When a friend's daughter recently graduated from college, her parents didn't present her with a check or special piece of jewelry. Instead, they opened a 401(k) retirement account for her. She may not value it much now, but the gift and the gesture signaled an important value--it's never too early to start planning for a secure future.

We often don't think about the future until an actual need arises. So here we are at Temple Micah, a middle-aged, 45-year-old congregation. Although we are not planning on retirement--indeed our goal is for a vibrant community without end--we do have a future that we should secure. And that is why now is the time to tackle the challenge of funding the Temple Micah Endowment. Several months ago, I referred to our policy of reserving 2 percent of most donations for our endowment account. That is a modest, almost symbolic effort. However, to build a fund that will generate meaningful income, we need to commit in a bigger way.

Generally, an endowment is a dedicated fund that is used to produce income. It is maintained, usually in a trust, separate from operating funds. That is, the assets are invested and the organization uses the income to support particular functions, such as a special purpose employee (a scholar, for example), to cover expenses to support the building or simply to provide income for other operating needs. To date, we have re-deposited endowment interest back into the fund.

Micah members already have done substantial work to develop the framework for an endowment. Paul Greenberg, former board president and treasurer, and Steve Goldberg drafted sample documents several years ago to establish a separate entity to manage the endowment. The board did not reach consensus on some of the details, but united in its support for the establishment of an endowment fund. And so the Temple Micah Endowment was authorized.

Endowments usually rely on major gifts donated through a variety of planned giving approaches. Most often, these gifts take the form of bequests. Naming Temple Micah as a beneficiary in one's will, as a number of our members have done, can help support the temple into the future in a way that gifts may not.

I am reminded of the Talmudic tale of the man who planted the carob tree. A passerby asked how long it would take before the tree bore fruit. The planter replied that it would be 70 years. When asked if he thought he would be around to enjoy the fruit, the wise planter responded: "Perhaps not. However, when I was born into this world, I found many carob trees planted by my father and grandfather. Just as they planted trees for me, I am planting trees for my children and grandchildren so they will be able to eat the fruit of these trees."

Consider planting a tree for the next generations of Temple Micah. Email us for more information on planned giving..