Dear Friend,

As we enter the month of Elul, a season of reflection and preparation for the Jewish New Year, I find myself reflecting on my own new beginning: my first month as Executive Director of the Good People Fund, after almost three years of being part of the professional team. It has been a joyful and energizing month. Some of the greatest highlights have been my meetings and coffee dates with our extraordinary grantees — hearing what they are seeing in their communities, learning more about the challenges they are tackling, and being reminded again and again of the creativity, compassion, and determination that define our Good People.

I’ve also loved settling into the rhythms of our small and mighty professional team. We are building a culture rooted in camaraderie, connection, curiosity, and a shared commitment to this work. There is something powerful about knowing that, even as our work stretches across communities and continents, we are connected by a common belief in what is possible when good people have the support they need to turn their ideas into action.

And soon, I’ll have the opportunity to experience some of that work firsthand. In November, I’ll be traveling to Israel with a small group for our Journey of Good, where we’ll meet inspiring changemakers addressing a range of challenges: food insecurity, trauma recovery, coexistence, and much more. I can’t wait to learn alongside those joining us and to see the impact of our Good People up close. There are a few spots left if you are interested in joining us.

Elul invites us not only to look back, but to consider where we are headed. One month into this role, I feel tremendous gratitude for all that has brought the Good People Fund to this moment — and excitement about what we will build together in the years ahead. Thank you for making this beautiful work of tzedakah possible! May we all find meaning and contentment in 5787.

Wishing you a meaningful Elul and a sweet new year,

Julie Fisher, Executive Director

Dear Friends,

Today is my first day as Executive Director of the Good People Fund, and I am filled with gratitude, humility, and excitement. For the past three years, I have had the privilege of learning from and working alongside Naomi Eisenberger to ground myself in what makes the Good People Fund shine: our unwavering belief in good people; our commitment to trust-based tzedakah; and our conviction that one person with a bold idea can change countless lives.

As I step into this role, I intend to build upon the strong foundation Naomi has laid while bringing my own experiences, relationships, and perspectives to the work ahead. And I know that the need for our work has never been greater. We are living in a world with enormous challenges: hunger and poverty persist; antisemitism, racism, and hatred are on the rise; loneliness and isolation have become public health crises. Families struggle to access mental health care, housing, and essential services. Far beyond our own backyards, war, displacement, political polarization, and climate-related disasters leave countless people vulnerable and searching for hope.

The Good People Fund exists to support the good people who are responding to these challenges every day — and it is the honor of a lifetime to lead our organization into the future.

As I begin this new chapter, I would love to hear from you. What moves you about the Good People Fund? Which stories, experiences, or values inspire your connection to this community? Over the coming months, I’ll be scheduling virtual coffee dates to listen, learn, and share with friends and supporters. I would love to have coffee with you!

Your perspectives will help shape our journey ahead. And I want to hear your story.

Thank you for your partnership, trust, and your belief in the power of good people to make a difference.

Wishing you a restful summer!

With gratitude,

Julie Fisher, Executive Director

Surely there is something symbolic about the fact that I am writing my final message as The Good People Fund’s Executive Director in the midst of our 18th year celebration! What a ride it has been. I feel deeply grateful to have had the zechut, the honor, to act as your Shlicha Mitzvah — your messenger of acts of kindness. And I am tremendously excited to pass the baton to Julie Fisher, who will assume the role of Executive Director on July 1st. I have every confidence that Julie will carry out our mission with love, clarity, and deep compassion. In the 2+ years that she has been by my side, she has already created many new programs to benefit our grantees as well as strengthen our internal structures. I know that in Julie’s hands, The Good People fund will continue to grow, thrive, and catalyze more good.

When I think back to 2008, the year this adventure began, I remain grateful to The Good People Fund’s founding board for sharing my vision and bringing it to fruition by adding their talents and generosity. I am also indebted to our current board, whose foresight and commitment has made it possible for the work to continue. Together, we have all built something truly unique in the Jewish philanthropic world. We have invested in so many extraordinary people in exciting and impactful ways, almost too numerous to mention … helping feed those who are hungry, welcoming the stranger to a new country, empowering women too often left behind, or combating hatred and bigotry in Israel and in the US.

Thanks to your generosity, we have sparked hope and goodness in a world that is often consumed by despair. This work has given me the oxygen to breathe each day, and is an antidote to the depletion many of us are feeling at this moment.

No organization can succeed without a staff that is also deeply committed to its mission and while the The Good People Fund’s staff is small, it is also mighty — and more than a little fun! From Jordan Namerow and Randi Cairns (the first former grantee who fulfilled a lifelong dream to work for The Good People Fund), to Sandy Ungar, Sondra Kasdon and though no longer here, Glenn Rosenkrantz, z”l, our former Communications Consultant who died tragically last December — thank you for the many talents you have brought to our work. And, finally, to Andrea Good our Director of Operations whose title barely describes her many talents and her deep commitment — thank you for embracing the true meaning of this special work.

For me, the new titles of Executive Director Emerita and Master Mentor mean that I will continue to be part of the family that I helped create, and do one of the things that I most enjoy — mentoring our grantees as they build their programs.

The greatest joy of my life, aside from my beautiful family, has been the chance to meet both our inspiring grantees and the generous people who believe in a modest experiment and helped transform it into a meaningful force in Jewish philanthropy today.

I am deeply grateful to all of you for joining me on this remarkable journey. Together, we have touched and changed countless lives — and we have much more work to do together! I will always treasure the role each of you plays in The Good People fund, and look forward to championing the next chapter.

Naomi K. Eisenberger, Executive Director

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