The Good People Fund

The Good People Fund has been with us, a small non-profit that struggled to gain the attention of other funders, since our beginning. They have provided seed funding to pilot new ideas, support for ongoing needs, and urgent interventions. The Fund's leadership cares, stays in contact, follows up, and comes to visit us. We have forged an enduring relationship based on honest exchanges -- a unique phenomenon in the grant-maker/grant-recipient relationship. WE LOVE THE GOOD PEOPLE FUND!

Conscientious, compassionate, real relationships with grantees based on equality, due diligence, strong oversight, excellent communication, and proactive--all words that describe the essence of this wonderful organization. Staff and board alike care equally for their beneficiaries. Following a 35-year career in philanthropy, both as a grant maker and grant seeker, few donor experiences have matched that of the Good People Fund. Their giving model must be studied and replicated.

I started Connections in the spring of 2016 (http://childrensvillage.org/community-based-programs/connections/). I met Naomi shortly thereafter and her wisdom, financial support and amazing sense of humor and caring were all inspiring, encouraging and impactful. The Good People Fund has allowed me to focus on our mission, and less so on the also important work of how to best run the agency. Thank you!!

The Good People Fund invested in our potential and has been instrumental in our growth. It is an incredible force for good, and we are so thrilled to be able to work with them.

We at S.A.H.I. had a great idea – we knew youth, and in particular at-risk youth can become a positive force in their own lives and in the lives of their communities. All that needs to happen is that they shift their focus towards caring for and giving to others. We already had a pilot program that was doing wonders. But we wanted to reach further – more youths, more cities, more communities. Naomi and the Good People Fund immediately got what we were trying to do. The Good People Fund are not just giving us financial support. We are getting a true partnership, good advice, great connections and real support in turning a great idea into a real social movement.

The Good People Fund has been a tremendous asset to our organization's growth. They understand the needs and challenges of small nonprofits and are responsive and compassionate. We have grown and developed because of their strong support!

The Good People Fund, inspired and led by some really, really good people, was among the first to believe in our mission at Kaima – that being to apply agricultural activities to re-connect to Israeli youth who have dropped out of school, society, and their families and provide them with a sense of personal purpose and social value. The GPF really ‘got’ what we were trying to accomplish, when our ideas were merely dreams. Later, as we began to gain traction and expand, thanks in large measure to their involvement, they remained by our side, helping with funding, guidance, and encouragement. GPF’s giving model is unique within the grant-making community. They care, they are there over time – as full partners in our social change making endeavor. The relationship, nearly three years old, is one that we believe will last a lifetime. Every person needs two things in this world: a compass to guide them, and an anchor to provide them with security. Naomi, her board and colleagues have offered us both!

The Good People Fund was instrumental in helping our charity reach a new level of success. We have benefited greatly from support with a new website, a logo and a matching grant. Our organization, Breaking the Chain Through Education, strives to eradicate child slave trafficking in Ghana, Africa. Since receiving support from The Good People Fund, we have grown significantly and have rescued many more children from slavery. Naomi has remained in contact to provide ongoing and invaluable advice and guidance. We feel so grateful and fortunate to be recipients of the good work of "Good People".

The Good People Fund actively supports organizations making a positive difference in the world. By supporting the Good People Fund, you can give & know that your money will be going to a worthy cause. Naomi is phenomenal, and she recently came to a site visit at Spirit Club! Her follow up on the grant awarded shows how diligent they are about supporting worthy organizations that meet their criteria.

As a start-up non-profit doing innovative work on the edges of what people typically think about, it isn't easy to capture the attention of funders who are used to looking at bigger fish doing more typical things. What a lift, gift, inspiration and motivation it thus was to learn about the Good People Fund and to meet with their wise and emotionally intelligent ED and trustees. They listen, they ask good questions, they think about interesting things in different ways, and they genuinely care about making a difference in the world. They also understand how hard it is for smaller non-profits to be seen. And yet some of the best work is happening on the edges and in the corners. The Good People Fund is exactly what it's name suggests: Good People helping Good People do Good things. It is a much-needed, compassionate, smart idea that is very well executed. I am grateful

The Good People Fund is just that; Good People. Always true to their word, they have been an integral part to our organization's growth , bringing us closer to ending hunger in Oregon.

Good People Fund is a fantastic organization and I will highly recommend them. Their work goes above and beyond the interactions we have with most foundations. It's not just about numbers: you know that at the end of the day they care about your wellbeing and success. Our nonprofit, Sundara, receives sponsorship from their fund. They are an absolute pleasure to work with.

Shai Asher: Transitional Employment Solutions is a small start up non-profit organization providing apprenticeship training for people with special needs in rural northern Israel. About a year ago we became a beneficiary of The Good People Fund. Our connection with the GPF was a great achievement for us not only in terms of financial assistance but more importantly because of the caring, professional and mentoring relationship which developed with Naomi and her staff and board. Their availability and interest in all aspects of the program, especially with the programs participants, has given us the needed emotional and technical support to move our mission forward. I thank the day I first encountered Naomi and God bless them for their goodness.

The Good People Fund combines the best attributes of a professional run charitable organization with genuine personalized attention towards both the organizations
the Good People Funds and also the many great causes the grantee organizations
are working on. Its director rolls up her sleeves and cares about the details, the
people, the stories. As a new grantee organization, I can honestly say that it is rare
that a grant-making organization will want to understand our work to the level
that the Good People Fund does. Many small organizations, like the one I run, are
run on a shoe-string and we are very focused on delivering the most impact while
spending the least amount of money. To have a grant-making organization on whom we
can rely for advice, and who takes a sincere interest in our work, is a real blessing.

We are really grateful to be able to work with the Good People Fund!

Barry Hoffner
Founder/Executive Director, Caravan to Class

Creating Connected Communities is so grateful to be a recipient of The Good People Fund's generosity. For the past two years, this fund has supported our efforts to provide life-enhancing programs for underserved children by empowering teens to become engaged community leaders. With their help, we have been able to expand our programs, add additional programs to our calendar, and meet the growing need for our work in Atlanta, GA. We are so grateful for their support and the personal relationships they build with their grantees. We really feel that they understand what CCC does and where their dollars will make the most impact.

Second Helpings Atlanta, Inc. is a proud member of The Good People Fund family. For two years now, we have received a generous grant to help us expand the reach of our Program to rescue unused food and get it to the hungry. The Good People Fund's Executive Director, Naomi Eisenberg, has provided us with guidance and wonderful "food for thought." Though our beginnings were in 2004, we have made tremendous growth strides in the past 5 years, including hiring our first full-time Director. The Good People Fund is making a huge difference in moving us toward our goals, by 2020, of feeding twice the number of food insecure individuals, especially children and seniors.

The Good People Fund supported me and my work with Barbershop Books, a program that places child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops, at a very early stage. Their matching grant provided invaluable financial support that has helped Barbershop Books impact the lives of more children.

At Hope and Comfort we collect and distribute personal care products to improve the health and self esteem of adults and children in need. The Good People Fund has been wonderfully generous with their time and resources to help us grow to meet unfortunately the enormous demand that exists for our services. Naomi and her team are terrific to work with and we consider ourselves very lucky to have them by our side.

The Good People Fund was the best thing that happened to our start-up non-profit! We were struggling to meet the demand for our services and their grant enabled us to hire a social worker, doubliing our staff and increasing our productivity exponentially. Our organization runs singles events and dating services for people with disabilities. We were having trouble convincing donors why they should support our project while at the same time we have over 500 registered clients and a constant flow of new people asking for help. We met with Naomi and her team and we didn't have to do any explaining. They just got it! They immediately figured out the best way to help. Their pattern of finding real needs and raising the money to meet them is the best charitable model imaginable.

I have known the work of the GOOD PEOPLE FUND since it began. I am so impressed with Naomi, the founder, who not only finds amazing organizations and people in need of funds, but she truly helps them beyond the monetary funds with amazing advice and guidance. I have seen the impact she and the GOOD PEOPLE FUND have had on many not for profits. It is truly so wonderful to read the annual report to learn of all the great organizations that my dollars can go towards helping. Read it........you too will be inspired by the GOOD PEOPLE that Naomi and her board chose to support: http://www.goodpeoplefund.org/news-and-publications/annual-reports/

I am from a very small town in the very Eastern part of Kentucky, an almost forgotten part of the world.
Jobs are hard to find and a major part of the families live in poverty. We are a loving, faithful and proud area that just needed some help and that is what we found with The Good People Fund!
While working at a small school of about 80 students I wanted to start a back pack program where our kids could take food home for the weekend to ensure they have food to eat..I met a lady who introduced me to Naomi and the amazing people of The Good People Fund...it has been such a blessing to not only me, but our small community. I have NEVER met such caring and giving people. Naomi and her group travels here once a year to work on homes in the community, they bring food and supplies to the area and once a month they sponsor a program that supplies monthly food to needy families.
To tell you that this group of people have been a blessing to this area is an understatement, I do not have enough words to express what these people mean to us...pure ANGELS!

Perhaps a story can best explain how important The Good People Fund has been to us:

We, a group of court appointed attorneys and social workers, started a small non-profit so our poorest child clients could get the help and services they desperately needed, which we could not find elsewhere.

Here are some examples of what we face in court:
children not going to school who live in homes without electricity or heat, stressed parents who because they can't afford to fix their car, are about to lose their job and possibly their home, teens getting into trouble on the street because they can't pay sports team fees, unsocialized children who need quality after-school activities, a foster child who has settled into a nice foster home but may need to change foster families because of allergies unless an air conditioner can be purchased, a young mother in a homeless shelters who feels frustrated and hopeless because without a phone or bus fare, she can't get a job so she can get back on their feet..

For 9 years we have held fundraisers to raise the money to help these children and families, but we have paid basically all of the expenses involved in actually running this non-profit (while servicing more than 700 requests for help) from our own pockets.

So I can't tell you how grateful we are to The Good People.

I initially heard about their good work from a friend who has been contributing to them for years.
From the moment I first called Naomi to see if 'TGF' might be interested in One Can Help, they have been exceptionally responsive.

Naomi immediately understood what we do and why the help we give is so necessary for this very vulnerable and underserved population. While the money we give beneficiaries is relatively small, these small amounts really can make an enormous difference!

'TGF' provided us with a matching grant this year of $7500. It was so impressive to see how their offer helped create excitement among our supporters . As a result, we easily surpassed our initial fundraising target!

I can truly say that 'TGF's generous support is helping One Can Help develop the infrastructure we need in order to continue our mission into the future with confidence. Their advice and their support are proving to be invaluable.

Anne Bader-Martin, Esq.
www.OneCanHelp.org

Our organization is honored to have recently joined The Good People Fund's community as a grant recipient. The financial support that The Good People Fund has given us has already made an impact. But even more remarkable to our grassroots non-profit is the individual and unique support we have received from day one from the GPF. The comments that Naomi and her board members made and the questions they raised at our interview immediately caused us to step back and begin to look at our organization differently and more deeply. Already they have given us invaluable feedback on marketing and development and have facilitated connections that we know are going to help us to make more impact in the world. The GPF is a stellar operation with a wealth of knowledge and incredible vision, and we cannot recommend them highly enough.

GPF and Naomi came into our lives about 3 years ago and have been East Coast guardian angels for our NPO. Their first grant helped us by essential computers for our growing staff, and that was only the beginning. They understand need from every level and know when to be immediate and flexible with their support.

I became aware of Good People Fund about 8-10 years ago and since then have been a steady donor and serve on an advisory committee to its board. If you aren't aware of GPF you have lots of company: in a way, that's a reflection of its greatest strength on one hand and its opportunities on the other. GPF flies well under the radar of most donors and even most Jewish communal leaders specifically because it targets needs that are markedly different from any other similar organization.

GPF does "micro-philanthropy" - donating to small, often start-up, programs in the US and Israel. They exemplify the adage of "a little bit goes a long way" - its grants are tiny by comparison to most funds but the impact those grants make is massive. That's why I like it so much: they move fast, they create tangible results, and they give a much-needed injection of resources and support to these otherwise struggling individuals or organizations.

This is a truly wonderful organization in every way. At a time when the world seems too big and violent, and people can easily be made to feel hopelessly insignificant, The Good People Fund gives the lie every day to the idea that individuals can't make a difference. Naomi Eisenberger and Debbie Klein work tirelessly to make sure that people in need of help can get it quickly and with sensitivity to their needs. I'm amazed at the scope of this operation as well as the remarkable positive impact they've had on people's lives.

The Good People Fund has gone FAR beyond their funding for my program. As a small nonprofit run by a 25 year old without very much academic study in the field of nonprofit, the expertise, advice and connections that the Good People Fund gave us was much more valuable than the dollars. Naomi has always been willing to talk through challenges and lend her advice and contacts to help us overcome certain roadblocks along our path. Needless to say, she has played a gigantic role in the success we have seen in such a short period of time.

An absolutely first rate organization that deserves all of the help and support it can get.

In an increasingly impersonal world, it is a privilege to donate to a fund which reminds me that individual efforts do have great impact. Without such efforts so many needs would go unmet. The Good People Fund, under the leadership of Naomi Eisenberger, supervises these efforts in a way that I could not, so I know my donations are doing the maximum amount of good.

I met Naomi Eisenberger in 2011, one year after launching Amir. Naomi greeted me with incredible warmth and hospitality, and truly captured Amir's vision. She recognized the challenges facing early start-up nonprofits and shared with me the devotion toward doing good work in the world. Naomi was able to grant Amir its first Foundation grant (a matching gift of $5,000), which has since propelled our organization to reach its third year of operation and a budget of over $250,000. Naomi and the Good People Fund do a wonderful job finding those early-stage organizations and giving them the support and backbone that they so desperately need when the larger institutional foundations are not in the picture.

David Fox, founder and CEO, Amir

The Good People Fund is an extraordinary source of support for non-profit organizations who are working on a variety of important causes all over the globe. It has been a privilege for our organization, The Survivor Mitzvah Project, to have been recognized and supported by The Good People Fund and we value their friendship and help more than words can say. I first heard of Naomi Eisenberger when she was at Ziv, when I was just starting up SMP. Everyone I spoke to said, you should talk to Naomi - she knows the non-profit world inside out. Naomi brings years of experience and expertise to The Good People Fund and through her "hands on" approach has created a truly remarkable organization, not only in its diversity and growth, but in its ability to remain accessible. Many times, running a non-profit is an isolated experience without the benefit of a large staff or needed resources. But through the years, Naomi has always been someone I can call for advice, and get her valuable and unique take on a variety of issues, all based on years of experience, great empathy and her realistic vision. Our organization helps elderly and forgotten Holocaust survivors in Eastern Europe, and The Good People Fund's support has helped us save many lives, helped us on our humanitarian expeditions and encouraged our work. www.survivormitzvah.org

We are privileged to have joined the family of organizations encouraged and supported by the Good People Fund this year for our work in Kashouvot: Advancing Pastoral Care in Israel. They make us feel like we are helping them, when really they are the ones helping us. Our meetings are always more than business and leave us feeling inspired to continue our work and grateful at the vision and generosity of others around the world. They are open to new ideas and give of their time and expertise/ mentorship as well as their funding; this makes it feel like a partnership.

I have been working with Naomi Eisenberger for more years than I can remember - first when she managed Ziv Tzedakah Fund and now in her capacity as founder and administrator of The Good People Fund, a charitable organization devoted to finding and supporting small, often overlooked causes that do good work. Naomi has a talent for zeroing in on places where The GPF can make a vital difference. She uses her donors' contributions wisely and appropriately. My clients, Jewish women in financial crises living in the five-county, Greater Philadelphia area, often have been beneficiaries of the generosity of The GPF when communal resources and public benefits have been exhausted. I feel fortunate in knowing that when such cases arise, The GPF will be there to consider my request and help to the fullest extent possible.

Eileen S. Sklaroff, President, Female Hebrew Benevolent Society

When our "Henry" video went viral quickly exceeding six million views, I was overwhelmed by the public's response. Naomi, moved by the video, called to learn more about our efforts to improve the lives of nursing home elders, especially those isolated and alone with Alzheimer's disease. Naomi offered a solution for our number one point of contact with the outside world, out web site. She offered to underwrite the overhaul of our web site to what it is today (musicandmemory.org). This has helped us scale to manage the public's interest in a much more professional, effective manner. Thank you, Naomi, for your insight and so smartly leveraging your resources on Music & Memory's behalf.

It is an honor to write this review of recommendation of the Good People Fund for Great Nonprofits. It’s the truly selfless and inspiring people who are part of this wonderful fund that make Good People Fund a ‘Great Non Profit’! When the Good People Fund began their research in our organization, Gabriel Project Mumbai, I was immediately impressed with their due diligence and professionalism. It was evident that Good People Fund cared greatly that donations made through them have the largest impact on people most in need.

I feel that Good People Funds’ drive for professionalism is a direct projection of their desire to help the disadvantaged, marginalized and needy in our society. Their strong desire to care and help is evident in every interaction I have with the Good People Fund. When we approached the Good People Fund, they were noticeably touched and moved by our commitment to providing hunger relief and literacy for children living in India’s slums. They heard about the hardships and suffering (malnutrition, child labor, illiteracy and hunger) of the children and families living in the slums and then they took action.

The combination of professionalism, devotion and care make the Good People Fund a truly inspirational force in helping thousands of people in need of help. I am so fortunate to have met such an inspiring and dedicated group and wish them all the blessings to bring even more goodness to the world.

Jacob Sztokman
Gabriel Project Mumbai
www.gabrielprojectmumbai.org

I'm the director and co-founder of Volunteers In Psychotherapy (VIP)-- and we're the happy recipients of yearly support from Naomi Eisenberger and the Good People Fund. We're a grass-roots organization providing free psychotherapy to people in exchange for volunteer work they provide to the charity or government agency of their choice. By working independently of insurance, no managed care company can demand reports about people's private discussions -- which is crucial to developing trust in discussing very personal matters which are typically the source of people's confusion, inner conflict and emotional upset. Also, so many people have no insurance, or insurance which will pay for psychoactive medication, but not personal discussions.

The GPF regularly checks with us about our progress and ways in which they can help us. Though their financial resources are limited and must be spread among many worthy causes, they sincerely and energetically strive to help organizations do good work helping people.

They have always listened to us for the specifics of difficulties we encounter doing our work. Most recently they even helped us to move in a new direction which should help therapists in other regions who've contacted us, inquiring about greater details of how VIP works, and asking for assistance in developing similar programs in their locales. [In the 14 years that we've run VIP, we've provided pro-bono consultations with over 100 therapists who've contacted us in this regard.] Now we're developing this program to "export" the VIP model to independent groups across the U.S. through ongoing consultations.

Not only has the GPF encouraged us in this initiative, they also provided matching funds for half the cost of the work. Beyond that, they have actively encouraged another "mental health" foundation to consider providing the other half of the funding. For a relatively small amount of money, VIP's approach could be used and modified by groups of therapists and other stakeholders in many areas.

This is just one example of the many instances in which Naomi took an interest in our work, our outreach to the community (last year Naomi brainstormed with us in optimizing the benefits of author Joanne Greenberg's [I Never Promised You a Rose Garden] generous offer to speak on VIP's behalf at a local university), our needs and our future plans.

The Good People Fund is worthy of many people's support! They've helped us and many other charitable programs, working efficiently, frugally, thoughtfully and passionately.

It is truly an honor to be a grantee of The Good People Fund. Here in Boston, I am working to bring the dignity, creativity, and passion of classical music to a population which has little to no access to live music or the hope and inspiration which can result from attending a concert. As founder, executive and artistic director of Shelter Music Boston I am thrilled that my three-year-old organization, which brings monthly classical music concerts to Boston homeless shelters, is now connected with the remarkable Naomi Eisenberger and the very dedicated nonprofits of GPF. I am so grateful that my work is valued by Naomi, who is an exemplary model of one person being able to make enormous social change. I met Naomi and her team in June 2013; she has already connected Shelter Music Boston with organizations around the country. The grant Shelter Music Boston received from GPF will enable us to bring the concerts to specific populations we have not previously been able to reach.

The day Unchained At Last helped its first client. The day Unchained received its tax-exempt designation from the IRS. And the day Naomi Eisenberger called to say the Good People Fund would support Unchained. So far, those are the three happiest days in Unchained history -- the first two, for obvious reasons, and the last because no nonprofit organization is as fortunate as one that becomes the recipient of Naomi and the Good People Fund's overwhelming generosity. Naomi provides much more than financial support. She constantly introduces Unchained to individuals and organizations that can help Unchained grow, and continually shares her deep understanding of the nonprofit sector to guide Unchained on everything from marketing materials to board development to where to buy software on the cheap. Naomi has become a benefactor, mentor and friend, and without her Unchained would not have been able to flourish as it has during its first year in existence. -- BY: Fraidy Reiss, founder/executive director of Unchained At Last, the only nonprofit in the US dedicated to helping women leave arranged marriages

I am the Executive Director of the New Orleans Women’s Shelter where we assist women and their children to transition out of homelessness into a stable and independent lifestyle. The Good People Fund was a blessing to our agency. Naomi Eisenberger and her team visited the New Orleans Women's Shelter a few months ago and very were inspiring to our residents and staff. Naomi and her team were able to see who we were and what we are doing to help homeless women and children in the New Orleans community. They were very supportive and provided us with a wealth of information on various software products, other small non-profit programs, and put us in contact with people who are making a difference in our residents’ lives. One of the many doors Naomi opened was introducing us to a local photographer who came into our shelter and provided several of our residents including an 11 year old girl with an opportunity of a lifetime. Their work included photographing several major events held in New Orleans. Also, under the direction of Naomi Eisenberger and The Good People Fund we were awarded an opportunity to expand on some of our programming. The funds awarded came at a very critical time and for that we cannot thank them enough!

Lifeforce In Laters Years inaugurated its Aging-At-Home program in Morningside Heights in Manhattan two years ago (June 2009). Amazing success meant that the organization grew rapidly, so that now 70 volunteers are helping almost 50 older seniors to live comfortably in the homes they love. Success has been great; but it has also increased administrative needs. With so much program coordination work on my plate, paper work was piling up. We needed help. The Good People Fund, with a generous matching grant, provided that help!
But more, Naomi Eisenberger, Ex. Dir. of the Fund, with warmth, with compassion, and with a broad knowledge of fundraising, has been there for us, providing significant advice. She did not just want the satisfaction of having helped elderly people facing dire challenges with necessary financial support; she also wanted to give of her time and was willing to invest in this way as well. She made it clear that the Good People Fund consists of "good people"!! We thank them for the extras and hope to continue a meaningful relationship.

I am the Founder of AmpleHarvest.org, a nationwide campaign to diminish hunger by enabling 40+ million home gardeners to find a local food pantry eager for their excess garden produce. Only a few months after its initial rollout in May 2009, Naomi Eisenberger of the Good People Fund called me out of the blue to introduce herself and to see what assistance AmpleHarvest.org needed. Not knowing any better at the time, I said "none". I won't be repeating that mistake again. Naomi stayed in touch, helped to guide AmpleHarvest.org towards making what were ultimately the correct decisions, provided critical funding for a number of aspects of AmpleHarvest.org, connected AmpleHarvest.org with other collaborative non-profits as well as funding foundations, etc. In short, they have been "real-life partners" with us. Since the Good People Fund stepped into the picture, they have helped AmpleHarvest.org to grow to support almost 3,000 (nearly one out of every 10) food pantries in America. In May 2009, CNN named me CNN Hero – the second Good People Fund grantee in two years to be so honored.. Working with The Good People Fund has been extremely easy. Their help came to us even while we were initially part of another 501c3. If I can make any criticism of the Good People Fund, it is that they are one-of-a-kind. If there were more funding organizations like them, small non-profits would have an easier time getting started.

It is with great enthusiasm that I write this letter to highly recommend the Good People Fund for the Great Nonprofits list of Top-Rated Jewish Nonprofits. One reason I am so impressed with this extraordinary umbrella tzedakah is that it supports a wide variety of worthy causes and innovative projects, most of which are grass roots and do not receive major support from any one source. I continue to be inspired as I read about the profound impact of this fund on people who are in need of food, clothing, comfort, support, companionship, and healing, both of body and spirit. Moreover, I know the overhead is minimal and that the leadership is deeply committed to ensuring maximum effectiveness of gifts, honesty, and transparency. I have known the Executive Director, Naomi Eisenberger, for approximately twenty years, and I have full confidence and faith in her outstanding, devoted work that makes such a meaningful difference in the lives of so many people who depend on us to be G-d’s partner in healing broken lives.

About how many people could it be said that in their lifetime, they were responsible for helping 10,000 of thousands of people? Naomi Eisenberger is one such person. If not for her, the agency that I direct would not exist. In 1988 I was diagnosed with Leukemia, and the first specialist which I saw told me that I had no chance to live. I eventually was hospitalized for six months at Sloan-Kettering in Manhattan, whereat I received a bone marrow transplant. During this time my family had to spend $20,000 for an apartment so that my wife, mother and children could be nearby. After I was cured I became a Hebrew school principal and in that capacity I received the Ziv Tzedakah newsletter. One of the mitzvah organizations that ZIV championed was the Boston Hospitality Program, an agency that provided free lodging for patient-families coming to the Boston area for medical care. The mission spoke to me, so that I contacted ZIV to discuss creating such a program in Philadelphia. It was then that I first met Naomi. With her help, in 2000 we created HOSTS for HOSPTIALS (HfH)to provide free lodging for patient-families coming to Greater Philadephia area hospitals for specilized medical care. Over the next nine years she was influential in promoting HfH so that we received onoing funding directly from ZIV. She also promoted our cause with her colleagues from other foundations, with the result that during the last five years one of these foundations has significantly funded our efforts to set-up host-homes programs in other cities nationwide. Indeed, in the coming year we will be setting up such programs in six new cities across the country. Through our first ten years HfH has provided lodging to over 1,500 patient-families for a combined 43,500 nights of lodging. These families in the process have saved an estimated $2.7 million in equivalent hotel expenses. In another ten years we'll be able to multiply these numbers tenfold or more as other host-homes programs are set-up nationwide. NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF NOT FOR NAOMI! And HfH is but one of the scores of agencices that Naomi has promoted over the years! We are so blessed that she will be continuing the monumental work of ZIV through the Good People Fund!!

Our experience with The Good People Fund has been through Naomi Eisenberger. We are a small grassroots organization helping families of children battling cancer and other serious illnesses, and supporting pediatric cancer research. Naomi been instumental in forming the structure of our organization. She has shared with us her years of non-profit experience in such a way that is honed in to help our specific organization just where we are at this place in time. Naomi is very gentle and warm in her approach but her words are very impactful. She talks, we write notes! Each sentence is filled with vital information. Our organization has benefitted tremendously from her guidance. I only hope that the "Good People"(people of the Good People Fund) can fully comprehend how many people Naomi and the Fund has helped directly and indirectly.By strengthening the Foundations, the "Good People"are touching the lives of the thousands of people the foundations help. May we all be blessed to continue Tikkun Olam! From our Board and our families, a great big thank you to Naomi and The Good People Fund!

I have known Naomi Eisenberger for the past 15 years. Because of Naomi and the Good People Fund the Redistribution Center, Inc. has be able to continue to help thousands of people throughout the U.S. that are in need. Naomi is a blessing to thousands, she has dedicated her life to others. She is our friend, our family and our mentor. The Good People Fund is a blessing and so is Naomi. Thank you for making dreams of other come true. This is a great Non-profit!!!!!

I have known Naomi Eisenberger, the director and founder of The Good People Fund, for many years, and was aware of the amazing work she does. During December 2008, The Good People Fund connected me with a family in New Jersey who was looking to donate money to help students in New Orleans. The connection through the Good People Fund allowed me to use the donated money to aid my 17 low-income 4th grade students. I was able to purchase books as presents for my students to take home, Wal-Mart gift cards to help their families purchase groceries, medication, and other essentials during the holiday season, and also to buy essential learning supplies for my classroom that I otherwise would not have had the money to purchase. The students and their families benefited from the donation. One student said "Now my mom will be able to buy us Christmas gifts" when she received the gift card. Families who otherwise live on food stamps were able to buy some extra food for the holidays. It was very meaningful for everyone involved, and the Good People Fund made it happen for my students.

The Good People Fund has helped us make dreams come true. At Second Wind Dreams, we help enhance the quality of life for those in Nursing Homes. Since we aren't the most popular float in the parade, it's difficult to get support. Not so with Naomi and The Good People Fund. Over an above donations, Naomi makes us feel as though we are the most important non profit. I'm a little jealous to read the other entrys. Naomi is ours!!!! She even gets into the smallest of details, giving advice and patiently coaching. Because of The Good People Fund, more dreams have come true for our elders.

For the last ten years Naomi has been helping small non profits like us in Israel and the USA to reach out and save human beings who are courageously struggling to put their lives in order, but who needed that extra push in education, technical job training, psychological counseling for PTSD, and food and clothing assistance to get them through a life crisis until we can help them become self sufficient again. She has helped our therapy dogs through cancer, our Holocaust victims find refuge, our battered women and single family mothers and fathers rebuild their lives, our children with serious learning and behavioral disorders receive professional evaluations and treatment, and this only the beginning of a long long list of silent and significant giving. We are one only one of an even longer list of non profit organizations for the public benefit and welfare whom Naomi has assisted over a life long career of personal "hands on" concrete involvement for people in need.

As the founder and director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Israel, it's always important to me that the people and funds and foundations that we turn to for support really understand and appreciate what it is that we are striving to do, and care about whether we're really accomplishing what we set out to achieve. I met Naomi years ago and immediately sensed that she was someone who really got it -- that she knew the questions to ask and that she mixed her compassion with a healthy inquiry so that she could make reliable and insightful assessments of the organizations and people seeking the Fund's support. These special qualities are critical to her ability to be a trustworthy "shaliach" or emissary, for all the generous people who are entrusting her to make wise choices for them about the best way to help, support, reach out and compassionately but intelligently really make a difference. Always available, always there with something supportive to say, Naomi is incredibly dedicated to her mission of finding the people and organizations that will know how to maximize the benefits of the gifts that she is empowered to pass along. One just needs to read the list of amazing causes to which the Good People Fund contributes, to see how broad and eclectic her choices are. As the director of an organization that can exist and change lives solely because of the largesse of caring people, it's not easy to be in the role of always asking for money. Naomi tries to make it easier by always being respectful and understanding, even as she's asking all the important questions. It's a privilege for me to call Naomi my friend.

Naomi Eisenberger is the epitome of a mentsch...she just has the absolute knack for discerning the most noble and worthwhile causes to support...I am in awe of the different projects which she helps firsthand on a trip to Israel...it is just remarkable. I have a childrens art exhibition from Israel that has traveled allover the USA , Canada and Europe with very needed assistance from Naomi...spreading the message of love and kindness and compassion and peace from the beautiful children of Israel and has now been seen by over 20 million people.Naomi encourages and inspires me to continue in the face of great obstacles....but with her help it has been seen in 181 cities in the USA and Canada and 14 countries in Europe...She is helping to provide great positive public relations for Israel through this exhbition.

This is truly a special non-profit. Through the leadership of Naomi Eisenberger, this organization not only touches so many people but does it it a caring and personal manner. I met Naomi when she the managing director of the Ziv Tzedakah Fund and she reached out to our organization that works with at-risk children. Not only did she take an interest in the needs of our special kids but she took a personal interest in the needs of the staff as well - always asking is there anything she can do to make our work just a little easier. It was really very refreshing. I have also had the chance to meet with various board members who made the effort to come see first-hand how their funds are being put to good use.

For the past year, I have frequently been in contact with Naomi Eisenberger, the director of the Good People Fund. I am constantly impressed with the work that the Good People Fund does. From Ms. Eisenberger, I learned the meaning and the importance of the term Microphilanthropy. Ms. Eisenberger has an innate ability to recognize where even a small amount of money or assistance can do the most good. I am a teenager who runs my own nonprofit organization, PuzzlesToRemember (www.PuzzlesToRemember.org). From the beginning, I have relied on Ms. Eisenberger for advice and direction. I knew nothing about how to incorporate as a nonprofit organization. Ms. Eisenberger shared her experiences with me as well as directing me to online sites where I could learn more. She continued to assist and encourage me all the way through the process of attaining 501c3 status. In my view, Ms. Eisenberger not only runs an organization where she helps the most needy, but she also deserves recognition for each person that my organization helps, because she was instrumental in helping form my organization. Many times, Ms. Eisenberger has suggested other people of whom I might ask questions. Sometimes, she has even researched organizations for me and given me her candid opinion of them. All this she has done for a teenager, many states away, whom she has never met! Just imagine how many lives she touches through her Good People Fund! Many organizations are set up to provide large amounts of help to large numbers of people. The Good People Fund is unique. It can touch many lives or just the life of one person, perhaps an elderly person living alone and cold because all the heating money for the month is gone. What mitzvahs she performs!

As a recipient of The Good People Fund's support and funding, our organization has extended it's reach in ways that were, unimaginable. The kindness, the readiness to help and the suppport of it's executive director is a unique experience for this non profit org., Family-to-Family.

The Good People Fund is one of the finest examples of a truly great nonprofit that I’ve seen in my 20+ years in the nonprofit sector. In a world that can be very competitive, particularly as nonprofits struggle for funding in tough economic times, here is a nonprofit whose very premise is to support the good works of people and organizations out to make a difference. I learned this firsthand as the founder of Home Front Hearts, a fledgling nonprofit of my own. The Good People Fund reached out to me after HFH was mentioned in The Jewish Week. If that first conversation had ended with nothing more than acknowledgement of my efforts, it would have been a tremendous boost. Here was my first validation from the “outside world” that what I was doing really mattered. But that conversation was just the first of many. I lovingly call The Good People Fund my fairy godmother. They discussed with me the immediate needs of my organization and then, as if by magic, those needs were met. As if that weren’t enough, in the process I found a mentor and cheerleader wrapped into one in Naomi Eisenberger, the angel behind The Good People Fund. Every time I stumble, every time my faith waivers or my efforts seem for naught or the obstacles feel overwhelming I can rely on Naomi and The Good People Fund to remind me about the bottom line – the folks whose lives I’m hoping to improve. I started off on this quest trying to serve others and found The Good People Fund there to advocate for and support me. I couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful gift!

I run a baby charity(St. Joseph's Baby Corner) 501(c)(3)in Seattle, WA. The Good People Fund has helped our babies from their very beginning and more. I first caught up with Naomi when she was working with Danny Siegel of the Ziv Tzedakah Fund in the early 1990's. They have helped to provide car seats, portacribs, nursing bras, baby board books, and more to our babies in the Seattle area. The assistance of the Jewish community has been miraculous over all these years. Our work is definitely non-sectarian. The willingness of Naomi to work creatively and quickly to address the needs of the babies has been a blessing for everyone. One of the many things that we are asked to do on ocassion is provide for the burial of a baby that has died. Most families that are expecting a baby are not prepared for the possibility of the baby dying while being born. Naomi has quietly opened the $$$ and asked how much I needed for the clothing, casket, or anything else the parents were needing to give the baby a dignified burial. Here all of the babies are assisted. We know nothing of the religious preferences of the family unless it is relevant to what is being requested. Naomi also worked cooperatively with several other groups so that a headstone could be placed at the grave of a 14 year-old boy that was accidently killed. The un-marked grave was bothering the boy's mother so much that there was fear that she would loose the baby she was pregnant with when this family's disaster occurred. Funds have been given to us to provide safe car seats, a safe place for the baby to sleep and nursing bras when needed so Mom can nurse the baby easily. The Good People Fund and their friends understand that the "little things" really do mean a LOT in people's lives. Giving quickly, quietly, and with loving hearts is the trademark of the Good People Fund and Naomi. I've lost count of all the babies that they have helped. The Good People Fund has made the world a better place to live for all of us.

The heart and wisdom that GPF, run by Naomi Eisenberger bring great meaning to the concept of Tikkun Olam. Their ability to identify and respond quickly to the needs of "the little people" is remarkable. Birthday Angels has on many ocassion received organizational counceling as well as quick relief that have enabled us to service our community better. I have often turned to them for advice which has proven helpful and they have brought our message as well as the message of scores of other Tikkun Olam projects to the ears, hearts and pockets of concerned Jews around the world. They are the Horton who hears the voices of the tiny Whos which are not heard in the areas of children, health, the aged the sick and environment. They promote many small organizations and outreach to communities of support which these organizations could never do on their own. Their place on the scene of doing real tzedakah work is essential for organizations like ours who work directly and tirelessly to answer the pressing needs of real people.