Frequently Asked Questions

What's the story of how The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation began?

The foundation was born in the 1990's in the Bay Area. It was during a summer of violence when a reporter noted that people should stop reporting on "random acts of violence" and start 'practicing random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty'. That started a movement… The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (RAK) was born and soon thereafter was purchased by a private foundation and relocated to Colorado.

What is The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation?

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (RAK) is a small nonprofit that invests time, expertise and resources into its mission, Make Kindness the Norm. We are rooted in the belief that all people can connect through kindness and that kindness can be taught.

Here is some general information about the Foundation:

• Funding: RAK is a 501c3 non-profit. We do not grant money, nor do we accept donations. We are privately endowed.
• Services and Resources provided: everything RAK provides is digital and can be found on www.randomactsofkindness.org
• Volunteer opportunities: RAK provides resources for individuals to create kindness in their own communities, but we do not offer facilitated opportunities. We encourage individuals to check out our RAKtivist community and join thousands of other kindness champions creating the ripple effect in their schools, workplaces and homes.

What does The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation do?

We create resources in three focus areas: School, Workplace and Homes. We follow a simple framework for everything we do. Inspire > Empower > Act > Reflect > Share.

• Our Kindness in the Classroom Curriculum gives students the social and emotional (SEL) skills needed to live more successful lives.
• Our Kindness in the Workplace resources show companies how easy it is to change workplace culture through simple and kind gestures.
• Our Kindness at Home resources provide activities, challenges and resources for households to engage in kindness together.

Why Kindness?

There are scientifically proven benefits of being kind. The positive effects of kindness are experienced in the brain of everyone who witnessed the act, improving their mood and making them significantly more likely to "pay it forward." This means one good deed in a crowded area can create a domino effect and improve the day of dozens of people! Jamil Zaki, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stanford University for Scientific American, July 26, 2016.

Can I partner with The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation?

See our partnership guidelines here.