LOG-IN
DONATE NOW
SUBSCRIBE

The Good People Fund

You are here: Home / Archives for News

The Good People Fund Marks End Of Year Giving

At the Good People Fund, we mentor and support grassroots community-based organizations led by visionaries who respond in creative ways to address society’s most intractable problems whether its focus be as insurmountable as hunger or as defined as supporting women leaving forced or arranged marriages. Since our inception in 2008, we have granted more than 5.3 million dollars to more than 60 nonprofit organizations in Israel.

In each case the individual or small group’s actions inspire others to join their work to effect change. To date, we have been able to provide more than $8,000,000 in grants to more than 150 nonprofit organizations based primarily in the United States and Israel. For the recently concluded 2015/2016 fiscal year grants of nearly $1,500,000 were made to programs based in those countries.

Highlights of the grants made in Israel this past fiscal year include; $335,000 for organizations focused on kids including Kaima, a program that utilizes sustainable organic farming to help young people who cannot learn in traditional environments and S.A.H.I. an organization that embraces compassion and giving as tools to help youth-at-risk; $123,000 to organizations that alleviate hunger such as Pesia’s Kitchen in Tel Aviv which distributes quite literally tons of donated food and fresh produce; $81,000 to IDF-related organizations like Tzvika Levy’s Lone Soldier Program; $58,000 to organizations helping to ease poverty including Ten Gav, a unique crowd-funding platform that assists social workers as they manage the needs of Israel’s most vulnerable citizens; $45,000 to organizations that promote women’s empowerment including Yotsrot which trains women, exiting the cycle of abuse and prostitution, for fashion-related careers and Ba’asher Teichi which supports Haredi women navigating the divorce process; $55,000 for organizations that offer alternative healing, like HAMA Israel’s animal-assisted therapy program that reduces emotional pain in varied situations; and $8,800 to organizations like In Their Shoes which creates awareness and understanding of dementia and aging.

Project Kruvit is our most recent Israeli grantee. Inspired by Dr. Ravit Hilleli when she was only a teen, this all-volunteer program prepares and distributes high quality meals to thousands of people for Passover, Shavout and Rosh Hashanah; a logistical challenge that involves an army of volunteers (about 8,000) who cook, shop, and deliver meals during a 48-hour period immediately before the chaggim (holidays) begin.

Highlights of the Fund’s U.S. grant recipients include; $51,000 to organizations that address the needs of children including Atlanta’s Creating Connected Communities that trains local teens in leadership skills with a special focus on homelessness and advocacy and connects them to meaningful volunteer opportunities with disadvantaged kids; $38,000 to organizations like Boston-based Courageous Parents Network that empowers parents to care for children with serious illnesses by maintaining up-to-date virtual community resources; and $18,000 to organizations focused on alternative healing such as Shelter Music Boston that performs live classical chamber music for displaced shelter residents who might not otherwise have the financial means or opportunity to experience music and its healing powers in less-accessible venues. Other grants were directed towards programs focused on eldercare, hunger, women’s empowerment, poverty and veterans.

One of our most important goals is to give visibility and recognition to these nascent efforts so that others will join us in helping to support their work. We know that with the right amount of fiscal support and mentoring these small efforts can flourish. With this in mind we continue our commitment to seek out these inspiring individuals and their good work and invest in their growth and success.

Naomi Eisenberger is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Good People Fund, based in Millburn, New Jersey. For the past decade, she has drawn on her extensive business and nonprofit experience to help grantees build their own successful nonprofit organizations.

The Benefits of Incubators: Nurturing New Nonprofits and How Mentorship and Guidance Can Lead to Success

When it comes to actually creating a nonprofit or managing one newly formed, there are countless resources available. A simple Google search reveals a host of topics at your fingertips which may include legal advice in establishing an organization, board development, selecting a logo, best practices in fundraising, website development and so much more.

Indeed these widely disseminated tools are helpful, but we believe that newly established and smaller scale nonprofits have their best chance of success if they can take advantage of the benefits of a personal connection; a mentor to guide them in addition to the shared experiences of other successful nonprofits.

The Good People Fund serves as an incubator for these small nascent programs that have been formed to address some need or injustice in our society. In our case, all of these organizations were started by inspiring individuals who felt compelled to “do something.” Very few of these visionaries have studied nonprofit management and most are truly “leading with their heart” not always with their “head.” How do they succeed? How can we as funders help them with their mission? If a funder is inspired enough by the organization’s mission it should also take those steps necessary to assure that the grant succeeds.

With more than 25 years experience working with new nonprofits we believe that they have unique needs that when met can help to insure their ultimate success. Some ways in which funders could operate as an incubator:

Spend quality time with the founder getting to know them, their background and what has brought them to this place. A strong personal relationship can be beneficial to the organization’s ultimate success. Let them know that they have an ear when it comes to the challenges they will face on a daily basis. If they fail to reach some goal they should know that it is safe to share that failure and that it doesn’t necessarily reflect on the future of additional grants.

Discuss board development and the importance of bringing on people who share the passion of the founder. With passion comes commitment. Board members should not necessarily be your best friends, but people who will both support and challenge the founder when necessary. Board members should be made aware from the very beginning exactly what their responsibilities will be, whether that is financial or hands-on work or both. If a board member does not know what is expected of them they may fail.

Encourage your grantees to interact with each other. Many of their challenges are not unique and having a peer to confer with is not only comforting but validating as well. Building a network of support and learning from others is invaluable.
Offer matching grant challenges. What better way to have your new grantees sharpen their “asking” skills and learn to interact with donors?

Remind your grantees about those things that are considered “best practices” in the nonprofit world. This could relate to the best ways to collect online donations; the need for the appropriate insurance coverage whether it be liability or D&O insurance and where to get it; hiring staff as employees or consultants and so much more.

Encourage your grantees (and perhaps yourself as the funder) to understand that the word “overhead” should not signal an immediate negative reaction. Like everything else, moderation and common sense should prevail. As an organization grows its staffing needs will naturally change. As long as the proper funding is found (and an organization’s board members are the perfect donors to help cover some of those administrative costs)  to underwrite some or all of this expense they should go for it. Trying to do it all just doesn’t work.

Remind your grantees that for every step forward there may be two steps back. That is to be expected running any business and nonprofits are businesses.

We understand first hand that the process of starting or managing a nonprofit can be overwhelming. The guide and points above are listed to stress that you are not alone and there are opportunities through mentors and organizations looking to serve as incubators to both nurture, mentor and help guide your organization to success.

Naomi Eisenberger co-founded The Good People Fund in 2008 and became its Executive Director.  She assumed this role after more than 10 years as the Managing Director of the Ziv Tzedakah Fund. For the past decade, she has drawn on her extensive business and nonprofit experience to help grantees build their own successful non-profit organizations.

“Barbershop Books” Cuts Through Literacy Gap One Trim At A Time

Chances are, we wouldn’t consider a child staring quietly out of a Barbershop window to be cause for concern.

But for first grade teacher Alvin Irby, 31, who recognized the boy as one of his students, an intuitive thought arose—one that was laced with concern.

“I know what his reading level is, and he should really be practicing his reading right now,” he thought. “I just wish I had a book to give him to read while he was waiting.”

Across New York City, he says, there are thousands of boys of color who will never see a male who looks like them engaging in reading during their first few years of school…or encouraging them to read at all.

That’s why he founded Barbershop Books, a nonprofits aimed at getting young boys excited about reading, and providing them with the resources to do so.

The community-based literacy program creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops, working from a list of carefully curated titles perfect for boys ages four to eight years old.

The program, which literally puts books in front of children and their parents, is designed to encourage parents—primarily, fathers—to read to their kids.

Citing a recent Harvard study that suggests children get “something different” from a “father and son” read-aloud (as opposed to reading with their mother) Alvin believes that by connecting books and reading to a male-centered space, he can and connect black men to the early reading experiences of black boys in a positive and culturally meaningful way.

“We believe that having men serve as relevant reading models is absolutely essential in encouraging boys to read and emphasizing that reading is important,” he said.” Ultimately, we want to get them to read for fun.”

As a result of the program, parent Jabbar Richardson and his fiancée read to his six-year-old son Jamere every night before he goes to sleep, taking the time to read along together when they’re at the local Barbershop where they first discovered Barbershop Books late last year.

These days, Jamere runs to the table with the books every time he walks in for a haircut, and has been “stepping up the amount he reads on his own” since January, according to his father.

“He loves books about sports, and looks for anything about LeBron James to read,” he said.

Recently, even more new books have been added to the program, thanks to a grant from the Good People Fund, which will make their way into the 11 New York City barbershops that have these special reading spaces, reaching more than 440 boys annually.

Plans are also currently underway to begin conducting “barber workshops” prior to installing reading spaces, teaching the barbers themselves specific reading strategies to help promote reading as a fun activity.

“Alvin is such a passionate educator, guided by his determination to make positive change in his community. He is really committed to the vision he has set forth,” said Naomi Eisenberger, Founder and Executive Director of the Good People Fund. “He is a great example that one person can make a significant difference.”

Click here to learn more about Barbershop Books or the Good People Fund

A Social Entrepreneur’s Thriving Nonprofit Enables Others to Bring about Change

Over the past 25 years, Naomi Eisenberger has sought out individuals who do good in their own communities and beyond. As the Executive Director of The Good People Fund (www.goodpeoplefund.org), she is responsible for discovering and supporting grassroots organizations that respond in creative ways to society’s most intractable problems. While certainly not household names, each program is making an impact in their respective areas. There are approximately 75 grantees under her guidance throughout North America and abroad. These dedicated Good People work quietly, most with little recognition and minimal funding, in an effort to improve the lives of society’s most vulnerable.

Eisenberger’s years of experience with small nonprofits makes her uniquely suited to advise her grantees in many areas. She realizes that there are some basic ideas that all organizations should embrace. “I work very closely with each of our grantees” explains Eisenberger. “Together we focus on board development, fundraising, staffing, administration and more; all critical to the success of any organization. I challenge them to think realistically about how best to implement this growth. It is a delicate balancing act that requires sufficient funding to underwrite the costs of additional staff. II approach each grantee as a partnership and most admit that having a friendly supportive voice on the other end of the phone makes their efforts easier. Very few of our grantees have any formal training in nonprofit management so having someone to help answer the difficult questions is important. I have created and implemented a unique ideology that includes vetting and supervising each grantee, as the means to making the Good People Fund’s work both unusual and highly effective.”

One organization that has benefited from Eisenberger’s guidance and funding is Amir Project, which places sustainable gardens within summer camps and uses them as a tool to foster and teach social justice practices. Amir’s founder, David Fox, created the organization while still a college student. Upon graduating he formally incorporated Amir Project and set about raising funds to make his dream possible. One of David’s first fundraising attempts was a visit with Eisenberger where he detailed his vision. Eisenberger immediately recognized David’s passion for this work and Impressed with David’s ideas and his personality, immediately offered him his first grant, a matching grant to hopefully inspire others. David found the matching funds and Amir Project was on its way. That first GPF donation led to additional grants over the next five years as well as ongoing mentoring to help David resolve challenges related to the organization’s growth. Today more than 8,000 young people have been exposed to the Amir Project which operates in 30 camps nationwide.

Eisenberger has always believed that small actions can have huge impacts, whether it is to start a nonprofit or support one, and shares that belief with others. Since its inception in 2008 the Good People Fund has raised and granted more than $7 million dollars to these small programs working diligently, but quietly, to improve lives.

Naomi Eisenberger is the founder and Executive Director of The Good People Fund. For the past decade, she has drawn on her extensive business and nonprofit experience to help grantees build their own successful nonprofit organizations.

 

How One Traveler Is Bringing Literacy To Timbuktu & The Southern Sahara

Sometimes, a life-changing adventure doesn’t begin with careful planning, but with the simple flip of a coin — literally. At least, that’s how it went for intrepid traveler Barry Hoffner. And while Hoffner has immersed himself in many far flung places, the one that truly stole his heart was Timbuktu, located in the in the West African country of Mali.

It’s here that Hoffner got the inspiration for his nonprofit, Caravan to Class, which works to bring education and literacy to the villages around Timbuktu and the Southern Sahara by engaging diverse communities of supporters.

I caught up with Hoffner to learn more about his inspiring travel story.

1. What inspired you to want to travel, and what made you choose Timbuktu?

When I was graduating high school in 1978, my best friend and I flipped a coin to see if we would spend our savings from work on traveling/backpacking through Europe (his choice) or surfing in Hawaii (my choice). He won the coin flip and that changed my life. Since then I have lived/worked in nine different countries and have traveled to over 100 different countries.

In college I read a book about the Sahara Desert and was fascinated by the idea and mystery of Timbuktu. Visiting Timbuktu became a high priority on my bucket list and I was able to realize my dream to travel there in 2010.

2. You had encounters in Timbuktu that had a huge impact on you. What was that? How did you turn that experience into a positive one?

I traveled to Timbuktu in 2010 purely for the sense of adventure; however, while there for the famous music festival, the Festival Au Desert (which was last held in 2011 due to the insecurity in the region), I visited a village and saw that they had no school. Meeting with the head of the village and his wife in their tent, I was impressed with how sincere they were about the need to educate their children and how engaging and open they were, particularly the deference the chief showed to his wife.

It was at that moment that I told myself that I would raise the money to build that village, Tedeini, a school to celebrate my 50th birthday. That was the birth of Caravan to Class.

We have had some challenging times doing our work in Timbuktu. Only days after I visited Timbuktu to see our second school built in 2012, the entire region was taken over by a group linked to Al Qaida and our schools were shut down. Thanks to the French military the area was liberated in early 2013 and we were able to resume our work shortly thereafter.

3. For those looking to make a positive impact on the places they visit, what advice would you give?

In much of the developing world, particularly in Africa, it is the villages where a traveler will really see the soul of a country. Africa is a continent of villages, not cities. I would advise travelers to make a concerted effort to try and visit a village or two. Bring practical things like pencils, paper, old backpacks and find a way to visit a local school and hand them out directly to the students. In many cases, mid to larger size NGO can arrange visits to schools and hospitals. Find a place that inspires you, a cause that is important to you. Do your research to find the organization that best addresses the challenges/injustices faced by that place and get involved, through becoming a donor and/or volunteer.

4. For those looking to volunteer or work abroad to help the local population, what tips would you give for choosing a responsible placement where they can make the greatest impact?

There are many great non-profits that can arrange volunteering and working abroad on their programs. Unfortunately, smaller organizations like Caravan to Class simply do not have the infrastructure, particularly given the security situation, to provide these opportunities. Do your homework, find a non-profit that resonates with you, ask the hard questions and take a chance and go. You will not regret it.

5. For those looking to start their own nonprofit/charitable organization, what advice would you give?

First, find a place, cause and culture that truly inspires you. Think through critically whether you can create an organization that can begin to solve some of their problems. If you truly believe that you can, I would then offer the following advice:

  • Get friends or colleagues to be inspired by the same place, cause and work together as a group.
  • Find a local NGO whom you can trust. Do your due diligence. Start small to ensure that the planned work is happening on time and within budget.

These days, it is not difficult to start a 501c3 in the US. Focus on three important areas equally:

  • Programming (the programs you will offer and the impact they will have)
  • Fundraising (there are many different ways to raise funds, small online campaigns, writing grants, focus on a core group of major donors)
  • Administration (do what you do in a well organized way)

    6. What have been some of the most important lessons you’ve learned, both from traveling and starting Caravan to Class?

    The biggest thing I have learned is the need to have more depth than breadth. It can be challenging running an organization whose work is so far away in an area with security challenges. It has helped that Caravan to Class’ focus is in one specific area (villages around Timbuktu) and on one specific cause (literacy).

    Small organizations can be torn in so many different directions. Staying very focused has contributed greatly to our success. If you are true to your core, good things will happen.

    In 2014, Caravan to Class got on the radar of the Good People Fund, an amazing granting organization, that believes that small actions can have huge impacts which not only became a grantor to our work in Timbuktu but became a true partner to provide strategic and specific advice which, for small non-profits, is regularly needed and always welcomed.

    If you are truly committed and put the effort into your work, and do it intelligently, good things will happen!

    7. What have been the biggest challenges of visiting communities in need, and how have you overcome them?

    Caravan to Class is a bit of a special case. While Timbuktu has always been difficult to reach, a long/hard journey from Mali’s capital Bamako, since 2012, the region has been very insecure. Today, Timbuktu is run by the UN Peacekeepers and the French military. When I travel there, I do so on a UN Humanitarian flight and have a UN Peacekeeping escort to visit the schools Caravan to Class has built. Still, Caravan to Class is committed to our cause of bringing literacy to there villages despite these challenges. We simply cannot let the forces of extremism prevent us from doing our work, as to do so would be a defeat for creating a more tolerant and just world.

    8. What does Caravan to Class do exactly, and how can people and travelers help grow literacy rates around the world?

    Caravan to Class builds schools in carefully selected villages around the fabled city of Timbuktu. We support these schools’ operations, paying teachers’ salaries and providing school supplies and food for a period of three years. Timbuktu, once the Islamic world’s third most important center of learning, today is one of the world’s most illiterate places. We seek to bring back this important legacy of scholarship, with French language education, one villages at a time. We are currently building a school in the village of Kakondji.

    While for Caravan to Class, our long-term goal for the area is universal literacy, our immediate goal, when we built a school, is “to get kids to go to school.” When we build a school, the children in that village are the first generation in hundreds of years to attend formal schooling. We measure ourselves by both the ratio of girls/boys attending the school and the attendance rate with our goals being 50%/50% and 70% respectively.

    About Barry Hoffner

    Barry has lived and worked in many locales around the world. After completing his B.A. in Economics at the University of California, Irvine and his MBA in Finance at Columbia University, Barry began his career with JP Morgan and worked in global postings such as New York, Buenos Aires, Paris, Zurich, Singapore, Tokyo, and Moscow. His community involvement is varied and includes service as the President of the board at Slide Ranch, Founder and Executive Director of Caravan to Class (started in 2010 and president of the Pine Mountain –Cloverdale Peak Grape Growers Association. Barry is married to Jackie Hoffner and they are parents to two children Benjamin, age 18, and Daniel, age 16. In his spare time, he enjoys olive and wine-grape growing at his ranch, his children, travel, bike riding and the outdoors.

    Jessie Festa

    Jessica Festa is the editor of Jessie on a Journey as well as Epicure & Culture. She enjoys getting lost in new cities and having experiences you don’t read about in guidebooks. Some of her favorite travel experiences have been teaching English in Thailand, trekking her way through South America, backpacking Europe solo, road tripping through Australia, agritouring through Tuscany, and living with a family in Ghana.

http://jessieonajourney.com/timbuktu/

Fighting For Those Who Were Victimized

Grantee Ruth Moore is making an impact for survivors of sexual assault in the military. Her story was the focus of an article in All You magazine’s November issue. Ruth Moore All You