Dream a Dream

What Dream a Dream does

Dream a Dream is an Indian non-profit charitable trust founded in 1999 and headquartered in Bengaluru, focused on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and life skills education for children and young people aged 8-23 from vulnerable backgrounds. The organization operates through three interconnected approaches: Direct Impact programmes (Thriving Schools for ages 8-14 using sports and arts, and Thriving Centres for ages 15-23 integrating computer education, spoken English, communication, money management, and workplace readiness), Systems Demonstration (partnering with state governments to embed SEL curricula in public education systems across 7 Indian states), and Building the Field (research, narrative work, and the annual Change the Script gathering). Its core intellectual property includes a proprietary Life Skills Curriculum spanning Nursery to Grade 10, a validated Life Skills Assessment Scale (LSAS) with norms for Indian youth aged 17-22, and a Facilitator Handbook, all aligned to India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The technology surface is a curriculum and assessment layer rather than a software platform: the Life Skills Curriculum is available as a free download globally, and the LSAS is the measurement instrument underpinning research outputs that include randomized controlled trials and peer-reviewed papers. Distribution is anchored on state-level Memoranda of Understanding — most notably Delhi's Happiness Curriculum (18,000+ teachers), Karnataka's Nali Kali integration across 48,000 schools, the Telangana Chelimi programme, and 2025's Punjab MoU — supplemented by a CBSE partnership for the Holistic Progress Card in 74 pilot schools. Supporting offerings include the UnmuteWithDreamaDream podcast, a published book (When We Thrive, Our World Thrives), and the Change the Script annual convening.

The business model is multi-stream non-profit funding: individual donations (minimum Rs 250, 50% tax benefit under Indian law), foundation grants (Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Omidyar Network India, Porticus, MacKenzie Scott yield-giving in June 2021), corporate partnerships (UBS, UiPath, Verizon, Western Digital, Adobe Foundation, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft), and government partnerships/contracts at the state level. A UK-registered charity, Dream A Dream UK (established 2012, charity number 1154172), channels 100% of international donations to India. The organization reports having impacted 5M+ children cumulatively, with 10,000+ direct annual beneficiaries and 44,000+ teachers trained across programmes.

Name

Dream a Dream

Legal name

Dream a Dream

Website

https://dreamadream.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dream a Dream is an Indian non-profit that designs life skills and Social Emotional Learning programmes for children and young people from vulnerable backgrounds, delivering directly and partnering with 7 state governments to embed SEL curricula in public schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

School-Based SEL Curriculum & Instructional Programs (EDAKAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Emotional Regulation Programs (EDAMAIAC), Student Safety, Wellbeing & SEL Technology (Monitoring, Reporting) (EDAJAMAJ)

Keywords

• Life skills education
• Social emotional learning
• Youth development programmes
• Nonprofit education services
• SEL curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Bengaluru

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals in India and internationally, with support for various payment methods including UPI, cards, netbanking, and international payments. Tax benefits of 50% available under Indian law.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporations including UBS, UiPath, Verizon, Western Digital, Adobe Foundation, and others for funding and programmatic support.
3. Government Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with state governments (Delhi, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Punjab) for implementing SEL curricula in public schools.
4. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Omidyar Network India, Porticus, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Dream a Dream delivers life skills and social-emotional learning (SEL) programmes to children and young people aged 8–23 from vulnerable backgrounds in India through three interconnected approaches: Direct Impact programmes (Thriving Schools for ages 8–14 and Thriving Centres for ages 15–23), Systems Demonstration partnerships with state governments to embed SEL in public education systems, and Building the Field through research, narrative work, and curriculum dissemination. It also produces a proprietary Life Skills Curriculum (Nursery to Grade 10) and the Life Skills Assessment Scale (LSAS) used by educators and partner organisations.

Product overview

Dream a Dream operates as a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of life skills-focused educational programs and resources rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include the Life Skills Curriculum (spanning Nursery to Grade 10), Thriving Schools (ages 8-14), and Thriving Centres (ages 15-23) which combine skill-building with life skills development. Supporting offerings include the Change the Script annual gathering, the UnmuteWithDreamaDream podcast, Research Outputs and Papers, the Life Skills Assessment Scale (LSAS), and the published book 'When We Thrive, Our World Thrives'. The organization also delivered COVID-19 relief programs and partners with state governments across India to implement Social-Emotional Learning curricula.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AshokacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAshoka fellowship network; co-founder Vishal Talreja is an Ashoka Fellow
• DasracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in the development sector
• FIFA FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partner supporting football-based programmes
• GiveIndiacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFundraising partner enabling donations and COVID-19 relief efforts
• GlobalGivingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational fundraising platform partner
• CAF AmericacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCharities Aid Foundation supporting international giving
• BENEVITYminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate giving platform partner
• Buy1Give1minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness for good platform partner
• Partners for Youth Empowerment (PYE Global)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative Community Model partner for experiential camps; Executive Committee membership in Karanga - Global Alliance on Life Skills and SEL

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Magic Bus India Foundation: Indian non-profit using sports and activity-based life skills programmes for underprivileged youth aged 10-18. Direct comparable to Dream a Dream's Thriving Schools model with similar target segment and pedagogical approach.
• Pratham Education Foundation: One of India's largest NGOs focused on improving learning outcomes for underprivileged children through direct programmes and government-system partnerships. Comparable to Dream a Dream's model of mixing direct delivery with state-level systems change.
• Central Square Foundation: Indian philanthropic foundation working to reform K-12 education with state governments. Comparable through its systems-change approach, focus on foundational learning, and partnership with state education departments across India.
• Kaivalya Education Foundation: Indian education foundation focused on holistic education, teacher capacity building, and learning outcomes. Overlaps with Dream a Dream's teacher training and curriculum design focus areas.
• CRY (Child Rights and You): Leading Indian children's rights and child development NGO working on education and wellbeing for underprivileged children. Board member Pervin Varma was formerly CEO; mission overlap makes it a credible organisational peer.
• PYE Global (Partners for Youth Empowerment): International NGO using creative arts and experiential learning to build life skills in young people. Dream a Dream is an Executive Committee member; direct methodological peer for arts-based SEL.

Broad incumbents

• Teach For India: Large India-wide education non-profit placing teachers in low-income schools. Comparable as a youth-education NGO of similar scale and brand recognition, but focused on classroom instruction rather than life skills/SEL.
• Ashoka (Ashoka Innovators for the Public): Global network of leading social entrepreneurs. Dream a Dream co-founder is an Ashoka Fellow; comparable as a peer organisation in the SEL/social innovation space and consortium partner through Karanga Global Alliance.
• CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning): Global convener defining the SEL field. Dream a Dream is part of its Karanga Alliance; comparable as the dominant SEL knowledge and framework authority whose research and standards shape Dream a Dream's curriculum work.

Others

• Goonj: Major Indian non-profit addressing child development, education, and material needs for underprivileged communities. Dream a Dream co-founder sits on its board; comparable in scale and as a peer Indian civil-society organisation addressing vulnerable populations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dream-a-dream-india

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Dream a Dream