Dare to Dream Children's Foundation

What Dare to Dream Children's Foundation does

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit model: individual charitable donations (one-time and recurring via PayPal, credit card, check, and corporate matching), 1% rebate partnerships with Kroger Community Rewards (NPO #80110) and Tom Thumb Good Neighbor (#527), eBay Giving Fund seller and buyer donations, and merchandise sales. The organization holds the Independent Charities Seal of Excellence, is governed by a Board of Directors and Advisory Board, and is audited annually by CRI Carr, Riggs & Ingram. Following founder Jan Tennyson's passing on November 11, 2025, Bishop Dr. J. Lee Slater and Dr. Donna Slater were unanimously appointed President/CEO and Executive Director on December 17, 2025 to continue operations.

Name

Dare to Dream Children's Foundation

Legal name

Dare to Dream Children's Foundation

Website

https://daretodream-dallas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dare to Dream Children's Foundation is a Dallas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry founded in 1987 that delivers volunteer-led life-skills, mentoring, and spiritual enrichment programs to at-risk youth ages 10-18 in shelters, group homes, detention centers, and orphanages across the US and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentorship and Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)

Keywords

• Youth mentorship programs
• At-risk youth services
• Faith-based nonprofit ministry
• Life-skills education
• Shelter and group home outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization relies on charitable donations from individuals, including one-time and monthly recurring contributions. Donors can give via PayPal, credit card, personal or corporate checks, and corporate matching programs.
2. Grocery Card Programs: Partnership with Kroger (NPO #80110) and Tom Thumb (#527) grocery card programs where 1% of shopping bills are donated to the foundation at no cost to donors.
3. Book and Merchandise Sales: Sale of Jan Tennyson's autobiography 'She Dares to Dream' in soft cover ($21.50) and hard cover ($31.50), plus DVD 'Passing the Torch' ($10). All proceeds benefit Dare to Dream Children's Foundation.
4. eBay Giving Fund: Sellers can donate a portion of proceeds from eBay sales, buyers can add donations during checkout, or donate directly through eBay's platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Dare to Dream Children's Foundation recruits and trains hundreds of volunteers to deliver in-person and virtual youth mentorship, life-skills education, cultural enrichment (art, music, dance), and faith-based guidance to at-risk youth ages 10-18 living in shelters, group homes, detention centers, and orphanages. The foundation also sells founder Jan Tennyson's autobiography 'She Dares to Dream' (softcover $21.50, hardcover $31.50) and testimony DVD 'Passing the Torch' ($10), with all merchandise proceeds benefiting the organization. Operations are sustained by charitable donations, recurring monthly contributions, corporate matching gifts, and third-party fundraising programs (eBay Giving Fund, Kroger Community Rewards, Tom Thumb Good Neighbor).

Product overview

Dare to Dream Children's Foundation is a nonprofit ministry organization (not a technology company) offering a portfolio of youth development programs and products. The core offering consists of mentorship programs delivering life-skills education and spiritual guidance to at-risk youth in shelters, group homes, detention centers, and orphanages. Supporting products include Jan Tennyson's autobiography 'She Dares to Dream' (available as softcover and hardcover books) and the 'Passing the Torch' DVD. The foundation also operates a volunteer program with formal training requirements and provides spiritual growth materials. During COVID-19, the organization adapted to offer online engagement sessions via Zoom and FaceTime to maintain program continuity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Mentorship and Life-Skills Programs Volunteer-delivered in-person and virtual (Zoom/FaceTime) youth mentorship and life-skills education programs designed for at-risk youth ages 10-18 living in shelters, group homes, detention centers, and orphanages. Programs address drug and alcohol abuse, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, school drop-outs, teen suicide, lack of self-esteem, and absence of spiritual foundation through role-model speakers, cultural experiences, one-on-one mentoring, career development classes, and spiritual guidance.
• She Dares to Dream (Autobiography by Jan Tennyson) Jan Tennyson's autobiography chronicling her personal journey from being an abandoned foster child in New York City to playing piano at Carnegie Hall, traveling internationally to touch thousands of youth, and receiving the Texas Governor's Lone Star Achievement Award. Available in soft cover ($21.50) and hard cover ($31.50), with all proceeds benefiting Dare to Dream Children's Foundation.
• Passing the Torch (Testimony DVD) Jan Tennyson's testimony DVD documenting her life story and her mission to inspire at-risk youth. Priced at $10, available via online order with shipping or in-person pickup at the Dallas office, with all proceeds benefiting Dare to Dream Children's Foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 37 years of service since 1987
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dallas County Juvenile DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for volunteer screening and training. Dallas County Juvenile Department screens volunteers alongside the Texas Youth Commission. Partnership spans from 1987 to present, with Dare to Dream receiving Longevity Award in 2001 and Volunteer of the Year Award in 1997.
• Texas Youth CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for volunteer screening and training, serving youth in state facilities. Received multiple awards including Faithfulness Award (2003), Fruhman's Group Community Support Award (1998), and Fruhman's Group Service Award (1996).
• Create ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrent partnership to expand programs and impact more youngsters from broken homes to gain supernatural strength to become upstanding citizens of tomorrow.
• KrogerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKroger Community Rewards program (NPO #80110) donates 1% of grocery shopping to Dare to Dream at no cost to shoppers.
• Tom ThumbminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTom Thumb Good Neighbor Program (Charity #527) allows shoppers to link reward cards to donate 1% of purchases to Dare to Dream.
• eBay Giving FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnereBay platform allows sellers to donate portion of proceeds, buyers to add donations at checkout, and direct donations to Dare to Dream charity.
• Dallas Music School / DLPMusicOutreachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDallas Music School collaborates with Dare to Dream to reach at-risk youth through music outreach programs.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayPal integration for online donations and merchandise purchases on the Dare to Dream website.
• Independent Charities of AmericacoreOthersOrganization awarded Independent Charities Seal of Excellence as one of Best in America. Only 2,000 of 1,000,000 charities meet the highest standards for this certification.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Buckner Children & Family Services: A Dallas-based nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and family services to at-risk children and youth. Directly comparable: documented customer of Dare to Dream and operates in the same geography serving overlapping populations of vulnerable children.
• Childhelp: National nonprofit focused on prevention and treatment of child abuse, serving children in group homes, shelters, and residential programs. Highly comparable mission, target population (abused/at-risk children), and faith-rooted heritage.
• National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP): National nonprofit providing community-based services to youth and families, including those in foster care, group homes, and juvenile justice settings. Comparable focus on at-risk youth in state custody and community-based intervention model.
• Arrow Child & Family Ministries: Texas-based nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and residential services to abused and neglected children. Comparable geography (Texas), population (at-risk youth in residential care), and faith-based ministry orientation.
• Covenant House: National nonprofit serving youth experiencing homelessness and trafficking through shelter, housing, and supportive services. Directly comparable in its focus on youth in shelters, group homes, and street situations, with a similar faith-rooted heritage.

Broad incumbents

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit pairing adult volunteers with at-risk youth. Directly comparable in its mentoring-centric model for at-risk youth, but operating nationally with professional staff infrastructure.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National nonprofit providing youth development programs for at-risk youth across the U.S. Comparable mission and target demographic (at-risk youth ages 6-18), with overlapping programming around mentorship, life skills, and character development, but at vastly larger scale.
• YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas: Local Dallas YMCA providing youth development, residential, and family services. Comparable in faith-rooted heritage, Dallas geography, and youth programming — Dare to Dream's earliest work began at the YMCA Casa Shelter.
• Salvation Army: International faith-based charitable organization providing shelter, youth services, and rehabilitation programs. Comparable in faith-based identity, shelter-based youth service delivery (Dare to Dream began at the Salvation Army's Casa Shelter), and broad at-risk youth focus.
• Volunteers of America: National nonprofit providing human services including at-risk youth programs, family services, and community-based support. Comparable target population and volunteer-driven service model, but operating at much larger scale across many program areas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=7W_v9y26beQ&feature=youtu.be
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/jan-tennyson-07b6981a

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Dare to Dream Children's Foundation