating a will or trust is a crucial step in securing your family’s future, providing a lasting gift that ensures your final wishes are honored. Including Congregation Emeth in your will or estate plan allows you to enjoy your assets during your lifetime, while providing a generous gift to Congregation Emeth. These gifts may result in tax savings to your estate and can be accomplished through a simple codicil (standalone modification) to your will prepared by your tax attorney or advisor without the need to completely revise your will or trust. The following is an example bequest language that can be included in your will or trust:

I give to Congregation Emeth, located at 17835 Monterey Street, Morgan Hill, CA, 95037 the sum of:

$ ___________________ (or ___% of asset name) (or description of asset) to be used where it determines the need is greatest (or specify for the support of a specific fund, program or purpose).

(Unrestricted gifts provide Congregation Emeth with the maximum flexibility to allocate funds where the need is greatest—both today and tomorrow. If you wish to designate a more specific purpose to your gift, please consider one of the broad areas that serve our congregation’s core mission.)

Qualified Charitable Distributions

Individual retirement arrangement (IRA) owners age 70½ or over can transfer up to $100,000 to charity tax-free each year. These transfers, known as qualified charitable distributions or QCDs, offer eligible older Americans a great way to easily give to charity before the end of the year. And, for those who are at least 73 years old, QCDs count toward the IRA owner's required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year.

Normally, distributions from a traditional IRA are taxable when received. With a QCD, however, these distributions become tax-free as long as they're paid directly from the IRA to an eligible charitable organization.

QCDs must be made directly by the trustee of the IRA to the charity. An IRA distribution, such as an electronic payment made directly to the IRA owner, does not count as a QCD. Likewise, a check made payable to the IRA owner is not a QCD.

Each year, an IRA owner age 70½ or over when the distribution is made can exclude from gross income up to $100,000 of these QCDs. For a married couple, if both spouses are age 70½ or over when the distributions are made and both have IRAs, each spouse can exclude up to $100,000 for a total of up to $200,000 per year.

Charitable Remainder Trusts

Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRT) allow you to receive a continuous income for yourself or for your spouse or any other identified person(s) named in the CRT during the negotiated length of the CRT, while helping to insure the continued financial security of Congregation Emeth.

Charitable Lead Trusts

Charitable Lead Trusts do the reverse of the CRT. Congregation Emeth receives the income during the term of the trust and the beneficiaries receive the corpus at the end of the trust.

Gifts of Life Insurance

Congregation Emeth can be named as a beneficiary of all or part of the proceeds of an existing life insurance policy, or you can take out a new policy naming Congregation Emeth as owner and beneficiary.

Gifts from a Retirement Plan or Life Insurance Policy

You can name Congregation Emeth as a beneficiary of all or part of your retirement plan or Life Insurance Policy by completing a Change of Beneficiary form.

Disclaimer

The information provided is on this website is not provided as legal, tax or other professional advice. The material is general in nature and may not apply to all individuals. Federal and State laws change from time to time. It is recommended that individuals consult with their own tax and financial advisors concerning the benefits and consequences of making a planned, or legacy, gift.