Pros
Good starting point for people with less experience trying to break into non-profit work. New grads and career-changers would find TDF easier to get into than other similar non-profits in NYC. Mission is great and those trainees who actually succeed in the program do go on to have much better lives than if they were not involved in the program. Depending on your department, strong performers do have the ability to move up to a position with more responsibility fairly quickly.
Cons
Execution of the mission is far below what you would think from the outside looking in. Slick marketing materials, extensive data on the website, etc. makes you believe that this organization is performing at a very high level. It is not. Reporting on numbers is almost never accurate and management has a difficult time determining the success of the program. Everyone relies heavily on anecdotal evidence (or no evidence at all!) when making management and program decisions. The Ready, Willing, and Able program (their flagship) is only one of several programs run by The Doe Fund. Instead of improving the programs they currently offer, the management is constantly dreaming up new services to offer and social problems to solve. They have lost focus on how they want to execute the mission. They have been buying up tons of property to expand the supportive housing programs but have not been investing in their shelter-based programs. They recently let go of the majority of the education department, severely hurting the program participants' chances at achieving a GED. Executives are very out of touch with the programs. The offices on the Upper East Side (where almost all of management work) are completely divorced from the realities of the program work at the shelters and supportive housing programs around the city. They are truly in a bubble... Overall the organization is not financially viable and they demonstrate that in the salaries they pay the majority of their staff. Entry level social service employees receive about (or less than) $30k. Raises are not given and promotions will come with (tops) a 7% increase. Some high-level employees began at the organization 10 years ago in low level positions and make $50k in director level roles! Working in one of the shelter programs can be extremely draining - program participants can be difficult to work with and you will likely have a very large caseload. However, the camaraderie between your coworkers can make it an enjoyable experience. Most social service workers in the shelter-program only last a year or two before burning out or leaving for more lucrative pastures. Working in the management offices can be strange if you come from a social service background. These offices are completely separate from the program and the atmosphere is much more like working at a regular insurance/accounting type corporation than a non-profit. It's hard to stay in touch with the end work that is being achieved on the ground if you spend your entire work week in these offices...