Dominican Joe Foundation

Thanks to this foundation, disadvantaged students in the Dominican Republic can take the first steps toward a brighter future. 

The MISSION of Dominican Joe Foundation is to provide all of their students with the best quality education possible by hiring excellent teachers and following a rigorous curriculum. This education is the crucial factor that will empower disadvantaged students to break the cycle of poverty. 

Why is it important?

The Dominican Joe Foundation is committed to providing quality educational opportunities for children impacted by poverty. The foundation’s pre-k through 12th grade school in Las Terrenas serves 243 kids, and is committed to providing scholarships to graduates for vocational training or university education. 

How do they do it?

In 2006, a group of Americans visited Las Terrenas, in the Dominican Republic for a real estate project. From their first moments in the DR, they were welcomed with open arms and developed numerous warm relationships. Salvatore Joseph Rizzo, now known as “Dominican Joe,” returned regularly to the DR and saw kids in the streets throughout the day and wondered why they weren’t attending school. He found that there were serious gaps in the public school system, and wanted to do something to do something to give back to this community that had become so dear to him. He founded the Dominican Joe Foundation on the belief that education is the cornerstone to socioeconomic advancement and to give these children an opportunity they may not have otherwise had. In 2015 the Foundation was granted 501c3 status and has been operating as a strictly not-for-profit organization, raising funds through the yearly Get Away and Give weekend, other recurring initiatives, and individual donations from the Dominican Republic, USA, and around the world.

How you can #TravelKindly: 

• Choose Dominican Joe Foundation as your local charity when booking your hotel through Kind Traveler. 
• The school in Las Terrenas is always open to visitors; feel free to drop off sports equipment and other school supplies. 
• Visitors are also encouraged to lend help in renovating and maintenance, donating materials like paint, brushes, zinc for the roofs, fans for classrooms, tools or even manpower.
• You can lend your multilingual talents to reading and writing lessons (in Spanish and English) for students in need.