Atlanta Jewish Foundation Giving Insight
Written by Ghila Sanders, VP of Philanthropic Advisory
August 18, 2026
In our industry, we tend to lean on the “now more than ever” mindset. I don’t subscribe to that.
Over the summer, our multitalented Marketing Lead, Yadin Goldman, took on the task of curating a series of testimonial videos for the Atlanta Jewish Foundation. The idea sounded simple enough: invite Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) holders, professional advisors, and community partners to share their stories on camera.
And then the filming began.
If anyone ever wonders why I often say I have the best job in the world, watching even a minute of those conversations explains it all.
The stories our donors shared on camera, and the countless ones they share with our team every day, are this community’s secret sauce. And the beauty is, there is no secret at all: generosity is humanity at its finest. It is the joy of sharing one’s blessings, remembering where we come from, appreciating where we are, living our values, and passing them down L’Dor VaDor, from generation to generation.
A grandmother opens a Donor-Advised Fund as a collaborative giving tool for her grandchildren because that is the kind of inheritance she wants them to have: not only financial resources, but the values that defined her life. A couple joins a Federation journey to Israel and has a chance encounter with a host family that becomes an extension of their own, a bond that embodies the Talmudic teaching, Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, all of Israel is responsible for one another. Members of a synagogue will a dream into reality by launching an endowment campaign to secure the future of their house of worship, participating in a Federation capacity-building program, and reaching an ambitious goal in less than five years.
In our work, we hear what motivates people to give, where they first learned about philanthropy, and who inspires their desire to lend a helping hand. We talk about legacy not as something relegated to a future date when we are no longer here, but as a framework for daily life: the gifts we make today, the example we set, and the charitable plans we establish and discuss with our families so they can be part of it too.
With new industries creating prosperity for more people, the great wealth transfer underway, and a growing desire to practice giving while living, philanthropy is rapidly changing. Yet one thing remains constant: its indispensability.
In our industry, we tend to lean on the “now more than ever” mindset: “Your donation matters now more than ever”; “Now more than ever, we see the need for support.”
I don’t subscribe to that. Philanthropy has been essential from the very beginning of communal life. It was regulated in biblical times and remains embedded in the rules of engagement of every religion, country, and culture. The need for philanthropy has always been there, and it is not going away. It simply evolves with us.
So the question is not whether philanthropy matters. The question is what role it will play in your world, and in the world you want your children and grandchildren to inherit.
Talk about giving at your dinner table. Share the stories behind the causes you support. Invite the next generation into the conversation. And if you have not yet created a plan for your philanthropy, start now, with your family, your advisors, and your community as partners. The legacy we leave is shaped by the choices we make today.
If you have any thoughts or questions, I’m always here to talk. Give me a call at 404-870-1611 or email gsanders@jewishatlanta.org.
