Atlanta Jewish Foundation Giving Insight
October 13, 2026
“Legacy…planting seeds in a garden that you never get to see grow.”
That’s how Dirk Bird’s teenage son once described legacy giving, borrowing a line from the musical Hamilton.
The words stayed with Bird, Founder and Principal of Illumination Strategies, Inc., and former Vice President of Planned Giving for Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). As he wrote in an article for Prizmah, a legacy gift is a leap of faith: an investment in something that will benefit people we may never meet and create an impact we may never see.
Last week, Bird brought this approach to Atlanta.
The Atlanta Jewish Foundation welcomed Bird back for the second year to lead AJF Advance, a two-day program of workshops, training, and individualized coaching focused on endowment development, legacy giving and fundraising strategy.
Through this initiative, the Atlanta Jewish Foundation provides specialized guidance to the nonprofit organizations that hold custodial funds and endowments with the Foundation, helping them secure their financial future.
During the 2-day program, Bird participated in 10 meetings, engaging 56 individuals representing 13 Jewish organizations throughout Greater Atlanta.
A central theme was the importance of endowments – invested funds that spin off income and continue to grow each year – helping support the organization’s operations and program in perpetuity.
Bird outlines three cases for endowment giving: the business case, the moral case, and the relational case.
The business case centers on sustainability. Endowments can diversify revenue, reduce dependence on annual fundraising, and provide resources for future needs. The moral case asks leaders to consider their responsibility to the generations that follow. And the relational case emphasizes that legacy giving begins with understanding donors – their values, passions and the difference they hope to make in the world.
As Bird explains, organizations must move beyond transactional fundraising and embrace a more relationship-centered approach to donor engagement.
That work is particularly urgent because the causes and institutions valued by one generation may not automatically hold the same place in the hearts of the next.
With a historic transfer of wealth underway, and as significant assets pass from older generations to their children and grandchildren, nonprofits must consider how to cultivate relationships with future philanthropists and inspire them to support the missions that matter to them.
Bird brought these ideas to life through practical programming, including a Jeopardy-style learning activity for development professionals and executive directors exploring endowments and the changing philanthropic landscape.
AJF Advance also provided an opportunity for Bird to meet with Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s leadership and staff. sharing best practices in donor stewardship, legacy-giving communications and organizational storytelling.
He led a training for lay leaders serving on Federation’s Legacy Committee, focusing on effective ways to start meaningful legacy conversations with donors.
His internal meetings included President and CEO Renee Kutner, Chief Advancement Officer Lindsay Kopecky, and VP of Marketing and Communications Melissa Rosenbaum – exploring creative ways to bring Federation’s story to life and engage the community.
The program also extended beyond fundraising professionals. During a staff retreat with the Jewish Fertility Foundation (JFF), Bird led a session on storytelling, encouraging team members to see themselves as ambassadors for their organization’s mission, and building authentic relationships with supporters.
JFF’s own endowment efforts illustrate this long-term commitment. An endowment established by Rachel Loftspring has grown to just over $100,000, and in December 2025, JFF opened a second endowment fund. These milestones represent important steps toward building resources that can sustain the organization’s mission well into the future.
According to Bird, Jewish communal leaders have a shared, sacred obligation to ensure future generations have the resources to shape the Jewish world they inherit. Endowments help translate that responsibility into action, providing a source of ongoing support for the programs, services and institutions that enrich Jewish life.
In a 2020 article by Dr. Bruce Powell titled Endowment: A Moral Imperative, he writes “Those that have developed endowments and cash reserves, and those with visionary boards and professional expertise, will keep themselves afloat in the present maelstrom, and will continue to provide their vital services to the Jewish community, and the nation.”
Through AJF Advance, expert investment management, and year-round endowment building support, the Atlanta Jewish Foundation helps its nonprofit partners approach this work with greater knowledge, confidence and strategic direction.
Whether you’re a nonprofit leader looking to future-proof your community, or a philanthropist interested in creating a lasting impact, the Atlanta Jewish Foundation can help you explore the possibilities.
To start the conversation, contact Rachel Rosner, Endowment and Fiduciary Review Officer, at 404-870-1879 or email rrosner@jewishatlanta.org.
