Announcement from the Board of Directors
July 2026
The Foundation’s long-time Executive Director, and one of the founders of the Franklin Square House Foundation, Bob Goldstein, is retiring.
Bob has worked with the Franklin Square House, the Franklin Square Apartment and the Franklin Square House Foundation for nearly forty years. He came on board with the Franklin Square Apartments in the late 1980’s as a development consultant to oversee the implementation of the City of Boston’s new sprinkler code…and as they say…he never left.
Thirty-five years ago, he worked with the Franklin Square Board of Directors to upgrade the Franklin Square Apartments, a 147-unit apartment building at 1575 Tremont Street in Mission Hill. His role was to both oversee renovations to the building and guide the asset management of the building for the nonprofit owner.
After assisting the nonprofit Board of Directors for nearly twenty years, and getting the Apartments on sound financial footing, Bob and the late Ted Worcester (the then president of the Board) decided to investigate the sale of the building at 1575 Tremont Street. The building was always intended to be an affordable housing resource to support “working women.”, but without subsidy it became increasingly difficult to carry out the nonprofit’s mission through ownership of the building.
In 2007 the Franklin Square House Board felt that continued ownership and operation of the building was no longer the best way to pursue its mission and decided that the proceeds from the sale of the building could be used in a more impactful way toward that mission.
In 2008 the building was sold to a private buyer with an in-perpetuity affordability restriction clause that was attached to 27 of the 147 units.
Following the sale, the Franklin Square House Board went through a strategic planning process and decided to take the proceeds from the sale and --consistent with the original century old mission of the organization -- create a private foundation that would make grants to nonprofits for capital projects that support, primarily, women and women and their children.
As a private foundation, we began making capital grants in the late fall of 2008 to shelters focused on women and women and their children and childcare centers that were primarily subsidized. As of today, under Bob’s steady leadership and guidance the foundation has given away over 18 million dollars to our shelter and childcare grantees and impacted the daily lives of thousands of low-income individuals and families. In practical terms, this translates into 410 grants to over 140 different organizations.
While Bob would say…”I did very little. The board gave away funds to organizations who did the hard work…we just got out of the way and let them do what they do best,” the Foundation recognizes the integral role that Bob has played in making a major impact on the lives of many, and we are exceptionally grateful for his leadership, empathy and impact.
Bob’s last day at the Franklin Square House Foundation will be December 31st, 2026. While Bob’s brusque style, wanton use of expletives and overall curmudgeonly attitude will be sorely missed, the Foundation is pleased to announce his replacement; Bree Horwitz.
Prior to her decision to join the Franklin Square House Foundation as the new Executive director, Bree was a Senior Project Manager for the Children’s Investment Fund (CIF). In this role, she worked directly with nonprofit childcare and youth-serving organizations as a lender and technical assistance provider, strengthening their capacity as they planned and executed facility expansion and capital improvement projects.
She carries three decades of experience in the field of nonprofit development, with nine years underwriting and providing technical assistance to community-based affordable and supportive housing developers and agencies at CIF’s affiliate organization CEDAC. Before CEDAC, she led economic development efforts in Boston’s neighborhoods as executive director of a Boston Main Streets program and managed fundraising development programs for larger non-profits engaged in health care, arts programming, and journalism. She has an AB in Sociology from Bryn Mawr College and is thrilled to help Franklin Square House Foundation continue its mission.
Bob and Bree will overlap in the executive director role for the final third of 2026 to ensure a smooth transition.
The Foundation is deeply grateful to Bob for his years of service in building an impactful organization and is excited and optimistic about the next steps to be undertaken under Bree’s leadership.