In less than 18 months, Daily Giving—a unique effort in which donors are encouraged to give a dollar a day to tzedakah—has gone from an interesting idea to a major non-profit organization that is now scheduled to give away more than a million dollars to 42 different needy charities in the next 12 months.

“It’s just amazing what has happened,” said Dr. Jonathan Donath, the founder of Daily Giving. “I am delighted that we have grown our donor base so quickly, and that we have been able to give away so much money simply by asking people to give a dollar a day to tzedakah.”

Two weeks before Shavuot, Daily Giving asked all of its recipient organizations to join together and help promote Daily Giving to their own donors. The two-week unity campaign was very successful, as Daily Giving added about 800 new donors to its ranks. It now boasts more than 3,000 donors, each of whom are giving at least a dollar a day to tzedakah.

Not surprisingly, the 42 recipient organizations could not be more pleased with their association with Daily Giving.

“When Dr. Donath first came to our organization and told us that he had a great idea in which people would give $1 a day to charity, I was a little skeptical. But the organization has kept all its promises of sending a donation to us every 42 days, and in addition they have met and surpassed their goals. I also discovered that the whole operation is all volunteer. To say the least, I am very impressed,” said Yosef Kroopnick, founder and director of Yad Ezra v’Shulamit.

“Daily Giving’s program allows us to be a part of a wonderful initiative of ‘compounded tzedakah,’ where many people constantly giving small amounts adds up to significant sums. As the Rambam recommends, many acts of giving have more impact than giving a one-time large gift. Beyond the significant financial support that we receive, I feel a special zechut to be united with other organizations and donors. This unifying initiative brings the kaleidoscope of the Jewish people and organizations together for common good,” said Avrohom Leventhal, executive director of Lemaan Achai.

“Daily Giving’s donation means that Yad Sarah is connected to thousands of charitable individuals who make our world a better place. It’s meaningful to us, as a nonprofit with a mission to help and provide hope to others, to be part of that company,” said Adele Goldberg, executive director of Friends of Yad Sarah.

“Meir Panim appreciates Daily Giving as a key partner in fighting hunger in Israel. Every dollar donated makes a difference in the lives of thousands of hungry Israelis because of Daily Giving’s support in providing meals. With the help of Daily Giving’s monthly donation, we are able to deliver over 365 meals to those in need,” said Tziri Wiederman, project director at Meir Panim.

“Daily Giving’s regular donations give our organization a sense of security in this uncertain world of fundraising, which is a great thing! The money is used to support our lifesaving work,” said Sara Siemiatycki, founder and director of Bishvilaych.

“Daily Giving shows that by working together, we can accomplish anything. All of our 23 soup kitchens have been closed, and we are now distributing the meals directly to people’s homes, which add to our cost significantly. Many people are also experiencing financial difficulties now, and this has made it harder to feed those in need. With fewer people able to donate and more people in need, Daily Giving is even more appreciated at this time,” said Menachem Traxler, director of Pantry Packers.

“Knowing that we are approaching the concept of giving as a collective community is extremely meaningful to Migdal Ohr. Being a part of a list of partners seeking to have a positive impact on our daily lives empowers us as a community and enables us to each focus on the fields that need our support…together,” said Atara Solow, executive director of American Friends of Migdal Ohr.

“Yad Eliezer is all about changing lives,” said Karen Reiffman of Yad Eliezer. “We are really proud to be included in the Daily Giving project, an incredible initiative that makes it so simple to do something life changing—every day.”

If you’d like to join the thousands of others who are already giving $1 a day to tzedakah, and begin making an impact on these and other Jewish organizations, please visit www.dailygiving.org.

By Michael G. Feldstein