Mazel tov on your bar or bat mitzvah!

Now is the perfect time to make the world a better place. Not sure how? We can help you start with your own Genesis Mitzvah Fund – or GMF for short.

Friends and family love to donate money to charity in honor of your big accomplishments. With a GMF, your loved ones can give money directly to a fund that you and your parents set up. Your fund will earn interest and grow (tax-free). Then, you can choose where to gift your charity dollars!

Support your Jewish community through the Minnesota Jewish Community Foundation, fight for animal rights, donate to your favorite camp, or help cure a disease – the options are endless. One thing is for sure though: with a GMF you’ll be someone’s hero.

Plus, we’ll show you how organizations around Minneapolis help our Jewish community and Jewish communities around the world so you can be a tzedakah expert. And you won’t do it alone! You’ll meet other teens who, like you, love being Jewish. You can read an inspiring article from a teen, now grown, who started his philanthropic journey with a Genesis Mitzvah Fund. Click here to read.

So, what do you think? Ready to change the world? Grab Mom or Dad and let’s get started!

• Gives youth the opportunity to be philanthropists, by introducing our community’s teens to the world of giving; offering the next generation a way to make a difference at organizations that are important to them

• Teaches tzedakah by permitting teens to make annual distributions to charity — both Jewish and secular causes. Your teen may recommend distributions of income each year to a maximum of four qualified charitable organizations.

• Family and friends may contribute tax-deductible cash gifts to the fund at the time of the bar/bat mitzvah or at any time thereafter (e.g., birthdays and special occasions)

• Your teen can choose to use our online portal where they can track their fund and make recommendations for grant distributions

• Assets in the fund are invested and grow tax-free, generating more charitable dollars for distribution to charities of your teen’s choice.

• By giving a planned gift now, you will be included in the Foundation’s Legacy Society.

We know, we know: just yesterday your teen was a baby. Sunrise, sunset and all that jazz. We’ve been there, and there’s no doubt about it: it’s bittersweet.

If your baby has to grow up, why not make sure they have a solid understanding of tzedakah – why not help them set up a Genesis Mitzvah Fund?

Ten years after the fund is opened and your babies are adults, remaining funds can become their Donor Advised Fund or their Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment for philanthropy for life!

You can read an inspiring article from a teen, now grown, who started his philanthropic journey with a Genesis Mitzvah Fund. Click here to read.