Lives in: Los Angeles

Occupation: Now retired from writing, Jacqueline is the author of 11 popular novels that have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. Her novels have been translated into 27 languages and regularly appear on best-seller lists, including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times.

Family: Three married children, Ralph, Liz and Richard, and four granddaughters. Husband Bert was her literary agent until he passed away in 2004.

Personal information: Born in England, Jacqueline moved to Beverly Hills at the age of 10. She began studying law at UCLA, and left to marry Bert in her junior year. After her children were born, Jacqueline began taking writing classes at UCLA Extension, which marked the beginning of her fiction-writing career.

Joined The Foundation family in: Opened two Charitable Gift Annuities with her husband in 2003, and opened five additional Charitable Gift Annuities after her husband's death. Over the years, the Briskins also made significant cash gifts to The Foundation, and Jacqueline continues that tradition of generous support. All of the Briskins' gifts go to The Foundation's Permanent Legacy Fund, which supports The Foundation's community grant making activities that seed cutting edge programs and projects.

Why I joined The Foundation: "I give to The Foundation for the financial benefits and, most importantly, because I support the good work it does for the Jewish community in Los Angeles. The Foundation has low administrative expenses compared to other non-profits. With the Charitable Gift Annuities, the funds are out of my estate, and I still get a good income, much of which is tax-free."

Philanthropic interests: In addition to her generous support of The Foundation, Jacqueline has focused her giving on the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Opera, the UCLA Library and Hadassah. With her late husband, she established The Bert and Jacqueline Briskin Endowed Collection in Fiction at UCLA Library to provide funds to acquire, preserve and make accessible print material in the field of fiction.

Jackie Briskin is a thoughtful and caring person who always has the best interests of the Jewish community and greater Los Angeles community in mind. She understands the benefit of being able to support the programs of the Jewish Community Foundation and simultaneously enjoy an immediate, guaranteed income for life, backed by The Foundation's assets. By making donations in the form of Charitable Gift Annuities, Jackie enjoys an immediate tax deduction on her gifts, based on her age and income payout rate. In addition, her payments may partly be a tax-free return of principal, and she may reduce estate taxes by removing the assets from her estate.By designating The Foundation as the charitable beneficiary of a gift annuity, Jackie can be assured that the remainder interest will pass to The Foundation, creating a permanent legacy in her name.

Elliot Kristal, Vice President, Charitable Gift Planning