Mahalo
Los Angeles, CA

SURVIVOR MITZVAH PROJECT

EIN 36-4630389
International Development & Humanitarian Aid Global Development & Relief Seniors
Mission

The Survivor Mitzvah Project is dedicated to providing direct and continuous financial aid to elderly and forgotten Jewish Holocaust survivors in Eastern Europe who are sick, impoverished, isolated and in urgent need of food, medicine, caregivers, heat, shelter and compassionate human contact. Its secondary mission is to create and maintain a Holocaust Educational Archive focused on the Holocaust in the East, preserving testimonies, photographs and documents for education and posterity.

IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity Contributions are tax-deductible

About SURVIVOR MITZVAH PROJECT

The Survivor Mitzvah Project (SMP), founded and led by Zane Buzby, is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization that delivers emergency, direct cash and in-kind assistance to elderly Holocaust survivors across multiple countries in Eastern Europe. SMP pairs humanitarian aid with an extensive Holocaust Educational Archive documenting survivor testimony and primary-source materials from the region.

In recent years SMP has concentrated emergency relief efforts for survivors affected by the war in Ukraine and ongoing post-Soviet poverty and health crises, while expanding its educational work. On its most recent publicly filed Form 990 (2023) SMP reported program-service spending in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and organizational revenues in the hundreds of thousands range, reflecting continued donor-funded direct assistance to survivors across its programs.

Notable achievements

Direct humanitarian reach

SMP reports having delivered millions of dollars in direct aid over its history and supports thousands of elderly Holocaust survivors across multiple Eastern European countries, providing food, medicine, home caregivers and emergency relief.

Founder honored as CNN Hero

Founder Zane Buzby was recognized by CNN (CNN Heroes) for her humanitarian leadership in organizing aid and drawing public attention to the needs of Holocaust survivors.

Archive acquisition by a national museum

SMP’s Zane Buzby Holocaust Archive—an extensive collection of videotaped testimonies, photographs and original documents focused on the Holocaust in Eastern Europe—was accepted for stewardship/partnership with a major Holocaust institution, reflecting the archive’s historical and educational significance.

At a glance

Total assets
$1.7M
Annual revenue
$733K
Tax status
501(c)(3)Public charity
EIN
36-4630389
Location
Los Angeles, CA
On Mahalo since
April 2026

Financial figures from the IRS Business Master File, the IRS’s registry of tax-exempt organizations.

Recognition

Four-star / high rating on major charity evaluator (Charity Navigator), indicating strong accountability and financial health.
Listed and searchable on major nonprofit databases and platforms (e.g., GuideStar/Candid and ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer) and maintains current public IRS Form 990 filings.
Featured in international and Jewish press and media for frontline humanitarian response (notably coverage related to aid in Ukraine) and for its Holocaust educational work.

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