named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Annual Holiday Toy Drive
Community toy collection initiative that has gathered over 35,000 toys for families in need on Long Island
Cultivate Kindness School Assembly Program
Interactive school presentations by co-founder Rich Specht that teach K-12 students about kindness, accompanied by classroom materials and "pay it forward" cards; has reached over 300,000 students and staff nationwide
Pay it Foodward Program
Provides meals and essential supplies to families facing hardships
ReesSpecht Life Cards
Distributes "pay it forward" cards to inspire acts of kindness; over 750,000 cards have been distributed nationwide
ReesSpecht Life Scholarship
Offers scholarships to high school seniors who demonstrate community involvement, compassion, and respect
ReesSpecht the Water
Water safety education program for children that teaches drowning prevention through school assemblies and awareness campaigns; has reached over 75,000 children on Long Island
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Holiday and Seasonal Essentials Distribution 1 activity
- Annual holiday toy driveOperates an annual toy drive with over 30 drop-off locations, collecting more than 35,000 toys for families on Long Island in need during the holiday season.
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Storytelling and Literacy Resource Development 1 activity
- Free distribution of children's book promoting kindnessPublishes and distributes the children's book "A Little Rees Specht Cultivates Kindness" at no cost to teach children how kind actions spread through communities; the book includes Seeds of Kindness cards to encourage good deeds. First published in 2014, it continues to inspire children globally.
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Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
- Provision of meals and essentials to families in crisisProvides meals and essential goods to families in Suffolk County who have experienced tragedy through the Pay it Foodward™ program.
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Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
- Scholarship program for high school seniorsProvides $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors from Smithtown, Sachem, Longwood, and Three Village School Districts who demonstrate community, compassion, and respect. The foundation awarded 15 scholarships in the most recent cycle.
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Teacher & Classroom Innovation Grants 1 activity
- Teacher grant programAwards grants totaling $750 each to schools in the Rocky Point, Middle Country, and Longwood School Districts that demonstrate community, compassion, and respect. The foundation awarded three such grants in the most recent cycle.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Kindness promotion through educational materials and assembliesDistributes free ReesSpecht Life Cards, Pay it Forward cards, and Seeds of Kindness cards, and delivers school assembly programs through Cultivate Kindness™ to promote kindness among K-12 students. These efforts have reached over 300,000 students and staff across the U.S. and distributed over 750,000 kindness cards globally.
- Water safety education for childrenDelivers a 30-minute interactive water safety education program to children aged 1–4, both in-person and virtually via platforms like Zoom, YouTube, and Twitch, developed by certified educators. The program has reached over 150,000 children and is associated with an 88% reduction in accidental drowning risk.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$101K
Contributions & grants$101K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$95K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$56K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$3K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$-87K
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +45.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RICHARD SPECHT | FOUNDER, PRESIDENT, CEO | 40 | $52K |
relationships · 9
Who they work with
- End Drowning Now Partner — Collaborates to raise funds for water safety school shows and swim lesson scholarships.
- End Drowning Now Partner — Collaborates with the foundation to raise funds for water safety school shows and swim lesson scholarships.
- Life Saver Pool Fence Systems Partner — Partner organization whose president serves on the foundation's board and collaborates on water safety initiatives.
- ReesSpecht Life Foundation Inc Network — Member of the ReesSpecht Life network promoting kindness through card distribution.
- Richard Specht Partner — Author of "A Little Rees Specht Cultivates Kindness" and available for speaking engagements and book readings with schools.
- Safier Entertainment Partner — Partnering to produce an animated children's television series based on the book A Little Rees Specht Cultivates Kindness.
- TODAY Show Partner — Featured on the TODAY Show in connection with the Cultivate Kindness program.
- stopdrowningnow.org Partner — Refers visitors to stopdrowningnow.org for additional information about drowning prevention.
- trusted partners Partner — Collaborates with trusted partners to expand the reach of drowning prevention education.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Curriculum-Integrated Kindness Education 17 orgsmethodology: curriculum_extensionBy providing lesson plans and classroom activities that extend beyond one-time presentations, the organization sustains the impact of kindness education because integrating values into ongoing curricula reinforces repeated practice and institutionalizes prosocial behavior in learning environments.shared approach: Contagious Kindness Activation →
- Pay-It-Forward Chain Reaction Model 17 orgsmethodology: pay-it-forwardBy distributing "Pay it Forward" cards and tangible reminders, the organization inspires individuals to perform kind acts, creating a self-replicating cycle of goodwill because small, visible actions motivate others to act, thereby amplifying social impact through peer influence and behavioral contagion.shared approach: Contagious Kindness Activation →
- Story-Based Values Education 17 orgsmethodology: story-based inspirationBy using personal storytelling, literature, and metaphor (e.g., the "Seed of Kindness"), the organization teaches kindness as a learnable, growing behavior because narrative and symbolic frameworks make abstract values concrete and memorable, especially for children, enabling internalization and behavioral change.shared approach: Contagious Kindness Activation →
- Child-Centered Interactive Educationmethodology: interactive_educationBy delivering water safety and kindness education through age-differentiated, entertaining, and interactive programming—including music, animation, and fictional characters—the organization increases engagement and retention among children because developmentally appropriate, emotionally resonant content is more likely to capture attention and influence behavior.