The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis Board of Directors approved a new name for the Planned Giving & Endowment Department: the Charles A. Cohen Department of Planned Giving and Endowment. Chuck Cohen z”l, who passed away in 2020, was an avid supporter of JFGI, and particularly of its endowment and planned giving efforts. 
“The department’s name change honors and memorializes Chuck and his lifetime of service to the Jewish Federation and in particular to the Department of Planned Giving and Endowment,” said Josh Lodolo, the Senior Director of the Charles A. Cohen Department of Planned Giving and Endowment. 
Cohen served as the pro-bono attorney for the department for decades. He also chaired the centennial endowment building campaign. According to Lodolo, Cohen helped secure dozens, if not hundreds, of planned gifts for JFGI in his capacity as an estate attorney. He expertly and passionately strove to secure a financially stable future for JFGI.
“He cared a lot about the richness of the Jewish community, and he wanted to ensure a flourishing Jewish community not just for the current, but for the future,” Lodolo said. “And that’s why Chuck cared so much about endowments and planned giving.” 
Cohen grew up in a small town in Kentucky, where the Jewish community was shrinking. He wanted to ensure that the Indianapolis Jewish community had the resources it needed to sustain itself, and even to grow, for generations to come. 
“This is the first time that the federation has ever put someone’s name on a department, and it’s a testament to Chuck’s lifetime of service and dedication,” Lodolo said. 
Community member Bradley Bell served on the task force that recommended the department’s renaming. He said Cohen would reach out to help others however he could, and he credited Cohen for JFGI’s successful $100 million endowment campaign a number of years ago.
“Chuck’s commitment to our Indianapolis Jewish community as well as to Israel were never in doubt,” Bell said. “His philanthropy was not only of money, but also his time. His passion for building endowments, he served on local as well as national committees, is well known.”
Cohen’s nonprofit involvement stretched beyond the Indianapolis Jewish community. He helped grow the Jewish Federations of North America’s endowment program, and he helped United Way launch their planned giving program. 
Upon Cohen’s passing, more than 100 donations were made to the Charles Cohen Endowment Fund, which will serve as a resource for the Charles A. Cohen Department of Planned Giving and Endowment. Contributions are still being accepted andmay be made by check as a tribute to the Federation: 6705 Hoover Road, Indianapolis, IN 46260, or online at https://jfgi.givingfuel.com/tribute. You can also contact Josh Lodolo at jlodolo@jfgi.org or (317) 726-9266 for more information.