City of Dreams

What City of Dreams does

City of Dreams is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 20-0719899) founded in 2004 that serves youth ages 7-24 living in public housing in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, where poverty rates run near 42%. The organization operates three core programs: a Mentorship Program combining 1:1 and group mentoring with Saturday field trips around the Bay Area; Earn2Learn, a seasonal 6-week gardening and financial literacy program that pays participants an allowance; and Project Zoe, a youth-led life skills curriculum. Programming is delivered free of charge to participants.

The organization is supported by a partnership network that includes NBA Cares, the Warriors Dubs Community, Rakuten, MeWater Foundation, and Environmental Traveling Companions, which provide in-kind experiential programming such as kayaking, surfing, and NBA facility visits. Fundraising is conducted through the Dreamville monthly giving program, peer-to-peer campaigns hosted on Classy.org and AmazonSmile, cause-marketing partnerships with small brands (Pato Goods, Kris Nations Jewelry, Bakes & Smiles), and a ticketed annual event called "Dreams by the Bay." City of Dreams employs 11-50 staff and is led by Executive Director Jaraé Clark and Program Director Kareem Sykes.

City of Dreams does not operate a technology platform; its service model is fundamentally in-person and human-mentor-driven. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the organization reports impact through annual public reports (2021, 2022 Impact Reports) and holds a GuideStar Transparency Seal. All services are free to participants, with the organization operating as a donation-dependent nonprofit rather than a revenue-generating enterprise.

Name

City of Dreams

Legal name

City of Dreams

Website

https://cityofdreams.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

City of Dreams is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2004, providing free mentorship, gardening, and life skills programs to youth ages 7-24 living in public housing in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Youth mentorship services
• Youth development programs
• Financial literacy education
• Experiential learning programs
• Community-based nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

City of Dreams provides free youth mentorship and development programs to children and young adults ages 7–24 living in San Francisco public housing. Its three core programs are the Mentorship Program (1:1 mentorship, Saturday field trips, after-school support), Earn2Learn Gardening (a seasonal 6-week horticulture and financial literacy course), and Project Zoe (a youth-led life skills course). The organization also facilitates donations through its Dreamville monthly giving program and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns.

Product overview

City of Dreams is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization offering youth mentorship and development programs. The organization operates three core programs: the Mentorship Program combining 1:1 mentorship with Saturday field trips, the Earn2Learn Gardening seasonal program teaching financial literacy alongside horticulture, and Project Zoe youth-led life skills training. The organization also facilitates donations through its Dreamville monthly giving program and peer-to-peer fundraising campaign tools. These programs are designed to end the generational cycle of poverty in Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhoods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mentorship Program Free Saturday field trips, 1:1 and group mentorship, and after-school support for young people ages 7–24 living in San Francisco public housing. The program provides positive adult presence and supports youth in achieving personal and academic goals, combating marginalization of Black and BIPOC youth.
• Earn2Learn Gardening A seasonal 6-week gardening and financial literacy program for children where they learn about plant life cycles and receive an allowance. Teaches healthy eating habits, sustainability, composting, and horticulture.
• Project Zoe A youth-led life skills course designed to help individuals understand their personal power and take ownership of their lives through key lessons for making lasting and meaningful decisions.
• Dreamville Monthly Giving Program A community of monthly donors providing sustained financial support to City of Dreams' youth programs, offering exclusive updates on youth progress and donor benefits including welcome gifts and holiday acknowledgments.
• Fundraising Campaigns

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of youth experience firsts at each Super Saturday event
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• NBA CaresmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBA Cares collaborated with Warrior's Dubs Community and Rakuten on the NBA 75th Legacy Project to renovate safe spaces for youth in Bayview neighborhoods
• Warrior's Dubs CommunitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NBA Cares and Rakuten on the 75th Legacy Project to renovate safe spaces for City of Dreams youth
• RakutenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in NBA 75th Legacy Project alongside NBA Cares and Warrior's Dubs Community to renovate safe spaces for youth
• Environmental Traveling Companions (ETC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides kayaking opportunities for City of Dreams youth as part of experiential Super Saturday activities
• MeWater FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with City of Dreams to provide surfing and water sports experiences for youth
• The Butterfly JointminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder Danny Montoya ran 46.09 miles in support of City of Dreams; provides woodworking instruction for youth
• District 10 Supervisor Shamann WaltoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivic engagement partnership through 3-part Civic Engagement Leadership Series preparing youth to become future leaders
• Pato GoodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWoman/immigrant-owned accessory brand that donates 5% of each sale to City of Dreams
• Bakes & SmilesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBay Area student organization that hosts monthly bake sales to fundraise for nonprofits including City of Dreams
• Melissa Keesling PhotographyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhotographer who raffled a photo session with proceeds donated to City of Dreams
• Kris Nations JewelryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBay Area jewelry designer who created 'Black Lives Now & Forever Necklace' with 100% of proceeds donated to City of Dreams

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Tipping Point Community: Bay Area anti-poverty grantmaking and capacity-building organization that funds a portfolio of nonprofits serving low-income residents. Operates at a higher altitude as a funder rather than direct service provider, but shapes the same funding landscape City of Dreams depends on.

Direct peers

• Aim High for High School: San Francisco-based nonprofit providing multi-year academic enrichment, summer programming, and mentoring to first-generation and low-income middle schoolers. Comparable free-of-charge model and Bayview-adjacent youth population.
• Larkin Street Youth Services: San Francisco nonprofit serving low-income and homeless youth ages 12-24 with case management, education, and housing support. Comparable age range, free-of-charge model, and underserved-youth mission in SF.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area: 1:1 youth mentoring nonprofit serving Bay Area youth, including those in public housing. Directly comparable mentoring model and target demographic, with a longer institutional track record and national brand.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco: Multi-site youth development nonprofit serving San Francisco youth with after-school programming, mentorship, and enrichment — directly comparable mission and population to City of Dreams, though with broader geographic footprint.
• 100 Black Men of the Bay Area: Bay Area chapter of a national Black male mentorship and youth development organization. Directly comparable mentoring focus on Black youth, with similar BIPOC-centered mission and Bayview-relevant population.

Regional players

• St. Anthony's Foundation: San Francisco nonprofit serving low-income individuals with food, clothing, and social services. Comparable in serving SF's most economically challenged residents, with a broader social-service rather than youth-mentorship focus.
• The Unity Council (formerly Unity Council): Oakland-based nonprofit serving predominantly Latino and immigrant families in Fruitvale with youth programs, education, and community development. Comparable youth-development programming in a public-housing-adjacent community context.

Others

• Classy (GoFundMe Pro): Online fundraising platform used by City of Dreams for donation processing. Not a programmatic peer but a key infrastructure/ecosystem enabler for the organization's donor acquisition and peer-to-peer fundraising.

Emerging players

• Boys Hope Girls Hope of San Francisco: Smaller-scale nonprofit providing long-term residential and educational support to youth facing adversity, including those from low-income and public-housing backgrounds. Comparable long-horizon youth support model at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cityofdreamssf
• Xx.com/cityofdreams

Compliance1 record

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 City of Dreams