20 years of untangling societal problems in Estonia

“The joy of giving is the greatest in the world,” Hannes Tamjärv wrote when the Good Deed Foundation was born 20 years ago. He believes an immense treasure is hidden within each of us that might just help someone, somewhere. A simple desire to cultivate a philanthropic mindset and make charitable giving a common practice in Estonia has given birth to dozens of social initiatives, each contributing to a better society in its own unique way. Thousands of people have supported these charitable causes – either by monetary donations or by investing time, skills, and knowledge. Over the years, a caring community of changemakers, supporters, and volunteers has formed around the Good Deed’s cause.

Together, we can help bright and novel ideas grow into initiatives that address and resolve important societal issues. We help them get off the ground and continue supporting them even after these ideas have evolved into viable solutions. While our role is to fund these endeavours through the Good Deed, we are also wholeheartedly committed to launching and helping them grow – we are fund managers with entrepreneurial spirit. This means taking risks, having high expectations, but also standing by the initiatives when things don’t go as smoothly as expected.

While launching the Good Deed Impact Fund, we were guided by certain principles: personalised, long-term support; financial help paired with expertise and knowledge. Being rigorous and at the same time building long term partnerships. The creation of the Education Fund allowed us to delve deeper into the field of education: collaborate with existing initiatives, and launch new ones, such as the Internship Programme for Educational Leaders and the Competence and Career Model for Educational Leaders. The knowledge and experience gained with each supported pilot or initiative enable us to make valuable contributions to the education sector today.

While our methods have evolved over time, our goal is the same: we continue looking for solutions to complex societal problems and try to engage as many people in Estonia as possible. Many successful entrepreneurs and enterprises have partnered with the Good Deed Foundation to contribute to causes that have the potential to create positive social change. We have involved more than 100 people, donated over 1,000 hours of valuable volunteer time every year, and raised 4 million euros from the private sector in recent years. It shows that investing in social causes is becoming more common in Estonia.

We have long been waiting for new developments and opportunities in the philanthropic sector. While witnessing the birth of new funds, we hope the initial 4 million euros will soon grow to 40 million, and that in the wake of new opportunities, a new generation of initiatives is waiting to be launched, while the existing ones can keep growing for the benefit of every community, school, and child in need.

With deep gratitude to the Good Deed community,

Pirkko Valge
CEO of the Good Deed Foundation