HEART FOR WINTER HAVEN

What HEART FOR WINTER HAVEN does

Heart for Winter Haven (H4WH) is a faith-based nonprofit organization founded in 2014 and headquartered in Winter Haven, Florida, that addresses family poverty, financial fragility, and childhood homelessness in Polk County. Its portfolio comprises seven named programs: Elevate (community outreach and life-skills groups), Jobs for Life (workforce development), Faith & Finances (financial literacy), Housing Partnership of Winter Haven (affordable housing development), Center for Well-Being (mental and emotional health), Scholarship House (post-secondary support), and an Employee Care Program that places chaplains in workplaces. The organization reports helping 1,037 families cumulatively since 2020 and holds a Charity Navigator 4-star rating and a GuideStar Platinum Seal.

The business model is donor- and grant-funded rather than commercial. H4WH does not sell products or services at price points; revenue mechanics are implicit individual donations, church and corporate partnerships, legacy giving (notably through Thrivent Charitable), and likely grant funding from public and private sources. The go-to-market is community-embedded: referrals flow through a network of 15+ partner organizations including the Homeless Coalition of Polk County, Polk County Public Schools, and local employers, with the Employee Care Program functioning as a workplace chaplaincy channel. No pricing model, customer segments in the commercial sense, or revenue figures are disclosed.

Strategically, H4WH has positioned itself around two public commitments: the "Zero in '30" campaign to end childhood homelessness in Polk County by 2030, and a 1,000-families reach goal by December 31, 2025. The Housing Partnership targets 50 units of affordable housing by 2030, with 6 units already secured. A new Center for City and Life Transformation is scheduled to launch by December 31, 2025, alongside the ALICE Project focused on asset-limited, income-constrained, employed households. Technology infrastructure is standard nonprofit tooling; no proprietary platform, data asset, or AI capability is described in the available material.

Name

HEART FOR WINTER HAVEN

Legal name

Heart For Winter Haven

Website

https://heart4wh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heart for Winter Haven is a faith-based nonprofit in Winter Haven, Florida that combats family poverty and childhood homelessness through workforce development, financial literacy, affordable housing, mental health, and employer chaplaincy programs serving Polk County families since 2014.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness and Social Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Faith-Based / Nonprofit Assisted Living Providers (HLADABAH)

Keywords

• Homeless services
• Housing assistance
• Job readiness training
• Financial literacy education
• Mental health counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Winter Haven

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Heart for Winter Haven is a faith-based nonprofit that delivers a coordinated suite of free social service programs in Polk County, FL, addressing the root causes of homelessness and poverty. Its core offerings are housing assistance (eviction prevention, rapid rehousing, Scholarship House for college students), employment readiness (Jobs for Life 8-week program), financial literacy (Faith & Finances with matched savings), and mental health counseling (Center for Well-Being with RTM Therapy), supported by the Elevate community hub. All services are provided at no cost to participants, funded through donations, grants, and sponsorships.

Product overview

Heart for Winter Haven is a non-profit organization offering a coordinated suite of social service programs focused on ending childhood homelessness by 2030. The core offerings include Elevate (a community learning hub), Jobs for Life (employment readiness), Faith & Finances (financial literacy), The Housing Partnership, The Center for Well-Being (mental health counseling), Scholarship House (student housing), and the Employee Care Program (workplace wellness). Supporting initiatives include the ALICE Project for economic mobility and a Match Savings program. Programs are designed to address root causes of poverty through relationship-based support, financial education, employment assistance, and housing stability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Elevate: A hub for community collaboration where individuals and families find support, hope, and resources to rebuild and thrive.
• Jobs for Life
• The Housing Partnership of Winter Haven
• The Center for Well-Being
• Scholarship House
• Faith & Finances
• Employee Care Program
• ALICE Project

Products and services

• Elevate A community collaboration hub where individuals and families find support, hope, and resources to rebuild and thrive; hosts workshops and program classes and serves as the physical delivery site for multiple Heart for Winter Haven programs.
• Jobs for Life An 8-week job readiness program equipping men and women with a biblical understanding of identity and work, connecting participants with mentor Champions to build resumes, practice interviews, and find employment; offers up to $1,000 in credentialing and licensure support for graduates.
• The Housing Partnership of Winter Haven Housing assistance program providing eviction prevention, rapid rehousing, housing guidance, and case management for families facing housing instability; collaborates with landlords open to housing vouchers and supports the broader Housing Partnership network.
• The Center for Well-Being Free and low-cost mental health counseling service providing individual and family therapy, growth workshops, and Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM) Therapy on-site, via telehealth, or in-person.
• Scholarship House Housing program providing safe, stable housing for up to eight homeless male college students, along with career and life coaching, financial literacy support, and community support for college completion; plans for a women's house in the future.
• Faith & Finances An 8-session faith-centered financial education course for people in low-income situations covering budgeting, overcoming predatory lending, credit improvement, and matched savings opportunities.
• Employee Care Program Workplace wellness program offering confidential counseling services, personal growth workshops, and holistic professional support to employees and their families through on-site, telehealth, or in-person sessions, sold to local businesses.
• ALICE Project Economic mobility initiative providing up to $2,500 for business coaching or up to $1,500 for certifications and licensure to working families who are Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed (ALICE), plus career pathway development support.
• Match Savings Program Matched savings incentive program where participants who save $300 over 90 days receive a $300 match to build emergency funds and financial stability.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,037 families helped escape or avoid homelessness since 2020
• +8 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Living Word of Faith Outreach CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Pastor AJ Hardin and James Arnold from Living Word of Faith Outreach Center offered their church's parsonage to create the first Scholarship House 'The Manse' for homeless college students.
• Homeless Coalition of Polk CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with the Homeless Coalition of Polk County on coordinated entry systems so families can access multiple supports through one unified system as part of the Zero in '30 initiative to end childhood homelessness.
• Community Organizations NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with nearly 15 other community organizations to establish The Housing Partnership of Winter Haven, empowering families and instilling hope through housing guidance and transformative programs.
• WorkerSpringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with WorkerSpring to help people find local jobs and gain a sense of purpose in their lives through the Housing Partnership's job readiness training programs.
• United Way of FloridasupportingOthersALICE data made possible by United Way of Florida, providing research on Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed households to inform program targeting and advocacy.
• Local ChurchescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with local Winter Haven church partners for program delivery including Jobs for Life classes, volunteer recruitment, and community outreach. Churches present statement of faith adopted by greater Winter Haven church partners.
• Jobs for LifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJobs for Life equips local churches and organizations to champion the cause of work for those who need it most through a biblical understanding of identity and work, with surrounding community support.
• LandlordscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with landlords open to renting to families with housing vouchers or unique financial histories as part of the 50-unit affordable housing commitment. Looking for landlords willing to participate in housing vouchers.
• City of Winter Haven and Polk CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWith the support of the City of Winter Haven and Polk County, The Housing Partnership of Winter Haven was established to empower families facing housing instability.
• Center for City and Life TransformationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched by December 31, 2025 as part of the vision to directly impact families. A center focused on city-wide transformation and community life change.
• Business Leaders and EmployerssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal employers needed for flexible scheduling for classes or internships, business leaders to mentor aspiring entrepreneurs, and jobs to offer families in the ALICE Project.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries of Central Florida: Major regional workforce development and poverty alleviation nonprofit, comparable to Heart for Winter Haven's Jobs for Life employment readiness and financial literacy offerings.
• United Way of Central Florida: Regional funder and convener of human services in Central Florida; produces the ALICE research Heart for Winter Haven relies on, and operates its own direct-service programs and grantmaking across overlapping populations.
• Salvation Army of Polk County: Established national nonprofit with local Winter Haven/Polk presence offering emergency shelter, eviction prevention, and case management for families facing housing instability.
• Heart of Florida United Way: Regional united-way funder covering the Central Florida footprint including Polk County, providing grant capital and ALICE research that Heart for Winter Haven's economic mobility programs depend on.
• Catholic Charities of Central Florida: Faith-based social services provider with a similar mix of housing assistance, financial counseling, and case management, serving overlapping low-income populations in the broader Central Florida region.

Emerging players

• Center for Transforming Lives: Nonprofit using a holistic, relationship-centered model combining housing, early childhood education, and economic mobility — structurally analogous to Heart for Winter Haven's whole-family approach.

Direct peers

• Habitat for Humanity of East Polk and Sumter Counties: Local Habitat affiliate operating in the same Winter Haven/Polk County market with similar affordable housing construction and family stabilization programs, including homeownership pathways for working-poor families.
• Homeless Coalition of Polk County: Direct partner and peer operating coordinated entry for homeless services across Polk County, addressing the same family homelessness population with case management and shelter referrals.
• Family Promise of Greater Lakeland: Family-focused homeless services nonprofit in nearby Lakeland, FL, operating emergency shelter, eviction prevention, and case management — a near-analog model serving a similar demographic in an adjacent county.

Regional players

• Polk County Housing Division: Government counterpart administering Section 8 vouchers and affordable housing programs in the same Polk County market — both an enable (voucher issuer for H4WH clients) and a competitor for the same limited affordable housing stock.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heart4wh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HEART FOR WINTER HAVEN