Los Angeles Jewish Home

Q. How does a charitable gift annuity work?
A. The Los Angeles Jewish Home pays you, or you and another person you select, a fixed amount for life, from a monetary or securities gift you give. What's left of your gift after the lifetimes of the people receiving payments helps support our mission to care for our nearly 1,000 residents.

Q. How are the payment amounts determined?
A. The annual rate of your payment is based on your age at the time of the gift. The older you are, the higher your gift annuity rate. Payment rates are locked in for the duration of the gift annuity.

Q. What are my tax benefits for making this type of donation?
A. You qualify for a sizable charitable income tax deduction in the year you set up the gift annuity. In addition, each year, a portion of your payment is income tax-free, until you reach your anticipated life expectancy. Plus, part of your payments may be taxed at a lower capital gains tax rate.

Get Payments When You Need Them
You can also set up a deferred gift annuity where you delay receiving payments until a later date — such as when you reach retirement. You'll get the income when you need it most, and the payout rate and your tax deduction will be significantly higher than that of an immediate payment gift annuity.

If you have questions about charitable gift annuities, please contact Aaron Levinson at (818) 757-4416 or aaron.levinson@jha.org.

Labels: Aaron Levinson, Annuity, Charitable Gift, Donate, Elderly, Fund Development, Life Income Plan, Non-Profit, Philanthropy, Planned Giving, Planning, Seniors, Staff, Why We Give

Have you ever felt a desire to help ensure that the important work of the Los Angeles Jewish Home continues for years to come? If you've silenced that inner voice because you have concerns about your own family's needs, a planned giving option called a life income gift may be your win-win solution.

Many of our donors choose a life income plan to find more flexibility — and often more tax benefits — than they can receive from simply writing a check.

Your Win-Win Solution
A life income arrangement lets you receive regular payments for yourself or others you choose — for example, your spouse, your aging parents, or a sibling — for a lifetime. After the lifetimes of those receiving payments, the remaining assets support our cause.

Other possible benefits of a life income arrangement include:

• Receiving a money-saving federal income tax deduction in the year you make the gift.
• Increasing your current income.
• Qualifying for generous estate and gift tax benefits.

Labels: Aaron Levinson, Charitable Gift, Donate, Elderly, Fund Development, Life Income Plan, Non-Profit, Philanthropy, Planned Giving, Planning, Seniors, Staff, Why We Give

The quote in the title line was said by Jewish Home resident Ellis Simon. Now 87, he's been living here for around 11 years! Granted, he's been saying that for quite some time now, but we finally caught it on tape.

Labels: Donate, Freedom, Gift, Jewish Home, Online Donation, Philanthropy, Residents, Simon, Social Media, Staff, Support, Video, Volunteer, Why We Give, YouTube

Every form of giving begins with personal involvement.

Like many people whose lives are forever touched when a vulnerable parent is lovingly cared for, the Heslovs, Lynne and Michael, came to regard the Home and its staff almost as an extension of their family.

It is a relationship they cherish to this day.

Several years ago, life took an unexpected turn for the Heslovs when Michael's father, Arthur, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. His mother, Jerrie, went through several difficult years of caring for Arthur, but as he became more dependent and withdrawn, Michael and his brothers feared her health would give under the strain.

“We feared we could lose both our parents to the demands of the disease,” Michael says. “Then we learned about the Jewish Home's Goldenberg-Ziman Special Care Center for seniors with Alzheimer's and related dementias.”

As marvelous as the Home's acclaimed Goldenberg-Ziman Center is, the choice to move an ailing parent from their home is rarely as easy one.

“It is an agonizing decision,” says Lynne. “You have guilt. But when we brought Arthur to the Home, we knew he was in such good hands. It made the decision easier.”

“The quality of care at the Jewish Home was far better than it would have been at home, under the best of circumstances,” adds Michael, who was introduced to the Home by former Board of Directors Chair Dave Swartz. “They were so much better equipped to deal with his needs.”

The Home provided all the medical and physical care Arthur required, freeing the entire Heslov family to provide love and support he needed and deserved.

“We told my father he was going to a place for a few days for some testing,” Michael recalls. “Though we told him his stay would be temporary, my father was so expertly cared for and engaged that he never expressed a desire to return home!”

In her daily visits, Michael's mother, Jerrie, noted how carefully groomed Arthur was, his clothing always freshly pressed. The Home's staff members were as loving and involved in his concerns as if they'd been members of his own family.

Lynne recalls that the staff took Arthur out to the garden, which he always loved, and to music and art presentations. “Things like this gave us all such peace of mind,” she says.

After two years at the Home, Arthur passed away. In appreciation for the care he received, Jerrie took on the responsibility of co-chairing the Home's gala Reflections dinners in 2007 and 2008.

Michael, who is a co-partner in the real estate development company of Soboroff Partners, has contributed his expertise to the successful effort to establish the Home's new Gonda Healthy Aging Westside Campus.

As chair of the Board's Budget and Finance Committee, Michael understands the Home's financial challenges and the need for creative solutions. “Some 75-80% of the Home's residents are subsidized by the generosity of the community,” he says.

After serving for two years, Michael was elected to the two-year position as Chair of the Home's Board. At 39, he is one of the youngest executives ever to hold this position.

Michael points out that the exceptional level of care and attention our seniors receive is due in large measure to the contributions of the community.

“It is an honor,” he says, “to commit my time and energies to an organization that is doing so much to improve life for our most vulnerable seniors and their families. Both Lynne and I are passionate about the Home's care for our elderly, at every stage of need.”

Robin Heffler is a Los Angeles-based journalist whose writing and editing span the fields of health, social services, education, law, the environment, religion, arts, and culture. Her work has appeared in the research publications of UCLA, USC, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as well as in the Los Angeles Times and The Forward.

Labels: Alzheimer's, Board of Directors, Feature Articles, Heffler, Heslov, Why We Give