The philanthropy professional brings 25 years of experience to the endowment-building consulting program, which has helped secure $2B+ for the Jewish future in just 13 years.
AGAWAM, MA – The Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) is pleased to welcome Julie Earne as its new Director of Life & Legacy, a program that assists community-based Jewish organizations across North America to promote endowment-building and legacy giving to bolster them for the future. As the new director, Earne will lead the continued growth and evolution of the program.
“I’m thrilled to join the Harold Grinspoon Foundation as the new Director of Life & Legacy,” said Julie Earne, Director of Life & Legacy. “Leading this influential program presents an opportunity to combine my expertise in philanthropy, finance, and social impact to benefit Jewish communities across the country – making this role very personal to me. I am excited to work with the HGF leadership and Life & Legacy consultants to take this program even further and grow it alongside the Jewish communities we serve.”
Earne joins the HGF with more than 25 years of experience mobilizing capital and building financially sustainable institutions and communities around the world. Most recently, she led the private philanthropy group at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, where she developed innovative financing partnerships with foundations, family offices, and institutional investors to expand economic opportunity across emerging markets. As the director of Life & Legacy, she will work closely with Jewish communities, partner organizations, and funders to strengthen legacy giving, expand strategic partnerships, and ensure the program continues to help communities build long-term financial sustainability.
“We are excited to welcome Julie to our leadership team,” says Winnie Sandler Grinspoon, President, Harold Grinspoon Foundation. “Her expertise with building innovative financing solutions that strengthen communities and passion for Jewish impact investing is a perfect complement to the existing team and will surely support Life & Legacy as it envisions its offerings for its next chapter.”
When the Harold Grinspoon Foundation created Life & Legacy in 2012, legacy building was not engrained in the culture of most Jewish organizations. In the years since, Life & Legacy has bolstered 1,024 organizations in 76 communities with the training and support they need to secure legacy gifts, steward donors, and integrate a culture of philanthropy in their communities. Together, Life & Legacy communities have marshalled:
$2.2 billion in commitments from
45,200 signed legacy commitments and
35,000+ individual legacy donors
Already, $358.5 million of this has been added to organizational endowment funds, providing lasting support that will grow over time. The rest is set aside in wills, trusts, retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and other estate planning documents. These funds will be utilized by communities well into the future, shaping the communal life of North American Jews long after the signatories have passed.
