Courtney Smith, Founder & CEO of Detroit Phoenix Center, recently received the Black Excellence Award from the Black United Fund (BUF) of Michigan, alongside a powerful circle of leaders dedicated to service, justice, and generational change. For over 55 years, BUF of MI has been a steady force, investing in Black youth, uplifting families, and anchoring Detroit in purpose. As Detroit Phoenix Center shared, “To be recognized by such an institution is more than an award—it’s a confirmation that the impact we’re making matters.”

JAB Camp, founded by Jared Armstrong, offers the fun of basketball camp plus essential life skills and bridge building across communities. The program, underway this summer of 2025, fosters tolerance, respect, and meaningful connections among youth from diverse backgrounds. In our divided world, this is needed more than ever.

A Courageous Voice, founded by Amy Ever, is hard at work this summer of 2025 teaching groups of children how to stay safe online and offline, empowering them with the knowledge and confidence to prevent sexual abuse.

Unchained at Last, founded and led by Fraidy Reiss, continues its relentless and inspiring fight to end child marriage across the United States. In a major step forward, the organization helped convince Maine, Oregon, Missouri, and Washington, D.C. to ban child marriage—bringing the total to 16 states, two territories, and one district that now prohibit the practice. That’s one third of the country—only 34 states and three territories to go! In addition, Unchained successfully defeated a bill that would have reinstated child marriage in New Hampshire, preserving a hard-won victory from the previous year.

Jacob Sztokman, founder of Gabriel Project Mumbai, shared that their women’s sewing collective, Tribal Threads, recently completed an impressive order of 18,000 school uniforms for 170 village schools. This allowed them to hire 6 additional tailors and expand the workshop. Thanks to the support of The Good People Fund, the team was able to add seven new sewing machines and upgrade their infrastructure to fulfill the order. School officials were delighted with the quality of the uniforms, and they are optimistic about future partnerships with the local education department.

Thanks to your support, our grantee Collective Lavo B’tov, founded by Shoshi Margolin and Rachel Kolette Wheeler, launched a powerful initiative in Israel supporting people with disabilities who were isolated and anxious during wartime siren alerts. “This is the only place I feel completely accepted… Thank you for thinking of us,” shared a participant with vision impairment.