• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
 
DONATE NOW
SUBSCRIBE
The Good People Fund

The Good People Fund

  • About
    • Mission
    • Vision
    • Professional Leadership
    • Board of Trustees
    • Financial Information
    • Privacy Policy
    • FAQ’s
    • Contact Us
  • Our Grantees
    • By Program Focus
    • By Location
    • By Organization
    • Alumni Grantees
    • In Their Words: The Pandemic
  • How to Help
    • Donate Now
    • Send an E-Card for Purim
    • October 7 and After
    • Acknowledgement Cards
    • Planned Giving
    • Charitable Solicitation Disclosure Statement
  • Learning
    • Good People Learn
    • Our Educational Philosophy
    • For Jewish Educators
      • Our Good Service Model
      • Grab ‘n’ Go Lessons
      • GPF Core Curriculum
      • B’nai Mitzvah Service Projects
      • Archival Materials
      • Ziv Tzedakah Curriculum
    • For Students
      • Tips for Good Service Projects
      • Other Resources
  • Media
    • Newsroom
      • Grantees in the News
      • GPF in the News
      • Press Releases
      • 10th Anniversary
    • Grantee Focus
    • Journal of Good (Annual Reports)
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
  • Good News
  • (un)conference 2024
    • About the (un)conference
    • (un)conference Podcasts
    • (un)conference Press/Media
    • A Gathering of Good People
    • Photo Album
You are here: Home / Good News Update / Ups and Downs and Why We Do What We Do

Ups and Downs and Why We Do What We Do

July 1, 2014 by gpfadmin

For many non-profits, June 30 represents the moment of truth — the final day of the fiscal year. When I awoke yesterday morning I had a vague idea what that “moment” would be for us but until I “ran the numbers” I could not be certain. According to our QuickBooks file we have raised $1,297,451.00 this (fiscal) year—more than what we budgeted for and nearly a 10% increase over last year (and nearly 45% over two years ago.) With this number the total raised since our inception six years ago is more than $6,000,000. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I expect us to achieve this number as quickly as we did. Certainly the economy would not have predicted such an impressive gain.

As exciting as these numbers are—they are, in the end, just numbers. What is more significant is what the numbers represent and that became crystal clear in an email received early yesterday morning. The brief report was from Laurie Groner who runs Inbar, an Israeli program we began to fund this winter. Inbar was started by Rabbi Shaul Inbari, profoundly disabled, and unwilling to live his life alone and devoid of love. Inbar (not named for Rabbi Inbari but rather derived from the Hebrew word for “amber”) offers social events, courses in relationships and social integration to people with disabilities…as well as matchmaking services. After meeting with Laurie in February we offered a grant to cover part of the cost of a social worker who would be instrumental in carrying out the group’s mission. Laurie now wrote that the social worker was actually fulfilling even more than what was originally imagined. She added, “I can honestly tell you, and please tell the rest of your board members and donors, that the Good People Fund’s donation to Inbar has increased our productivity exponentially.”  Words like these are music to the ears of any non-profit.

As I pondered how best to share all of this good news, word arrived from Israel — three young men whose kidnapping had galvanized the Jewish world, were found brutally murdered not far from where they were taken. In an instant, all of the exciting events of the day seemed insignificant and I could not continue to write …until now.

In the light of a new day I have come to realize that despite the evil in our world, what we do — discovering and supporting  those among us who are inspired to change the world and bring goodness to the fore — is actually the antidote to that darkness.

So today, July 1, as we start off a new year we wish to share two thoughts. As we remember Gil’ad, Eyal and Naftali we hope that in their names we will find even more goodness around us and make that goodness possible. And, to everyone who has been a part of our work and made the Good People Fund possible we say thank you for believing that tzedakah can indeed bring about a more just world.

We are grateful.

Filed Under: Good News Update

Primary Sidebar

Good News Stories

The Good People Fund is all about stories that share the goodness within each of us and the way that goodness can change the world, bit by bit. Read on and find out why we love our work, helping extraordinary people. . . .

  • Detroit Phoenix Center: Providing Critical Resources

    June 4, 2024

  • NOLA Children’s Hospital A Fitting End

    June 4, 2024

  • Stocking the Shelves!

    March 19, 2024

  • Ayin Tova

    March 19, 2024

  • Tzomet Amiad Soldier Refreshment Stand

    March 14, 2024

Footer

Candid Gold Transparency Award Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating
Safety. Respect. Equity. — SRE Network Affiliate

Get Inspired

Get uplifting stories of how ordinary people are changing the world in extraordinary ways. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Subscribe

Recent Updates

  • Detroit Phoenix Center: Providing Critical Resources June 4, 2024
  • NOLA Children’s Hospital A Fitting End June 4, 2024
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2025 The Good People Fund, Inc. | All Right Reserved | Website by DoSiDo Design and Insight Dezign 26-1887249

Get Inspired
Just add your name and email address and you are on the way to reading Good People’s stories that will inspire you!
Educators Newsletter

Join our Educators News list for updates on to receive updates on our programs and curricula:

Want more good news?

Sign up here for our newsletter!

Good News

The Good People FundLogo Header Menu
  • About
    • Mission
    • Vision
    • Professional Leadership
    • Board of Trustees
    • Financial Information
    • Privacy Policy
    • FAQ’s
    • Contact Us
  • Our Grantees
    • By Program Focus
    • By Location
    • By Organization
    • Alumni Grantees
    • In Their Words: The Pandemic
  • How to Help
    • Donate Now
    • Send an E-Card for Purim
    • October 7 and After
    • Acknowledgement Cards
    • Planned Giving
    • Charitable Solicitation Disclosure Statement
  • Learning
    • Good People Learn
    • Our Educational Philosophy
    • For Jewish Educators
      • Our Good Service Model
      • Grab ‘n’ Go Lessons
      • GPF Core Curriculum
      • B’nai Mitzvah Service Projects
      • Archival Materials
      • Ziv Tzedakah Curriculum
    • For Students
      • Tips for Good Service Projects
      • Other Resources
  • Media
    • Newsroom
      • Grantees in the News
      • GPF in the News
      • Press Releases
      • 10th Anniversary
    • Grantee Focus
    • Journal of Good (Annual Reports)
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
  • Good News
  • (un)conference 2024
    • About the (un)conference
    • (un)conference Podcasts
    • (un)conference Press/Media
    • A Gathering of Good People
    • Photo Album