The Jacob Siskind Endowment Fund
The Ottawa Community Foundation administers an Endowment Fund for Ottawa Chamberfest, named after Jacob Siskind, Endowment funds are held in trust; the interest from the fund is used to serve the goals of an organization.
“When (Jacob Siskind) liked a performance, he wrote about it so lovingly that it made you want to rush out for tickets. When he did not like a performance, he could be tough” – Ottawa Citizen arts critic Steven Mazey
Jacob Siskind was a music critic known for his raw honesty, objectivity, and absolute passion and advocacy for classical music. Throughout a 50-year career, he wrote live music reviews that audiences in Ottawa and Montreal could trust and depend on.
When Jacob retired, he transitioned from music critic to Ottawa Chamberfest patron. Although retired, Jacob’s passion for and critique of music did not subside. In his retirement, he continued to challenge Chamberfest to bring the best and brightest artists to our community.
Upon his passing on September 17, 2010, Jacob left Chamberfest a substantial and unexpected estate gift His gift has left a lasting impact – enabling Chamberfest to sustain the high-calibre programming that it is proud to produce and present.
In the years since Jacob’s passing, his gift has allowed Chamberfest the confidence to blossom into a full, three-pillared arts organization. Through his generosity, we moved from an organization facing fiscal challenges to one of financial sustainability.
In an effort to meet Jacob’s wishes for his unanticipated gift, Chamberfest established an endowment fund with the Community Foundation of Ottawa in his name, and dedicated the 2011 edition of the Chamberfest summer festival and our annual Siskind Snapshots series to his memory, and established the Jacob Siskind Legacy Circle.
By honouring the Ottawa Chamberfest with a planned gift, you will join this Circle: a group of generous individuals whose support ensures the longevity and vitality of Chamberfest.
If you are interested in joining the Jacob Siskind Legacy Circle, take our Expectancy Pledge Form and consult with your legal/financial advisers. They are the best ones to advise you how to create a bequest for Chamberfest. They may suggest other types of gifts to the Fund (shares, property, works of art, etc.) that are more appropriate for your situation.
Then present the idea to your family. Ensure that your immediate family (including the Trustee of your Estate) are supportive of your intentions. Then forward the Expectancy Pledge Form to us.
When the times comes, Chamberfest will receive your gift from your will, directed to the Jacob Siskind Legacy Circle Unrestricted Planned Gift Fund. That Fund will be monitored by the Finance Committee of the Board. The Fund will be used in a number of very important ways to ensure the sustainability and quality of our work – Changing Lives Through Music:
- transfer to the Creativity Campaign
- transfer to the Annual Giving Program (that supports the Chamberfest summer festival, our Concert Series and our Community Engagement and Education activities
- or some combination of the above options.
If you have chosen to remember Ottawa Chamberfest in your estate, please let us have the opportunity to thank you for your generosity now. Knowledge of your plans provides us with the chance to share the ways your generosity will help to build our artistic strength, expand our educational programming, and grow our community presence.
You can also donate directly to this endowment fund through the Ottawa Community Foundation, who administer the fund for us.
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