1. How do you identify the programs that you support?
We find programs through our own diligence, research and network of trusted individuals. Unlike many traditional funders, we do not have a formal submission process. Rarely does a program come to us. We find them.
2. What kinds of programs do you support?
Please visit our list of programs at Our Grantees to get a sense of the scope of the work done by our grantees. All operate with minimal staff and are often all-volunteer. We focus on organizations with budgets below $500,000. The key to all of our programs is the Good Person at the center of the organization. Our visionaries are inspired by a personal connection to their work or by an injustice that they have witnessed or read about and moved them to act. They have sought creative solutions, often at great personal sacrifice, to alleviate many forms of human suffering.
3. Do you support only Jewish organizations?
The Good People Fund is inspired by Jewish traditions and the philosophy of tikkun olam (repairing the world), but good people do not have religious boundaries. While many of our grantees are based in the U.S. and Israel, our Good People reach out to communities beyond. We support organizations that respond to hunger, poverty, disability, trauma and other human suffering, not to Jewish hunger or Jewish poverty alone.
4. How is my donation spent?
The Good People Fund strives to keep overhead at a minimum and to operate as leanly as possible. All staff members work from home offices and most overhead is covered by donations directed specifically to those costs. We are a fund, not a traditional foundation. We do not have an endowment. We work to turn your donations into “good” as quickly as possible. You can view the most recent financial information and allocations in the latest Annual Report
5. Why should I give to the Good People Fund rather than directly to one of the organizations?
What differentiates us from other organizations is that we don’t just send a check; rather, we offer mentorship and guidance along with financial support to organizations that we have vetted carefully. We make a point of meeting the founder(s) and often conduct site-visits. Our relationship with our grantees is deeply personal. We monitor every grant so that we can maximize the impact of your donation. Our added value is our expertise in guiding the grantees and our oversight of how your donation is spent.
6. How can people find out about the Good People Fund and follow your work?
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to receive the latest Tzedakah Diaries and monthly e-newsletters.
7. What volunteer, partnership or service learning opportunities are available?
Resources, activities and materials for Bar/Bat Mitzvah students seeking to learn how to build their own projects; materials for educators; and experiential learning opportunities for project coordinators are all available in the Learning section of our website. Download a GPF Grab ‘n’ Go Lesson featuring a grantee or access the Ziv Tzedakah Curriculum.
8. What are some ways that we can support The Good People Fund?
Donations are the most direct way you can support our tzedakah work. We offer attractive tribute cards as a way for you to honor or memorialize someone and will promptly mail or email them on your behalf. Corporate matching grants, bequests and donations of stock are additional ways you can help. But perhaps most important of all, spread the word! Having more people know about our unique tzedakah model is important to us and our work.
Still have more questions? Send us an email at naomi@goodpeoplefund.org and we will be happy to respond.
