Qualitas of Life is a non-profit organization that provides financial education to Hispanic immigrant families in New York in order to foster their financial security and improve their standard of living.

Description and/or History:
Qualitas offers a community-based financial education program for underserved Hispanic immigrants. Our program motivates immigrants to set earnest financial goals and gives them the necessary tools and knowledge to achieve them. Achieving these goals facilitates their integration into mainstream American society.

Qualitas began as an initiative of Marcela O. de Rovzar, a Mexican philanthropist with an extensive career in capacity building and fundraising. When Mrs. Rovzar moved to New York City in 2004, she was startled by the critical living conditions of the large Hispanic immigrant community in the area. After consultations with individuals familiar with the situation, Mrs. Rovzar joined forces with a distinguished group of successful and established business professionals with a demonstrated commitment to social responsibility in New York, and they decided to create a nonprofit organization that would facilitate underserved immigrants' access to financial education programs and financial services.

The Qualitas financial education program is comprised of multi-level workshops, special projects, and access to diverse financial services through strategic alliances. The above are tailored specifically to the needs and characteristics of the underserved Hispanic immigrant community in New York.

We differentiate ourselves from other financial education providers by incorporating community-building activities to our program. We achieve this by utilizing established community centers that have gained the trust of the participants and creating a sense of openness and communication so that participants can share their experiences with personal finances and help each other in their interaction with financial institutions. Our innovative program design garners a sense of community and extends the learning experience to eight weekly, two-hour, friendly, and interactive sessions, as opposed to the regular one-time lecture.

Contact people:

Adrian Franco, Executive Director, (917) 913-6920, (email) Carla Hammond, Director Of Institutional Development, (email)

Address:

500 Park Avenue #35B New York City, NY 10025 (See a map)

Directions:

Between Park Avenue and Madison