FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andrea Good
Email: Andrea@goodpeoplefund.org

Jerusalem / New Jersey — February, 1, 2026 — As it marks its 18th anniversary, The Good People Fund is celebrating nearly two decades of transformative work in Israel and reaffirming its commitment to supporting grassroots social visionaries at a time when support for early-stage philanthropy is at risk. The anniversary year will be marked by a gathering in Israel on February 19, 2026, followed by a U.S.-based celebration in May.

Since its founding, The Good People Fund has invested over $23 million in 81 emerging Israeli nonprofits and provided ongoing support and coaching. This unique model has led to the successful launch of initiatives that are now widely
recognized and deeply embedded in Israeli society, including Kaima Farms, SAHI (Special Chesed Unit), Ten Gav, and Jeremy’s Circle.

“Some of the organizations that are household names today began as conversations on a bench or an idea shared over coffee,” said Naomi Eisenberger, Founder and Executive Director of The Good People Fund. “We believed in the
people behind those ideas before there were metrics, reports, or recognition.” The Fund’s work is built on four pillars of support: funding, mentoring, community building, and education, a trust-based model that prioritizes long-term
relationships with founders.

“As we celebrate 18 years, we are recommitting to our unique tzedakah model,” said Julie Fisher, incoming Executive Director of The Good People Fund. “We are building for the next 18 years with the same core belief in the power of one person to change the lives of others.”

About The Good People Fund
Founded in 2008, The Good People Fund is a U.S.-based nonprofit that supports grassroots social entrepreneurs in Israel and the United States. Through early-stage funding and a trust-based approach grounded in long-term relationships, the Fund helps individuals and organizations turn bold ideas into lasting social change. For more information: www.goodpeoplefund.org

MEET SOME OF OUR ISRAELI GRANTEES: 18 Years of Doing Good

Pesia’s Kitchen
The Good People Fund helped launch Pesia’s Kitchen in 2012 after meeting founder Gideon Ben Ami, who was already feeding African migrants in Tel Aviv. Inspired by his grandmother Pesia’s legacy of feeding people who are hungry, the Fund provided early strategic funding, sustained mentorship, and introductions to additional supporters. Today, Pesia’s Kitchen rescues surplus food from local businesses and operates EAT, an educational initiative reaching 25 schools
nationwide to teach students about hunger, food rescue, and community building.

Kaima Farms
The Good People Fund began supporting Kaima Farms in 2012, when founder Yoni Yefet Reich shared his vision of using organic farming to engage at-risk youth who struggled in traditional settings. The Fund provided early funding and mentorship to launch the first farm from the ground up. Today, Kaima Farms is a nationally recognized model with multiple farms across Israel and an expansion into Tanzania, with The Good People Fund continuing to support farms in multiple locations.

Jeremy’s Circle
Jeremy’s Circle was founded by Pamela Becker and her family to address the unmet needs of children in families facing cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The Good People Fund partnered with the organization in its early days,
providing funding and mentorship as it navigated nonprofit growth. Today, Jeremy’s Circle serves hundreds of children annually through year-round programming and a dedicated summer camp.

Ten Gav
The Good People Fund began supporting Ten Gav in 2015 after meeting founders Vivi Mann and Naomi Brounstein and recognizing the potential of their innovative crowdfunding model for individuals served by public welfare offices. Early funding and mentorship helped the organization scale rapidly. Today, Ten Gav operates with an annual budget of approximately $1 million and has played a critical role in responding to national crises, including war and large-scale displacement.

Yotsrot
The Good People Fund began supporting Yotsrot in 2013 after learning about founder Lilach Tzur Ben-Moshe’s vision to support women exiting prostitution through vocational training and holistic care. Early financial support and
mentorship enabled the program to expand its offerings and deepen its impact. Today, Yotsrot operates multiple sites and provides women with practical skills, therapeutic support, and pathways to long-term stability.

OUR CURRENT GRANTEES IN ISRAEL: 18 Years of Good
A New Dawn in the Negev
Using Bedouin-Jewish Cooperation to Enhance Lives
Achlah – The Heyanut Center
Making Families Whole
Al-Baqour
Supporting Early Childhood Development for the Bedouin Community
Be’Darchei Tamar – Tamar’s Way
Supporting Families During Their Cancer Journey
Brit Ha’Leviot
Support for Trans and Gender Diverse Youth and Families
Candles of Hope
Israeli National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support
Collective Lavo B’tov
Projects for Empowerment
Fighting Online Antisemitism
Combating Antisemitic and Hateful Content Online
Israel Lemonade Fund
Emergency Financial Aid For Breast Cancer Patients
Israeli Transgender Association
Support for Transgender People
JLM Food Rescuers
Salvaging Food for People in Need
Kaima Hukuk
Bringing the Classroom to the Field
Kaima Nahalal
Uplifting Teenage Girls At-Risk
Ma’atzimot
Empowering Ethiopian-Israeli Women
Magen
Guidance and Support for At-Risk Teens
Magen for Jewish Communities
Advocacy and Support for Victims of Sexual Abuse
MARVA
Preserving Dignity and Autonomy Through Life Challenges
Necha Malka
Quietly Feeding Hungry Families in Israel
Nivcharot: Haredi Women’s Movement
Giving Voice, Equality and Representation to Haredi Women
People of the Book
Fostering Mutual Understanding Between Jews and Muslims
Pesia’s Kitchen
Rescuing Excess Food
Road to Recovery
Lessons in Coexistence and Friendship
Roni’s Neighbors
Providing Home-Cooked Meals for Isolated Elders
Ruca’s Farm
A Social Rehabilitative Organic Farm
Sport – Bridge to Education
Empowering Youth-at-Risk through Tailor-made Sports Programs
Tag Meir
Coming Together Against Racism
Terra Uma
Treating PTSD Through Viticulture and Winemaking
Uplifting Lives, One At a Time
A Place to Turn When All Else Fails
Waves of Hope
A New Kind of Water Therapy
Wind Chimes
Trauma Therapy for Humans and Animals
Zehava and Karyn—Feeding the Neighbors
Delivering Food Packages to Needy Families in Jerusalem

For Immediate Release

Founding Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger to Become Executive Director Emeritus and Master Mentor on July 1, 2026

Millburn, NJ — November 3, 2025 — Julie Fisher, Associate Executive Director of The Good People Fund (GPF) and a noted nonprofit leader in the US and Israel, has been named as GPF Executive Director beginning July 1, 2026, the organization announced today.

Fisher will succeed Founding Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger, who will become Executive Director Emeritus and Master Mentor.

“Julie is the ideal leader to advance The Good People Fund’s work elevating the power of good people who are making a difference,” said Beth Gansky, Chair of the GPF Board of Trustees, announcing the appointment. “She is strategic, relational, and profoundly committed to the success of our mission — shaping a welcoming and inclusive community for all of our stakeholders and understanding the power and possibilities of grassroots social visionaries.

“Over 18 years, Naomi has built a strong, thriving organization, and we are fortunate she will be part of our strategic growth in a role that will continue to support our grantees. I have great confidence in the continuity and growth of GPF for many years to come.”

Fisher joined GPF as its first Director of Engagement in 2023 and became Associate Executive Director earlier this year.

“It is the honor of a lifetime to be invited to take the helm of The Good People Fund, an organization I have admired and supported for many years. I am inspired every day by the courageous, compassionate work of our grantees, bringing dignity, healing, and hope to those in need. Their determination fuels me, as does the legacy of GPF’s 18 years of impact that I am humbled to help carry forward,” Fisher said.

“I join the entire GPF community in expressing gratitude for Naomi’s deep dedication and tireless leadership. What she has built is unique and beautiful, and I am committed to advancing this work, guided by the values and vision she has infused into GPF from the beginning.”

In her GPF senior leadership positions, Fisher has played a key role heightening GPF’s profile within the Jewish and general philanthropic communities through exposures and partnerships; positioning GPF grant-making to advance the social entrepreneurial movement and meet social challenges; and, collaborating with the GPF Board and staff to evolve the organization — the design of a new strategic plan for an emerging phase of growth and impact being a driving component.

“As we guide GPF into its next chapter, I am energized by the powerful foundation we inherit and by all that lies ahead,” Fisher added. “Together, we will elevate, champion, and support our grantees and partners as they continue to repair the world in bold, enduring ways, at a moment when their work is needed more than ever.”

In her new role, Eisenberger will apply her deep insight into the sphere of Jewish philanthropy occupied by GPF — and the power and potential of grassroots, visionaries making change — as she counsels GPF and grantees to higher levels of impact.

“As I step back and become GPF Executive Director Emeritus and Master Mentor, I look forward to continuing to support and advance the work that I and others began 18 years ago,” she said.

“In my years knowing and working with Julie, I have observed a unique and compelling compassion for people less fortunate and a commitment to changing realities — attributes I certainly recognize in myself as founder and the very values that will continue to make GPF a unique entity and force for change under her leadership.”

Fisher was an educator in Boston and Washington, DC, before relocating in 2011 to Tel Aviv, where as the spouse of the United States Ambassador to Israel, she engaged with educational, medical, and philanthropic institutions highlighting partnerships between the United States and Israel, and supporting programs to elevate minority communities, promote women’s health, and advance shared society.

Before joining GPF, she was the Founder and Director of the Consortium for Israel and the Asylum Seekers, an organization bringing greater attention to the needs of African asylum seekers, a vulnerable sector of society in Israel.

She served on the Board of Trustees of the Walworth Barbour American International School in Israel for six years, including two as Board Chair. During her tenure, she led the board through a period of change including the creation of the school’s first strategic plan, oversight of the school’s finances, and renegotiation of an international agreement resulting in additional American-trained educators joining the school.

Fisher lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband and three daughters.

Since its establishment in 2008, GPF has raised just over $37.6 million to support and help grow 266 grassroots nonprofit organizations primarily in the United States and Israel.

GPF identifies and supports change-making visionaries working in crucial areas including inclusion, health and well being, women’s and girls’ empowerment, welfare of children and youth, care of elders, hunger relief, food rescue, support of refugees, fighting antisemitism and hatred, LGBTQ+ support and more. Beyond financial support, GPF mentorship and community advances grantees’ visibility and sustainability.

The Good People Fund, founded in 2008, is inspired by ordinary people with extraordinary drive making a deep, uplifting impact in communities in the United States, Israel and elsewhere around the world. We find them, support them, counsel them … and watch as lives are changed and new and creative ways of addressing seemingly intractable social and economic challenges take root and flourish. Our driving value is tikkun olam – repair of the world – and our extended family of visionaries, supporters and donors embrace the notion that small actions lead to huge impacts. www.goodpeoplefund.org

Contact:

Glenn Rosenkrantz, Media Representative

glenn.rosenkrantz@gmail.com

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Glenn Rosenkrantz, Media Rep.

glenn.rosenkrantz@gmail.com

The Good People Fund Announces Grants to 71 Grassroots Organizations Led by Social Visionaries in the US and Israel

July 31, 2025 – The Good People Fund (GPF) today announced grants to 71 grassroots organizations in the United States and Israel, each led by a social visionary creatively addressing existing and emerging societal and humanitarian needs with impact.

From alleviating hunger and fostering interfaith relations, to protecting the welfare of transgender youth and fighting hate, GPF grant recipients are uplifting lives and communities in unique and often replicable ways.

“The societal challenges at this very moment seem almost insurmountable. Every day we face an onslaught of news of the systemic elimination of traditional support that has protected the most vulnerable among us. In the two countries where GPF operates, ongoing war and government upheaval are creating a perfect storm,” said Naomi Eisenberger, GPF Executive Director and Co-Founder.

“GPF’s focus on support of visionaries who are deeply committed to changing the status quo and making this a more equitable world is tikkun olam at its best.”

Since its establishment in 2008, Millburn, NJ-based GPF has raised just over $35.6 million to support and help grow 266 non-profit organizations primarily in the United States and Israel.

In the fiscal year that ended June 30, GPF raised more than $3.8 million. Of $3.4 million granted, $1.24 million was unrestricted, while $2.14 million was designated by donors to specific GPF grantee organizations.

GPF identifies below-the-radar, change-making visionaries who have founded organizations active in such crucial areas as ending hatred, helping vulnerable youth, facilitating refugee resettlement, advancing food justice, empowering women and girls, ensuring elder welfare, expanding inclusion, and more. GPF grants to their organizations support infrastructure, services, reach, and sometimes a specific need, and GPF mentorship and community advance their visibility and sustainability.

In addition to its grassroots organizational grant making, GPF’s “Uplifting Lives” program uses monetary stipends to ease severe cases of individual or family hardship made known through GPF’s network of social workers, health care professionals, donors and others.

A full list of GPF grantees is at www.goodpeoplefund.org. New organizations in the United States receiving GPF grants are:

Abrahamic House, Washington, DC — Founded by Mohammed Al Samawi, a native of Yemen with a dramatic path to peace and co-existence advocacy, Abrahamic House is a multifaith co-living, co-learning and co-creating space. Emerging interfaith leaders engage in dialogue and design community programming to bridge divides, celebrate interreligious and cultural harmony and drive positive social change. A GPF matching grant supports essential administrative activities.

Fathers Fighting 4 Fathers, Baltimore, MD — Markus Trent, an advocate for the presence of fathers in the lives of their children, families and neighborhoods, founded Fathers Fighting 4 Fathers to mentor, inspire and empower men in their roles as parents and community members. A GPF grant supports events and equipment.

1in6 Support, Montclair, NJ — Iris Mehler and Alma Schneider, each a parent of a child with a disability, founded 1in6 Support to empower and uplift families of children with disabilities. The organization provides emotional and practical connections, fosters inclusive communities, and advances accessibility and compassion. A GPF matching grant supports administrative needs.

JAB Camp, Philadelphia, PA — Founded by Jared Armstrong — a professional basketball player committed to addressing racial inequality and building bridges between communities — JAB Camp is a sports-as-empowerment organization bringing youth of diverse cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds together, instilling in them goal-setting and responsibility, and fostering mutual respect across societal barriers. A GPF grant supports administrative needs.

TransParent, Clayton, MO — Led by Susan Halla, the mother of a trans child, TransParent gives compassionate support to parents and caregivers of gender-expansive children through connections, resources and enhanced visibility across multiple states. A GPF matching grant supports administrative activities.

New organizations in Israel receiving GPF grants are:

Be’darchei Tamar (Tamar’s Way), Afula — After losing their daughter, Tamar, to cancer, Iris and David Herman founded Be’darchei Tamar to support families facing childhood cancer by providing meals, companionship and practical support, and a foundation of care and compassion if a child passes away. A GPF grant makes possible accommodations for parents nearby while a child receives treatment.

Terra Uma, Bat Shlomo — Tomer Weinberg, who struggled with PTSD following his military service, founded Terra Uma to use viticulture — healing through winemaking — to give veterans with PTSD a safe, natural and productive environment to regain a sense of confidence, ability and fulfillment, and achieve integration back into society. A GPF grant subsidizes beneficiaries’ participation in the program.

Ma’atzimot, Ashkelon — Founded by Racheli Tadessa Malkai, an Israeli woman of Ethiopian descent, Ma’atzimot works to integrate women in the Ethiopian community into key positions in Israeli society, improve their status, and secure their educational and economic prospects and futures. A GPF grant supports administrative infrastructure.

Wind Chimes, Kfar Sava — Founded by Dr. Noam Rudich, who practices psycho- and animal-assisted therapy, Wind Chimes provides a sanctuary for traumatized children, youth and adults in an environment with animals that have been rescued from abuse and neglect themselves. Together, they build mutually beneficial healing bonds. A GPF grant offsets some veterinary and therapy costs.

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Glenn Rosenkrantz, Media Representative

glenn.rosenkrantz@gmail.com

Beth Gansky, Nonprofit Leader from Baltimore, Named Chair of The Good People Fund Board of Trustees

Millburn, NJ — June 23, 2025 — Beth Gansky, a noted nonprofit professional, lay leader and consultant in the Baltimore Jewish community and nationally, will become Chair of The Good People Fund (GPF) Board of Trustees on July 1.

Gansky, entering a three-year term, succeeds Larry Paul, who has served as GPF Board Chair since 2019 and will continue as a Board member.

Gansky becomes GPF Board Chair at a transitional time for the organization, which is marking its 18th year and this spring finalized a strategic plan to guide a new period of growth, visibility and impact in a rapidly shifting social and philanthropic landscape in the United States and Israel.

“The Good People Fund has created a unique model identifying, supporting and nurturing grassroots social visionaries working on societal challenges that are becoming more pressing by the day,” said Gansky.

“It is a great privilege to serve as Chair and work with our dedicated professional staff, committed board members, visionary grantees and generous donors to strategically deepen our work, reach and impact even more — not only meeting the demands of the day, but also anticipating emerging needs and advancing creative solutions.”

Gansky’s leadership in the Jewish community spans over 25 years, her work devoted to organizational and community vitality and growth. She has served as Executive Director of the Hillels of Greater Baltimore, the umbrella organization for five Hillels at area colleges and universities, and ACHARAI: The Shoshana S. Cardin Jewish Leadership Institute, which provides leadership training for top-level lay leaders throughout the Baltimore Jewish community.

She is on the faculty and coaching team for various leadership cohorts through Hillel, Leading Edge, and Na’aleh: The Hub for Leadership Learning, and has trained, consulted, and coached nonprofit professional and volunteer leaders on the local and national levels. In 2012, she founded The Gansky Group, LLC, a coaching, training, and consulting practice.

Among her lay leadership affiliations, Gansky has served on the boards of Camp Ramah in the Poconos; Beth Israel Congregation in Owings Mills, MD;  Soul Center at Beth El in Baltimore; University of Maryland Hillel; and, Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School in Baltimore. She joined the GPF Board of Trustees in 2022.

“It is a rare thing, indeed, for an organization to attract a leader of Beth’s caliber. Not only does she bring compassion and understanding of our unique mission, but her impressive experience in the nonprofit sector will be invaluable as The Good People Fund implements its new strategic plan,” said GPF Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger.

Gansky earned her undergraduate degree from Binghamton University, and received her Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. She earned her Leadership Coaching Certification and Facilitation Certification from Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership.

GPF also announced two new Board members: Rabbi Neal Gold of Natick, MA, and Stacey Slater Sacks of Summit, NJ.

Rabbi Neal Gold teaches and writes about Jewish texts, Israel, and the intersections between Jewish spiritual life and the contemporary world. He is an adjunct faculty member at the rabbinical school of Hebrew College in Newton, MA, and teaches extensively in Hebrew College’s community learning programs. In 2023, he became the spiritual leader of Am HaYam—Cape Cod Havurah, and is a past president of the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis. Rabbi Gold has been an active member of the GPF family and recently led the rabbinic cohort at GPF’s conference last November.

Stacey Slater Sacks is the President and Founder of Pro Bono Strategies, a consulting firm that helps law firms and in-house legal departments develop their pro bono programs in a cost-effective way. She serves on the boards of Family Promise, Elevate+, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, and Unchained At Last. Stacey also chairs her synagogue’s Social Action Committee. For the past few years, GPF grantees have benefited from Stacey’s volunteer role as an expert mentor.

Since its establishment in 2008, GPF has disbursed over $33 million to support and help grow over 260 grassroots nonprofit organizations primarily in the United States and Israel. GPF identifies and supports change-making visionaries working in crucial areas including inclusion, health and wellbeing, women’s and girls’ empowerment, welfare of children and youth, care of elders, hunger relief, food rescue, support of refugees, fighting antisemitism and hatred, LGBTQ+ rights and more.

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Glenn Rosenkrantz

646-245-8975 or glenn.rosenkrantz@gmail.com

THE GOOD PEOPLE FUND NAMES JULIE FISHER AS ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Millburn, NJ, January 23, 2025 ­— The Good People Fund (GPF) has announced the appointment of Julie Fisher, a noted nonprofit leader in the United States and Israel, as its first Associate Executive Director.

Fisher, who has served as GPF’s Director of Engagement since November of 2023, brings deep experience and a record of impact to GPF, which is in its 17^th year supporting grassroots social visionaries addressing significant needs in the United States, Israel and elsewhere around the world.

“The depth and breadth of Julie’s skills, combined with her deep commitment to The Good People Fund’s stated goals, makes her the perfect choice to take our work to even greater heights and to change more lives. We couldn’t be happier,” GPF Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger said.

Broadly, as Associate Executive Director, Fisher will move to heighten GPF’s profile within the Jewish and general philanthropic communities through exposures and partnerships, help determine how GPF grant making can advance the social entrepreneurial movement and meet existing and emerging social challenges, and work with the GPF Board and staff to strategically evolve and mature the organization.

“I am honored to expand my role with The Good People Fund and look forward to working closely with Naomi and our entire team, including board members and partners, to elevate our impact and support social visionaries who are addressing the most pressing social challenges of our time,” Fisher said.

Fisher was an educator in Boston and Washington, DC, before relocating in 2011 to Tel Aviv, where as the spouse of the United States Ambassador to Israel, she engaged with educational, medical, and philanthropic institutions highlighting partnerships between the United States and Israel, and supporting programs to elevate minority communities, promote women’s health, and advance shared society.

Before joining GPF as Director of Engagement, she was the Founder and Director of the Consortium for Israel and the Asylum Seekers, an organization bringing greater attention to the needs of African asylum seekers, a vulnerable sector of society in Israel.

She served on the Board of Trustees of the Walworth Barbour American International School in Israel for six years, including two as Board Chair. During her tenure, she led the board through a period of change including the creation of the school’s first strategic plan, oversight of the school’s finances, and renegotiation of an international agreement between Israel and the United States resulting in additional American-trained educators joining the school.

Fisher lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband and three daughters.

Since its establishment in 2008, GPF has disbursed over $30 million to support and help grow 259 grassroots nonprofit organizations primarily in the United States and Israel.

GPF identifies and supports change-making visionaries working in crucial areas including inclusion, health and well being, women’s and girls’ empowerment, welfare of children and youth, care of elders, hunger relief, food rescue, support of refugees, fighting antisemitism and hatred, LGBTQ+ rights and more.

The Good People Fund, founded in 2008, is inspired by ordinary people with extraordinary drive to make deep, uplifting impact in communities in the United States, Israel and elsewhere around the world. We find them, support them, counsel them … and watch as lives are changed and new and creative ways of addressing seemingly intractable social and economic challenges take root and flourish. Our driving value is tikkun olam – repair of the world – and our extended family of visionaries, supporters and donors embrace the notion that small actions lead to huge impacts. www.goodpeoplefund.org