in 1990, It Was Only $14

Dear Haverim, 

In 1990, CBH paid $14 a month for an answering service. Back then, we didn’t own a building. We didn’t have a religious school. There was no music program. And – how quaint! – we paid for the answering service by snail-mailing a check. 

Today, our digital phone system routes your calls to professional staff members who meet the needs of a diverse membership – from baby namings to burials, and everything in between.

Like the victorious Maccabees we will soon honor with our menorahs, CBH would not have succeeded without zealous dedication. But in our case, there is no eight-day miracle. We’ve kept our lights burning – as well as our music playing and our teachers teaching – by facing our financial needs head-on. For nearly 40 years. This year has been a rough one and we seek your support to minimize the significant budget deficit we are facing.

In that spirit, we ask if you would make a Hanukkah gift to CBH.

In addition, we wanted to pass along some reminders about how to maximize your tax benefits when donating to CBH. You can read more about this topic here. We realize this advice only applies to some of our congregants, certainly not all. Nonetheless, we thought it might be useful. CBH is a 501(c)(3) organization for tax purposes. 

• If you have appreciated stock you can donate it directly to a 501(c)(3) and you won’t be taxed on the  appreciation and the 501(c)(3) receives the current value of the stock.  
• If you are 70.5 you can make Qualified Distributions directly from your IRA to a 501(c)(3), and not pay tax on the distribution.
• If you are required to take a required minimum distribution, there is a tax advantage to contributing from your minimum distribution directly to a 501(c)(3).  When you contribute to a 501(c)(3) the distribution does not count as income, so you do not pay tax on that part of your required minimum distribution. 
• Please remember, we are not tax professionals nor your personal financial advisor. Please consult a professional/your personal financial advisor for advice regarding your personal financial situation. 

Thank you in advance for your generosity.