I still remember walking down a quiet Tel Aviv street on my way to meet Naomi Eisenberger for the first time. It was The Good People Fund’s 10th anniversary in February 2018, and I had no idea that night would change my life.
As many of you know, Naomi has been both a mentor and dear friend to me for the past eight years. Her guidance has shown me what it means to lead with compassion, humility, and vision. Together, Naomi and I have had the privilege of mentoring our inspiring grantees — our Good People — as they deepen their impact and bring healing, dignity, and hope into the world.
In that same spirit of continuity, Naomi, together with our Board of Trustees, has invited me to lead this remarkable organization into its next chapter, carrying forward her extraordinary legacy of good. I am profoundly honored.
Recently, Naomi and I have spent meaningful time with our grantees, listening as they carry out life-changing work. Again and again, we are reminded that behind every initiative is a person holding both burden and hope. We met leaders feeding families, uplifting young people, welcoming new neighbors, supporting those in pain, and building bridges across divides. Their courage inspires us. We are honored to stand beside them and to support them on your behalf.
That same spirit of care and creativity was present in a recent conversation on our Good People Talk! podcast with grantee Gavi Welbel, who together with her sister Remi founded Zumwalt Acres in Illinois. Their work includes caring for the land, strengthening food systems, and gathering neighbors through an innovative Community Soup program that addresses food insecurity with dignity and care. Their work reminds us that simple acts of nourishment and belonging matter deeply and create sustainable communities.
In our Good People Fund community, we confront difficult questions every day: how to stand beside those who are grieving, nourish those who are hungry, strengthen vulnerable communities, and foster understanding across differences. This is sacred work. Serious work. Necessary work. It is tzedakah in action.
And yet, we must also pause to celebrate the goodness we have built together.
On May 17 in New Jersey, we will gather to celebrate 18 years of good, an evening of gratitude, reflection, and joy. We will celebrate our beloved founder Naomi Eisenberger and the beautiful legacy she has built. We will honor lives changed, bridges built, and the quiet, powerful acts of good made possible by this community. Many of the social visionaries we support will be with us, and we are excited for you to meet them and for them to meet you.
Just as that 10th anniversary evening marked the beginning of my journey with Naomi, we look forward to celebrating this milestone with all of you on May 17, another evening full of possibility, connection, and the promise of what comes next.
Whether you join us in person or online through our livestream, we hope you will share in this beautiful milestone, because every one of you is part of these 18 years of good.
We also invite you to support our Fund for the Future, which will help ensure this work continues for the next 18 years, and beyond.
Julie Fisher, Incoming Executive Director
