The 1955 Society
Leave behind a legacy that builds bright futures.
- The 1955 Society
The 1955 Society was created in celebration of the 70th anniversary of Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South in 2025 and is named for the year our chapter was founded. This special community of forward-thinking donors honors the past while boldly investing in the future—and we would be so proud to count you among its visionary members.
When you decide to include Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South in your estate plans, you join a special group of supporters who understand the powerful and lasting change Junior Achievement makes for children throughout the Mid-South region.
With your legacy gift, you are not only helping to sustain our mission—you are planting seeds of opportunity for generations of students who will one day explore, dream, and lead – because of you.
To learn more about supporting Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South through a planned gift, please contact Senior Development Manager Mary Kanowitz, mkanowitz@jamemphis.org, 901-366-7800.
Ways to Give
When you name Junior Achievement as a beneficiary of your will, trust, or retirement plan, you will become a member of The 1955 Society, a special group of supporters who understand lasting impact JA makes on children throughout the Mid-South.
For those over 70½, making a QCD directly from your IRA to Junior Achievement counts toward your required minimum distribution and is excluded from your taxable income, which could potentially lower your overall tax burden.
Donating appreciated stock is a meaningful and tax-efficient way to support Junior Achievement. When you give stock that you’ve held for at least one year, you may be able to avoid capital gains taxes and still deduct the full market value of your gift, up to the limits allowed by the IRS. It’s a smart way to maximize your impact while investing in the future of our students.
Please contact us to let us know that you will be transferring shares of stock to Junior Achievement’s brokerage account at Duncan Williams Asset Management and provide the type of stock and the number of shares you plan to donate.
You will need the following information when you contact your broker to request the transfer:
Firm: Duncan Williams Asset Management
Address: 5130 Poplar Ave, Suite 600, Memphis, TN 38119-3697
Phone: (901) 435-4250
Account Name: Junior Achievement of Memphis
Account Number: 6363-7103
Any information should be reviewed by your legal or financial advisors to determine whether it is applicable to your circumstances.
A donor-advised fund (DAF) provides an immediate tax benefit to you and is one of the easiest ways to give. You may have the option to make a monthly, recurring gift to JA from your DAF or name JA as a beneficiary; contact your fund’s administrator.
JA Tax ID: 62-0549549
- Why I Give
“I was looking for something I thought the city could really benefit from,” Scott said. “I moved here on purpose because I like the city. We know this city has lots of upside potential, and we need people to do the work.”
He first got involved through JA’s Bowl-a-Thon fundraiser and naturally gravitated toward supporting JA’s financial literacy programs. “My support always goes back to the financial literacy piece,” he said. “It’s just so easy for me to be a financial advisor supporting a financial literacy organization.”
Scott sees JA’s mission as vital for expanding opportunity. “There are not many Black financial advisors in Memphis,” he said. “We need more students who are interested in these careers.”
In addition to his annual support, Scott and his wife, Sara, made a legacy gift by joining the 1955 Society. “We want this organization to be sustainable in any economic environment. The only way that happens is when you have sources of money that don’t depend on which way the economic winds are blowing.”
To learn more about legacy giving, the 1955 Society, or the World Ready Fund, contact Mary Kanowitz at mkanowitz@ja.org or (901) 366-7800.
Strategic Financial Partner