Rodef Sholom: A Reform Jewish Congregation in Marin County, California

Congregation Rodef Sholom is an ascendant sacred community that treasures the gifts of each of its members. Our team of staff, clergy and lay leaders strive to create transformational Jewish experiences for congregants of all ages. Wherever you feel inspired in our community: be it in our social hall feeding the hungry, in New Orleans doing serious tikkun olam work, claiming a verse of Torah on a trail in China Camp or at a late-night Shabbat unplugged songfest, Rodef Sholom is a kehillah kedosha, a holy community, that will both root your soul and help it to soar.

Click here to read Voices of Giving

We will have the handouts from our Planned Giving discussion available for download shortly.

Jewish tradition compels us to give tzedakah to bring greater degrees of justice and righteousness to the world. Charitable giving is understood as a holy act. There are several ways to support Congregation Rodef Sholom:

• Annual Giving (Tradition of Giving campaign)
• Donation of Securities & Stock
• Commemorative Giving
• Contributions from your retirement account
  
• Planned Giving

Annual Giving (Tradition of Giving campaign)
Congregation Rodef Sholom's Annual Giving program provides critical support for the operating budget each year. By investing in the unrestricted Annual Fund and various restricted funds, donors provide additional support to keep our programs and services thriving.

Since Annual Membership Commitments only covers 65% of our annual operating expenses; members and friends of Rodef Sholom are encouraged to participate in the Tradition of Giving Campaign.

Click here to make a contribution online or contact Jane Friedman, development director at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

1. Charles Schwab is our brokerage firm. To arrange for DTC-eligible securities, please contact Charles Weinstein, Finance Director, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with the following information:

a) Donor name and telephone number
b) Number of shares to be donated
c) Name of company whose shares are being donated

2. If shares are to be delivered in certificate form, please deliver to the following person and include the donor's name:

Charles Weinstein
Finance Director
Congregation Rodef Sholom
170 N. San Pedro Road
San Rafael, CA 94903

3. Congregation Rodef Sholom will send an acknowledgment letter to the donor indicating the date that the shares were received and the exact value for the donor's tax purposes.

Commemorative Giving
With a Commemorative Gift, you can honor and remember friends and loved ones, or celebrate important lifecycles. You can either designate your gift as unrestricted, to use where most needed, or designate your gift as restricted to benefit a designated fund. Either way, your generosity helps us deepen and expand our kehillah kedosha, our sacred community.  Click here to make a contribution online.  Look for the drop-down menu of designated funds.  Or you can click here to download a copy of our Commemorative Giving Form.

If you choose to designate your gift to a restricted fund, click here for a list of our designated funds.

Contribution from your retirement account
Make a tax-free distribution from your IRA to Rodef Sholom - Under recent legislation, Congress now allows donors age 70 ½ and older to make charitable contributions from IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) without incurring taxable income. The transfer must be made to a qualified charitable institution and can be as much as $100,000 each year. For gifts to Rodef Sholom, the transfer must be made directly from your IRA account to Rodef Sholom. This is a wonderful opportunity to save on taxes and make a lasting impact. The window for such IRA "rollover" gifts will close on December 31, 2009.

Tax Benefits:
• While you do not receive a charitable income tax deduction for a direct IRA transfer gift, you avoid all income tax on these funds that were slated by the IRS to be taxed as ordinary income during your life or upon your passing.
• If you leave your retirement plan to your children, they will have to pay income tax on either a lump sum distribution or the income stream from the plan. Rodef Sholom does not pay this tax.
• Up until the passing of this legislation, many individuals faced both income tax on their IRA funds and estate taxes, a double taxation which could erode up to 80% of the principal of your IRA under certain circumstances.

To learn more about how to make a tax-free distribution from your IRA contact Jane Friedman, development director at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Planned Giving - Making a gift through your will or trust, retirement funds, gift annuities or insurance policy

"Planned giving" is a term commonly used to describe a wide variety of giving vehicles that allow you to give to charity during your lifetime and/or after your death, while meeting your current income needs and providing for your heirs. Planned giving is typically done in conjunction with estate planning, and is a viable option for donors of all income levels.

Planned giving allows you to make larger gifts that you otherwise could out of your current assets. Depending on how a planned gift is set up, it may also let you receive a stream of income for life, earn higher investment yield, or reduce your capital gains or estate taxes.

Planned gifts often appeal to people who want to benefit a charitable organization but aren't certain how much of their assets they'll need for themselves during their lifetimes.

Click here to learn some standard estate planning techniques by which to make charitable gifts.

To learn more about making a planned gift to Rodef Sholom, please contact Jane Friedman, Development Director, at 415.479.3441 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .