Trust first. Everything else follows.

A living circle of women supporting women through direct, dignified giving—grounded in trust, care, and human connection.

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What is Project Mitzvah?

Project Mitzvah began with one simple belief: women deserve real support rooted in trust, dignity, and human connection.

What started as one woman’s conviction that generosity could move without gatekeeping has grown into a living circle of women supporting women through direct giving.

We meet real needs in real time without shame, unnecessary barriers, or strings attached.

Together, we are building an economy of dignity, one act of care at a time.

Founder’s Note

I began Project Mitzvah because I wanted to see what could happen when women trusted one another with real resources, not just encouragement. I wanted to test a truth I’ve carried for years—that generosity is strongest when it’s simple, direct, and grounded in dignity.

What I’ve learned is that trust multiplies. It doesn’t shrink when shared.

At a time when so much in our culture pulls us toward fear, separation, and dehumanization, this work has also become a form of quiet resistance for me — a way of choosing relationship, mutual care, and shared humanity instead.

As a white woman with certain privileges and access, I feel a responsibility to help create the kind of world I want to live in: one where dignity circulates alongside resources, and where people are not reduced to their hardest moment.

Each woman who joins this circle adds her own story, her own pulse, her own way of saying yes.

This isn’t mine anymore. It belongs to all of us who believe that life itself is a gift meant to circulate.

— Heidi L. Ferguson, Founder, Project Mitzvah

"Our anchor gift is $18,000 - support that is direct, relational, and in real time.”

WHAT WE DO

We provide direct financial support to women—meeting real needs in real time, grounded in trust, dignity, and care.

Direct Support

We offer support through human connection, dignity, and discernment.

Real Needs, Real Time

Support meets people where they are: food, health, transportation, and essential living needs.

No Conditions

There are no worthiness tests, no performance expectations, and no imposed narratives.

Human Connection

Every act of giving is relational built on trust, not systems.

Donor Circles

Small circles. Deep connection. Lasting impact.

Together, we strengthen our community.

Each gift begins with trust and grows through connection.

Together, they form a living circle of women rising—one steady heartbeat at a time.

In the first circle, Catalyst Awards, we celebrate women whose ideas and integrity become action.

These awards honor the spark that starts something new—unconditional, catalytic support that says yes to possibility.

In the second circle, Donor Circles, we invite collaboration.

Each woman who gives joins a growing community connected by intention and a shared belief that generosity grows best when it’s grounded in trust.

At the intersection—where trust and connection meet—lives the pulse of Project Mitzvah.

It’s not charity. It’s circulation.

Not hierarchy. Harmony.

Not scarcity. Flow.

Each $18,000 gift honors chai — life.

Each act of giving becomes part of something larger than itself.

Project Mitzvah — Entrepreneur Support

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Project Mitzvah — Entrepreneur Support 〰️

As an entrepreneur myself, I have a deep soft spot for other entrepreneurs.

I understand how vulnerable, isolating, and emotionally demanding it can be to try to build something meaningful — especially without large safety nets, institutional backing, or consistent support. Entrepreneurship can be deeply fulfilling, but it can also be stark and uncertain.

This part of Project Mitzvah exists because I know many people are carrying powerful visions while quietly holding enormous pressure behind the scenes.

Our entrepreneur support initiative is rooted less in hustle culture and more in humanity.

We are interested in supporting people who are building something meaningful, thoughtful, life-giving, or community-centered — and who may benefit from meaningful financial support at a pivotal moment in their journey.

Project Mitzvah may offer one-time gifts of up to $25,000 to selected entrepreneurs as a way of creating breathing room, stability, momentum, or possibility.

This support is not rooted in transactional investment culture. It is rooted in trust, dignity, encouragement, and relational care.

While the core work of Project Mitzvah is rooted in Germantown (19144), entrepreneur support may extend beyond that geographic area.

Project Mitzvah — Every Gift Matters

Project Mitzvah is built on the belief that generosity is not measured by wealth.

A dollar matters here. A quarter matters here. A child offering coins from a piggy bank matters here.

No contribution is too small.

Every act of giving becomes part of a larger circle of care, dignity, responsiveness, and human

connection.

Some people may give large anchor gifts. Others may give a few dollars, spare change, or whatever

they genuinely have available in the moment. Both are meaningful.

This is not about status, recognition, or the size of a donation. It is about participation. It is about people

choosing to care for one another in tangible ways.

Every penny contributes to movement, relief, stability, possibility, and hope.

Because when many people give what they can, real change becomes possible together.

Give & Receive

To give and receive are not opposites here—they are part of the same living exchange.

Each $18,000 gift honors chai—the Hebrew word for life—and reflects a belief that generosity is strongest when it moves with dignity, trust, and care.

When you give, you’re not simply donating to a cause—you’re participating in something alive.

When you receive, you’re saying yes to possibility, trust, and support without shame.

Every act of generosity strengthens the next. This is how the circle grows.

Project Mitzvah: Values & Community Boundaries

Project Mitzvah is built on trust, dignity, and human connection. We believe generosity can move freely without shame, gatekeeping, or control. To protect that vision, we ask everyone who engages with this community to honor the following boundaries:

No proselytizing
Project Mitzvah welcomes people of all faith backgrounds, spiritual beliefs, and lived experiences. We do not use support as an opportunity to convert, recruit, persuade, or impose religious beliefs on others.

No political conversations
This work exists to meet real human needs. We are not aligned with political agendas, parties, campaigns, or ideological debates. Our focus remains on care, dignity, and direct support.

Respect matters
Please treat everyone involved with courtesy and kindness. “Please” and “thank you” still matter here. We ask people to communicate with honesty, patience, and respect.

This is relational, not transactional
Project Mitzvah is not an ATM. We are building a community rooted in trust, accountability, and mutual care. Every interaction matters.

We honor dignity
Whether someone is giving, receiving, volunteering, or simply reaching out—every person deserves to be treated with dignity.

Thank you
Thank you for helping us protect the spirit of this work.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Project Mitzvah is a relationship-centered nonprofit rooted in mutual care, dignity, and direct support. We meet people where they are and respond to real-life needs with humanity, flexibility, and trust. Our work is grounded in the belief that giving and receiving are part of the same shared circle of community.

  • Project Mitzvah currently focuses on supporting women in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia (19144), especially those navigating financial stress, life transitions, isolation, or urgent everyday needs. Over time, we hope to expand thoughtfully while staying rooted in personal connection and community trust.

  • Support may include emergency financial assistance, practical day-to-day help, community connections, resource navigation, encouragement, and relationship-based care. We also envision future initiatives that support entrepreneurship, stability, and long-term empowerment.

  • Project Mitzvah is intentionally relational. We are not focused on volume, bureaucracy, or transactional giving. We believe meaningful support begins with listening, trust, consistency, and human connection. Our goal is not simply to provide services, but to help create conditions where people feel seen, respected, supported, and less alone.

  • The Anchor Gift is a foundational gift of $18,000 that helps sustain the heart of Project Mitzvah’s work. Anchor Gifts provide stability, flexibility, and the ability to respond quickly and directly to the community’s needs as they arise.

  • We offer flexible pricing based on project type and complexity. After an initial conversation, we’ll provide a transparent quote with no hidden costs.

  • Donations help fund direct community support, emergency assistance, relationship-based outreach, operational needs, and the ongoing development of the work. We aim to steward contributions with transparency, thoughtfulness, and care.

Connect With Us

Whether you want to give, receive, or learn more we welcome you.
Reach out and we’ll be in touch.