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For Bill Begal, every penny counts.

Working around his day job, the D.C.-area resident has worked tirelessly to achieve "one of his lifelong goals," to create a non-profit

organization.

What makes Begal's organization different is not how much money it distributes, but how little it gives and receives. Begal's group, Mitzvah Heroes Fund, aims to give small amounts of money to those who cannot afford to complete a specific task. While most charity organizations award sums in the five-figure range, Begal works best in nickels and dimes, the average donation to his non-profit being less than $100.

What can somebody do with such a small gift?

"As much as I've written many checks for big galas, how much does that really help people?" Begal told The Jewish State. "Smaller amounts help me reach out to 20, 30, 40, 50, 100 people, two to three times a year."

Begal was inspired to found his own non-profit around five years ago, when a conversation with a friend brought him to realize that a lot of good can be done in his community. He began to email rabbis, Jewish community leaders, and clergymen from other faiths, simply asking who needed financial assistance. Slowly but surely, those leaders replied to his emails, requesting that Begal assist the community members they knew were in financial trouble. The only condition, Begal told the community leaders, was that he needed to remain completely anonymous.

"I slowly started hearing [that] someone can't afford the reduced membership at the JCC at $20 a month, yet the JCC is their lifeline, so $240 saved that person for the year," Begal said. "After a year, I gave $5,000, but only in $100 or $200 increments."

Begal continued to provide financial assistance in his spare time until Danny Siegel closed Ziv, the famed New Jersey-based organization that did the same work as Begal's. Begal realized that it was necessary for someone to pick up where Siegel had left off. Along with his friends, Steve Kerbel and Mary Meyerson, Begal started the Mitzvah Heroes Fund, the trio's original intent combined with the tremendous efforts that Siegel established.

"We learned at the foot of the master," Begal said about Siegel. "We've been fortunate to be around him, to learn, to experience, to profit [from Siegel's knowledge]."

Despite Seigel's guidance, the Mitzvah Heroes Fund did not expect Ziv to shut as fast as it did.

"We were forced to hit the ground, not jogging or running, but sprinting," Begal said.

For the last 10 months, Begal, Kerbel, and Meyerson have been integrating their already established efforts with Ziv's. Despite the difficult collaboration efforts, the Mitzvah Heroes Fund donated more than $30,000 to those in need.

"I wanted people to know that someone has taken on the challenge of filling very, very big shoes," Begal said. "Many people were concerned and shocked that Ziv was closing. Ziv was doing tremendous things, and just because it's closing, we felt the need that these mitzvah heroes still need to be supported and be funded," regarding whole Israeli organizations that Ziv funded.

The one aspect of Mitzvah Heroes Fund that Begal finds fascinating is how small the sums are that are donated - and how far the donator's dollar goes.

"It's not the size that matters," Begal said. "Little amounts turn into $30,000 in nine or 10 months. We've only had one or two four-figured checks. As soon as we get the money, we give it away. The three of us are always getting calls and emails about who needs. We have more needs that we can find at this time. We don't want credit; we just want to help out people who are worthy."

Begal notes that there are so many people who work, but still cannot make ends meet.

"Most of these people are earning money, but they are earning too much to qualify for financial aid or assistance, but they're not earning enough money to make the ends meet," Begal said. "That's where $100, $200 can really help somebody out."

The money given out provides that "little extra boost" that many recipients may need to meet expenses. Begal explained that many of the donations are small, used to bridge the gap to, for example, send a child to summer camp - scholarship money only goes so far. The Mitzvah Heroes Fund supports several Holocaust survivors as well.

"The neat thing about this is that all of us would still be doing this kind of work in the community," Begal said. "None of us take a salary. We all have real jobs as well. It's great to give away money, and do it anonymously."