Creating A Lasting Legacy

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By Michael Killeen

For more than 100 years, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta has led a local effort to strengthen and connect Jewish people and communities in Atlanta, Israel, and around the world. Historically, the organization has supported its mission through annual campaigns that raise money for the following years’ programs. Recently, Federation’s leadership recognized the need to create a permanent endowment to fund Atlanta’s Jewish community for generations to come. Monies raised through the campaign will be invested and untouched, with the generated interest extracted and allocated as needed to support vital and emergent needs.

Federation hired Lenz to develop the central communications piece for the multi-million dollar campaign—a 36-page book that makes the case for the endowment and aims to inspire a community to grow and support it. Working with Federation, Lenz established the book’s audience as generous Jewish community leaders who have actively supported the organization for years through annual campaign drives. The challenge, then, was positioning the endowment campaign as a critical initiative with a purpose independent from the annual campaign.

To do this, we identified two primary editorial messages:

1. Contributions to the Federation’s endowment fund will build the future of Atlanta’s Jewish community and serve its long-term needs in perpetuity––not just for the next 12 months.

2. Through an endowment gift, donors pass their values to future generations and impact their community long after they are gone. In this way, endowment contributions live forever and become each donor’s legacy.

With these themes in mind, we titled the book, “Your Legacy. Our Future.” The messaging that follows is forward leaning and presents a unique opportunity to set the agenda for an entire community:

· “We invite you to dream with us.”

· “We must look beyond the present and realize a new vision for our future.”

· “Our actions today determine the type of world our children and grandchildren will inherit.”

The book’s design is equally bold. A large, dramatically lit image of a child’s hand in his father’s graces the cover. A modest word count is spread across 36 pages, allowing oversized and stylized type that complements the gravity of the language. Closely cropped, emotive photos of grandparents, parents, and children appear throughout and emphasize our bond with and responsibility to the next generation. Following the messaging and design, the book’s third critical component is the set of five testimonials from endowment donors. These interspersed, first person accounts from community leaders run alongside beautiful portraits, filling entire spreads. Their presence seasons the piece and lends a collection of respected voices to the cause.

“Your Legacy. Our Future.” was conceived, written, and designed to stir Atlanta’s Jewish community leaders into action. Hopefully, it will become one of Lenz’s most influential works.

—Filed under Marketing by Michael Killeen