Julie Leven performs in and organizes chamber music concerts, seven a month, to a unique audience— residents throughout Boston’s homeless shelters.  As a founder of Shelter Music Boston, Julie and two other colleagues Julia McKenzie and Rebecca Strauss have performed over 100 shelter concerts since its inception three years ago.  Leven is a visionary unwilling to accept the status quo in her own community. She is one of many in the Boston area that has developed a creative solution to poverty, hunger, disability, social isolation, and more — with very low overhead and inspiring results. Her nonprofit is one of the  ‘good people’-led organizations, collectively made up of more than sixty nonprofits financially supported and professionally guided by The Good People Fund (www.goodpeoplefund.org) throughout Israel and the U.S.  Shelter Music Boston was the recipient of a $10,000 matching grant, which allowed them to expand their program to two additional shelters. More importantly, Leven’s organization and others of similar size might have otherwise fallen below the radar screen of larger funding opportunities and support but have been recognized and supported by the Good People Fund which specifically seeks out these small, little known efforts.  While all of the funded grantees are not a typical Jewish organization, they do focus on tikkun olam (repairing the world).

The Good People Fund is not a traditional foundation that just sends a check.  They identify and support small, highly effective tzedakah (doing the right thing) initiatives dedicated to tikkun olam (repairing the world). Then they build relationships with all their ‘good people’ to nurture their great work, monitor progress and ensure accountability.  The grants range from seed money that leverages innovative solutions to ongoing funding to help maintain and grow a program as well as small gifts that relieve urgent needs.

The Good People Fund’s Executive Director, Naomi Eisenberger just returned from meeting with the Boston grantees. “People like Julie prove our belief that it is most often good people, responding to a need in our world, who can effect change and inspire all of us to do the same. We pride ourselves on identifying good people doing great work to help others,” says Eisenberger. “Our focus is on these good people and their often unnoticed efforts. With the help of our donors our wish is to nurture and grow these programs to a point where they can succeed and gain wider recognition.”

Down the road in Newton, there is a second new grantee, One Can Help who received a $7,500 matching grant to help them further their mission to encourage low-income, high-risk children and parents involved in the juvenile court system to get the help they need to make positive changes when no other funds are available from state agencies. Founded by attorney Anne Bader-Martin, One Can Help partners with court-appointed attorneys and social workers to assist the poorest children and families but often lack the necessary resources to help effectively. These professionals, after identifying specific needs they feel could make a significant difference to a motivated parent or needy child, apply to One Can Help for assistance. An example of their support includes providing bus fare so a young mother can visit with her baby who has been placed in foster care some distance away while she successfully completes a drug program. Without those visits a trial might terminate her parental rights because she was unable to keep up the bond with her child simply because she could not afford to visit regularly.

Other grantees supported in the greater Boston area include Operation Day’s Work. Advised by veteran teacher Ron Adams, for more than sixteen years, students of Broad Meadows Middle School in Quincy annually partner with a reputable non-governmental organization to bring freedom, education and health care to children in a developing country.  They have been inspired by the efforts of Iqbal Masih, a Pakistani child sold into slavery, who eventually gained his freedom, became a strong advocate on behalf of children and was ultimately murdered because of his activism. The Good People Fund typically underwrites all of the students’ modest expenses for office supplies, technology and t-shirts worn by members as they go about their work raising funds.

The Good People Fund’s newest grantee is Boston-based Tunefoolery. This organization is founded by, composed of and run by consumers (people receiving mental health services) who play and perform music to establish identities based on musical achievement rather than mental illness. They have received a $1,000 grant to help expand their focus.

With its guiding philosophy that small actions can have huge impacts and its emphasis on the personal connection, the GPF has raised and granted more than $6 million dollars since its inception in 2008. Recent photos are available upon request.

Founded in 2008, The Good People Fund, inspired by the Jewish concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world), responds to significant problems such as poverty, disability, trauma and social isolation, primarily in the United States and Israel. We provide financial support and management guidance for small to medium grassroots efforts. Our grant recipients are leading their non-profits with annual budgets under $500,000 and no professional development staff but are driven and determined to make a difference in their communities. After all, small actions have huge impacts. Further information can be found at  www.goodpeoplefund.org

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Contact: Rachel Litcofsky 
508-314-4304 | Rachel@goodpeoplefund.org       twitter: @goodpeoplefund | facebook.com/thegoodpeoplefund

Ranya Kelly, founder of the Colorado-based Redistribution Center will return to Millburn on May 5th, 6th and 7th with a ton of supplies to be sorted and donated to area social service agencies. Kelly has made the cross-country trip to the area several times.

Just last year, The Good People Fund, a Millburn-NJ based non profit that supports grassroots organizations founded by inspiring visionaries, joined forces with Congregation Bnai Israel and Ranya’s Redistribution Center for a second effort to bring more materials as well as moral support to the rural Appalachian community of McRoberts, Kentucky. This year, the Good People Fund and B’nai Israel have teamed together, along with volunteers from B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills to bring Ranya to Millburn. They are looking for local volunteers to unload, sort, and distribute the materials to fifteen area agencies. Interested families and individuals should contact the clergy office at CBJMillburn@aol.com or 973-379-3811 to get involved.

Ranya has been rescuing new merchandise to help families in need for over twenty years. Her work began after searching through a dumpster for a carton to mail some gifts. It was there that she discovered over 500 pairs of brand new shoes discarded by a nearby store. Her discovery led to the formation of the Redistribution Center, which has since rescued over 700,000 pairs of new shoes and millions of dollars worth of brand new, perfectly usable clothing, bedding, building supplies and more from local and national retail outlets. What was destined for a landfill is now filling the needs of impoverished people not only in the Denver area but also other parts of the United States.

Ranya first made her connection with New Jersey as a grantee of the Good People Fund (www.goodpeoplefund.org). The Good People Fund supports grass roots nonprofits led by inspiring visionaries like Ranya’s that respond to significant problems such as poverty, disability, trauma and social isolation.

For more information on how to get involved with this community social action initiative, contact CBJMillburn@aol.com or 973-379-3811.

The Good People Fund (https://www.goodpeoplefund.org), a US-based organization that provides financial support and professional guidance to innovative grassroots nonprofits, has received a grant of $150,000 from the Herb Alpert Foundation.

The grant will benefit several of the nearly sixty ‘good people’ led organizations that find inventive ways to address issues of poverty, hunger, illness, disability and well-being. The grant is designed to support organizations within the United States and will help many of these groups provide food, clothing, compassion and support to the programs they lead in their communities. The commitment of the grantees to do this work, to be highly effective and to be able to make an impact in the world they live in, is a core philosophy shared by both the Good People Fund and the Herb Alpert Foundation.

The Herb Alpert Foundation (http://www.herbalpertfoundation.org) is the vision of legendary musician, sculptor, painter, producer, recording industry executive and philanthropist Herb Alpert and his wife, Lani Hall.

“We are grateful for the continued support the Herb Alpert Foundation has been able to provide the Good People Fund since our inception,” explains Naomi Eisenberger, the Good People Fund’s executive director. “It is our belief, that it is most often a single person or small group of good people, responding to the problems we find in our world, who can effect change and inspire all of us to do the same. It has been our privilege to find these visionaries who often work quietly, with little fanfare and recognition, and help them grow their work. With compassionate partners like the Alperts we have been able to offer financial support and mentorship to many creative and effective programs. In so doing we have eased the burden of hunger, homelessness, disability and more for untold numbers of people.” says Eisenberger.

“One of our priorities,” explained Rona Sebastian, President of The Herb Alpert Foundation, “ is to support programs that help individuals and families in times of difficulty. Through the Good People Fund’s very strategic grant making, we are able to touch many lives in meaningful ways.”

Founded in 2008, The Good People Fund, inspired by the Jewish concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world), responds to significant problems such as poverty, disability, trauma and social isolation. The small to medium grassroots efforts we support, are leading their non-profits with annual budgets under $500,000 and no professional development staff but are driven and determined to make a difference in their communities. After all, small actions have huge impacts. With its guiding philosophy that small actions can have huge impacts and its emphasis on the personal connection, the GPF has raised and granted more than $5.4 million dollars since it was founded.

For more information on The Good People Fund or how you can support its grantees and their efforts, please contact Naomi Eisenberger at Naomi@goodpeoplefund.org or visit their website at https://www.goodpeoplefund.org.

Contact: Rachel Litcofsky 
508-314-4304 | Rachel@goodpeoplefund.org       twitter: @goodpeoplefund | facebook.com/thegoodpeoplefund

What do a comedy director, a photographer and a retired jeweler in the Los Angeles area all have in common? They are today’s visionaries unwilling to accept the status quo in their own community. All three have developed creative solutions to poverty, hunger, disability, social isolation, and more — with very low overhead and inspiring results. These ‘good people’ led organizations are three of more than sixty nonprofits financially supported and professionally guided by The Good People Fund (GPF).More importantly, they have otherwise fallen below the radar screen of larger charities for funding and support.

The Good People Fund is not a traditional foundation that just sends a check.  They identify and support small, highly effective tzedakah (doing the right thing) initiatives dedicated to tikkun olam (repairing the world). Then they build relationships with all their ‘good people’ to nurture their great work, monitor progress and ensure accountability.  The grants range from small gifts that relieve urgent needs to seed money that leverages innovative solutions.

Time is of the essence for one such solution finder. Working from Los Angeles, addressing hunger and poverty abroad, Hollywood comedy director Zane Buzby founded The Survivor Mitzvah Project. While searching for her family’s Eastern European roots several years ago, she was overwhelmed by the poverty and squalor endured by some of the remaining Holocaust survivors in Lithuania and other nearby countries.  Abroad she distributes modest sums directly to these Holocaust survivors, to meet their basic needs, and at home she enlists the help of colleagues in the industry like Ed Asner and Valerie Harper to raise awareness.  After all, time is running out for these survivors and the need is still an urgent one.

Addressing hunger in Los Angeles is grant recipient Rick Nahmias, founder of Food Forward. To date, Food Forward has recovered over 1,600,000 pounds of fresh produce from private property owners and has distributed 100 percent of the pickings to provide food to over 40,000 clients a month across Southern California. We just learned that through a partnership with a wholesaler at the port, Food Forward was able to distribute 40,000 pounds of fresh produce in one month. Most importantly, they have taken an important step in eliminating tons of wasted produce in the Los Angeles area, which would often sit to rot on neighborhood lawns.

The Good People Fund’s executive director, Naomi Eisenberger recently returned from a visit to the West Coast to catch up with Zane and other LA based grantees. “People like Zane prove our belief that it is most often good people, responding to a need in our world, who can effect change and inspire all of us to do the same. We pride ourselves on identifying good people doing great work to help others,” says Eisenberger. “Our focus is on these good people and their often unnoticed efforts. With the help of our donors our wish is to nurture and grow these programs to a point where they can succeed and gain wider recognition.” The full itinerary also included a meeting with Jewcer, the LA based but national Jewish crowdfunding consultancy to discuss partnership opportunities. With its guiding philosophy that small actions can have huge impacts and its emphasis on the personal connection, the GPF has raised and granted more than $5.4 million dollars since its inception in 2008.

This philosophy is what guides the tireless efforts of the Bagel Brigade. With an army of volunteers, the Bagel Brigade, started by the late Herman Berman, collects and distributes unsold bakery goods that would otherwise go to waste on grocery shelves. Running on an annual budget less than $20,000, some months the group could distribute more than 80,000 bread loaves and 50,000 bagels to schools, shelters and pantries in Los Angeles County. These three organizations are part of a greater network of California based nonprofits funded by the Good People Fund.

If you would like to speak with Naomi about the Good People Fund and all the California based grantees, please contact Rachel@goodpeoplefund.org.

Founded in 2008, The Good People Fund, inspired by the Jewish concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world), responds to significant problems such as poverty, disability, trauma and social isolation, primarily in the United States and Israel. We provide financial support and management guidance for small to medium grassroots efforts. Our grant recipients are leading their non-profits with annual budgets under $500,000 and no professional development staff but are driven and determined to make a difference in their communities. After all, small actions have huge impacts. Further information can be found at  www.goodpeoplefund.org.

Contact: Rachel Litcofsky 
508-314-4304 | Rachel@goodpeoplefund.org       twitter: @goodpeoplefund | facebook.com/thegoodpeoplefund