How do you measure outcomes?

We follow each PH Scholar's academic progress through graduation, and every year we survey PH Alumni on their employment, income, family support, leadership, and wellbeing.

How are PH Scholars selected?

Scholars are selected based on demonstrated resilience, academic achievement, financial need, and character. We look for young women with the drive to succeed and the potential to lead in their communities.

Can we sponsor a specific scholar?

Yes. Foundations and companies can sponsor a specific PH Scholar's participation in Peruvian Hearts, and receive updates on her progress. Get in touch below to learn more.

Yes. We'd love to host you in Cusco to meet PH Scholars and our team. Get in touch below to plan a visit.

Where can we see your financials?

Our financials are on our Candid and Charity Navigator profiles or available on request. Peruvian Hearts is rated four stars by Charity Navigator and holds Candid's Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Where does the work take place?

Our program is based in Cusco, Peru, where PH Scholars attend university. Peruvian Hearts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in Golden, Colorado.

For Companies & Foundations

Invest in the women who will lead Peru's future.

You bring the investment. We bring two decades of experience in Cusco.

Start a Conversation Ways to Partner

Why It Works

A degree changes a woman's future.
A leader changes her community's.

In Peru, women with a higher education earn 2.3 times what women with a high school education earn and are less than half as likely to work informally. A degree enables a woman to provide for herself and her family. Leadership multiplies that impact far beyond her own home. We walk alongside each PH Scholar as she builds the confidence and voice to become a catalyst for change in her community and for the women who follow her.

Source: ILO, ILOSTAT 2025

Our Model

More than a scholarship.

Peruvian Hearts was founded in 2003 to break cycles of poverty and combat gender inequality. In 2011, we launched our empowerment program on the idea that women who know their communities best are best equipped to change them, focusing on women leaders who build other leaders.

Remove the barriers

Scholarships cover food, safe housing, transportation, and academic materials, so PH Scholars can focus on learning and growing.
Heal and build confidence

Trauma-informed psychological support, coaching, and workshops help PH Scholars recognize their worth and find their voice.
Practice leadership

Through community service, peer mentorship, and leadership roles, PH Scholars lead long before they graduate.
Lead change

A degree opens the door. PH Alumni walk through it to support their families, lift up other women, and transform their communities.

The Difference

Cultivating economic independence and dignity.

Nearly 4X the income of a working woman in rural Peru. And the impact reaches further: 79% of PH Alumni lead at work or in their communities, and more than half volunteer, mentor, or serve outside of work.

$205

average monthly income of a woman in rural Peru^{source 1}

Women in Peru earn about 24% less than men while supporting their families.

$810

average for PH Alumni with a professional título^{source 2}

A degree leads to formal work that offers stability and benefits.

Sources: (1) INEI, Indicadores del Mercado Laboral 2022–2024 (2) PH Alumni Survey 2026 · Amounts in US dollars at October 2026 exchange rates.

Thank you for seeing the potential in a young girl hungry for knowledge and full of dreams. That young Jhuvilka is now a doctor who can help those who need it most.

Jhuvilka, PH Alumna Doctor, Class of 2018

Ways to Partner

Find the fit for your organization.

Every partnership is shaped around your organization. Here are the most common ways foundations and companies give.

Start a Conversation

For foundations

General operating support

Flexible, multi-year funding sustains the full model and lets us plan for each PH Scholar's whole university journey.
Program support

Fund a specific area such as psychological care, academic counseling, or leadership workshops.
Scholarship support

Cover the essential needs of a group of PH Scholars.

For companies

Corporate giving

Annual or multi-year gifts that fund scholarships and programs.
Matching gifts

We're registered with Benevity and Blackbaud YourCause, so employee gifts can go twice as far.
Skills-based volunteering

Employees lead workshops and career talks in Cusco or virtually.
In-kind support and sponsorship

Laptops, internet access, or sponsorship of our events.

Peruvian Hearts speakers on stage at the 13th Supporter Appreciation Dinner in Denver, 2025

Accountability

Transparent by design.

Peruvian Hearts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 20-0769896), rated four stars by Charity Navigator and awarded Candid's Platinum Seal of Transparency. Our financials are on our Candid and Charity Navigator profiles, and partners receive bi-annual reports on PH Scholars' progress and program outcomes.

Our Partners