Hearts of Gold, Inc.
reimagining the future of homeless mothers and their children, together.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Homeless single mothers living in New York City shelters need education, training and mentoring in order to secure and retain steady, living-wage employment, and achieve economic stability and self sufficiency. Hearts of Gold's work is more vital today than ever before because homeless mothers and their children are not getting the education and support that they need to lift themselves out of homelessness and poverty, and transition out of the shelter system, into their own permanent homes.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Hearts of Gold Fresh Start University
Hearts of Gold Fresh Start University is a workforce development program that is offered exclusively to homeless, formerly homeless and low-income single mothers living in New York City. We provide classroom training, living-wage paid internships, workshops and mentorships to help the women we serve make the journey from dependence to self-sufficiency.
The Hearts of Gold Learning Center
The Hearts of Gold Learning Center provides the stability and support that NYC's homeless children desperately need to thrive ─ all year long. HoG tutors guide the children through their homework, provide extra help in problem areas, and make sure that each child receives a full meal because we know that “hungry brains don’t learn”. Our ultimate goal is to bring the grades of the children we support up by at least two levels beyond their grade level, thereby affording them a real shot at higher education opportunities.
Summer Teen Enrichment Program (STEP)
STEP introduces teens and tweens to cultural, iconic and educational activities throughout New York City, Philadelphia, Connecticut, and Washington DC. This summer program encourages the children to build their writing, photography and reading skills, and includes a visit to the Yale University campus to motivate the children to aim high and learn what is possible with hard work and dedication.
Full STEAM Ahead
In 2019 The Hearts of Gold Learning Center introduced “Full STEAM Ahead”- a 6 week summer program with educational and social development activities focused on the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. Twenty-five curious and eager school children ages 6 -10 were so engaged that they didn’t even realize that they were LEARNING! They constructed suspension bridges, made their own ice cream, searched high and low for clues on a Central Park scavenger hunt, spent an exciting day day at Google, and applied for their very first library card and immediately checked out books!
Where we work
External reviews

Videos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Hearts of Gold's mission and purpose are both simple and audacious ─ to help homeless mothers reimagine their lives and their children’s futures, in a world where they are educated, empowered and economically secure.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our key strategies are:
STABILIZE: Provide crisis intervention such as emergency food, clothing, household supplies and assistance.
SUPPORT: Prepare homeless mothers and their children to succeed by providing:
* Workforce skills training and support to homeless single mothers
* Educational tutoring, summer enrichment programs, and back to school supplies to their children.
SUSTAIN: Help homeless mothers and their children create long-term sustainable change in their lives by providing ongoing education, and creating a support network through community events and celebrations.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Thanks to the leadership of our Founder/CEO and Board of Directors, the support of our community partners and the generosity of our patrons, sponsors and volunteers, Hearts of Gold has been positively impacting the lives of homeless mothers and their children since 1994.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The homeless mothers and children we support have achieved amazing success. For example, our private and semi-private tutoring programs, summer enrichment programs and school supply giveaways have motivated underserved at-risk children to stay in school, excel, and pursue their dreams of higher education. Since 2014 we have tutored more than 200 homeless, formerly homeless and low-income children. We are proud to report that children from this program have gone on to win scholarships and graduate from top institutions such as Brown University, Boston University, Johnson & Wales University and Boston College.
Our workforce development program has helped homeless mothers gain valuable work experience through our living-wage paid internships and intensive classroom training, making it possible for them to establish career paths that have allowed them to lift themselves out of poverty, break free from the vicious cycle of homelessness, and create a brighter future for their children. For example, one graduate, who is pursuing her BA, now helps other homeless single mothers create a fresh start in her position as a Director of Housing at a shelter for homeless families. Her ability to draw from her own experiences and the transformative impact of Hearts of Gold, has made her a highly effective role model for her clients, proving to them that they too can “do it.”
Our goal is to help more homeless mothers and their children achieve their own success, and positively impact the lives of over 50,000 homeless women and children in New York City by 2029.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Hearts of Gold, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 11/29/2022
Valerie DiFebo
Jack Gindi
Inge Zegwaard
Michael Weil
Deborah Koenigsberger
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
No data