Children's Dream Fund

What Children's Dream Fund does

The Children's Dream Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 1600 23rd Avenue N, St. Petersburg, Florida (EIN #59-2145821), that fulfills personalized dream experiences for children ages 3-21 living with life-threatening illnesses across West Central Florida. Founded in 1981 and operating independently of any national wish-granting organization, it structures its core service—the Dream Fulfillment Program—around four dream categories (I Dream to Be, I Dream to Go, I Dream to Have, I Dream to Meet), with referrals sourced from medical professionals and direct family applications, and over 150 children currently awaiting dream fulfillment. The organization extends engagement through the Beyond the Dream program, which delivers ongoing surprise gifts and meaningful moments after the initial dream, and operates two sub-brands: Kids Who Care (a youth philanthropy program engaging school-age children in hands-on fundraising) and Dream Fund Professionals (a young-professional committee network for fundraising and advocacy).

Its technology stack is minimal and conventional for a small nonprofit: website-based donation portals, PayPal and Pay Everywhere for payment processing, Constant Contact for email marketing, and Blackbaud for event ticketing, with no proprietary platform, AI/ML systems, or external APIs. It maintains HIPAA-compliant handling of protected health information for dream children and families and holds a 4-star Charity Navigator rating.

The business model is a donation-driven, event-anchored nonprofit funding stack: individual contributions, corporate sponsorships and event presenting deals (Raymond James, Power Design, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, WestCMR, Onicx Group, Tampa Bay Rays, Mattel), grants, direct mail, and special events including the annual Dreammaker Luncheon, Rays on the Runway fashion show, Turkey Toss Cornhole Tournament, Flamingo Float, Ultra Block Party, Booze & Boutiques Destination Series, Paul Davis Inshore Fishing Classic, and Season Spectacular. Over 50% of all dream costs are covered by in-kind donations, and 100% of funds raised stay in the local community. The organization does not engage in telemarketing or phone solicitation, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Children's Dream Fund

Legal name

The Children's Dream Fund

Website

https://childrensdreamfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Children's Dream Fund is a St. Petersburg, Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1981, that fulfills personalized dream experiences for children ages 3-21 with life-threatening illnesses across West Central Florida, funded through individual and corporate donations, grants, and fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Wish Fulfillment Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Pediatric dream fulfillment
• Wish granting nonprofit
• Children's charity services
• Community fundraising events
• Pediatric illness support

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Petersburg

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. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission to fulfill dreams for children with life-threatening illnesses.
2. Corporate Donations and Sponsorships: Support from corporate sponsors including event sponsorships, annual donations, and in-kind contributions. Over 50% of all dream costs are covered by in-kind donations.
3. Special Events: Revenue from fundraising events including Rays on the Runway, Dreammaker Luncheon, Turkey Toss Cornhole Tournament, Flamingo Float, Ultra Block Party, and various Booze & Boutiques shopping events.
4. Kids Who Care Program: Youth fundraising programs where school-age children raise money to sponsor dreams.
5. Grants: Funding from charitable foundations and grant programs.
6. Direct Mail: Traditional mail-based fundraising campaigns.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Children's Dream Fund creates and delivers personalized dream experiences for children ages 3-21 living with life-threatening illnesses across West Central Florida. Dreams are organized into four categories (I Dream to Be, I Dream to Go, I Dream to Have, I Dream to Meet) and are funded entirely through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, grants, and fundraising events, with over 50% of dream costs covered by in-kind contributions. The organization also provides continued family support through its Beyond the Dream program.

Product overview

Children's Dream Fund is a Tampa Bay-based nonprofit that operates as a single integrated program focused on fulfilling personalized dream experiences for children ages 3-21 living with life-threatening illnesses. The core Dream Fulfillment Program encompasses four dream categories (I Dream to Be, I Dream to Go, I Dream to Have, I Dream to Meet), supported by the Beyond the Dream Program for ongoing family engagement. The organization also operates two youth engagement sub-brands: Kids Who Care (youth philanthropy) and Dream Fund Professionals (young professional networking). Fundraising events include the annual Dreammaker Luncheon and Rays on the Runway fashion show, with additional events like Turkey Toss, Flamingo Float, and Booze & Boutiques Destination Series supporting dream fulfillment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Beyond the Dream: A program that continues to support families beyond the dream itself through surprise gifts, uplifting experiences, and meaningful moments.
• Kids Who Care
• Dream Fund Professionals (DFP)

Products and services

• Dream Fulfillment Program Personalized dream experience program for children ages 3-21 living with life-threatening illnesses in West Central Florida, organized into four categories: I Dream to Be (career aspirations), I Dream to Go (travel), I Dream to Have (possessions), and I Dream to Meet (celebrities/heroes). Dreams are fulfilled through medical professional referrals or direct family applications.
• Beyond the Dream Program Ongoing post-dream support program for families of Dream Children, providing surprise gifts, uplifting experiences, and meaningful ongoing moments beyond the initial dream fulfillment.
• Kids Who Care Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ years of fulfilling dreams since 1981
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mattel Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMattel Inc. made Gabria's dream come true with a visit to the World of Barbie Dreamhouse in Malibu, CA, providing an exclusive Barbie experience including the dream closet, movie theater, recording studio, and camper.
• Showtime Photo BoothminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSince 2013, Showtime Photo Booth has been providing photo booth services for events big and small, corporate and private. They have featured a photo spot at Children's Dream Fund events.
• Tampa Bay RayscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTampa Bay Rays players participate in the Rays on the Runway fashion show event alongside dream children. The organization helps fulfill dreams including Tampa Bay Lightning Golden Ticket packages.
• Matter of Fact Run ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host of Ultra Block Party relay race event benefiting the Children's Dream Fund, with proceeds supporting Dreamer Quinn's Alaskan cruise dream.
• Green Bench BrewingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host venue and partner for Ultra Block Party relay race event, providing the Baum Ave Block location for the 12-hour race.
• Armature WorksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for the Dreammaker Luncheon 2026 held at their Tampa location.
• The Floridian SocialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for Rays on the Runway 2026 event in St. Petersburg.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Starlight Children's Foundation: National nonprofit delivering programs, toys, and wish-like experiences to hospitalized children and their families. Comparable to Children's Dream Fund in serving seriously ill children with joy-focused interventions, though Starlight's model is more hospital- and program-based than destination wish fulfillment.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation: The largest U.S. wish-granting organization for children with critical illnesses, fulfilling wishes across all 50 states. Directly comparable to Children's Dream Fund in mission, beneficiary type (children with life-threatening illnesses), and referral-driven model, but operates at national scale with materially larger staff and corporate relationships.
• Kids Wish Network: Florida-headquartered wish-granting organization for children with life-threatening illnesses, fulfilling wishes nationwide. Highly comparable mission and beneficiary profile to Children's Dream Fund; shares Florida operational roots but competes for national donor mindshare and corporate sponsorship dollars.
• The Children's Wish Foundation International: International wish-granting organization fulfilling wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses. Direct peer in mission and beneficiary type, providing a useful comparison point for Children's Dream Fund's regional approach versus multi-country grantmaking scale.
• Sunshine Foundation: National nonprofit granting wishes to children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses, with a long history dating to the 1970s. Directly comparable mission and beneficiary type to Children's Dream Fund, though Sunshine operates nationally with chapter-based service rather than a single regional footprint.
• Special Wish Foundation: Ohio-based nonprofit granting wishes to children with life-threatening or chronic illnesses. Highly comparable beneficiary profile and dream-fulfillment model to Children's Dream Fund, with a similarly focused regional chapter structure rather than national reach.

Others

• National Pediatric Cancer Foundation: National nonprofit funding pediatric cancer research and family support programs. Shares Children's Dream Fund's pediatric illness focus but pursues a research-funding model rather than direct wish fulfillment; relevant adjacent nonprofit for shared donor audiences and corporate partnerships in Tampa Bay.

Regional players

• Dreams Come True: Jacksonville, Florida-based wish-granting nonprofit serving children with life-threatening illnesses across Florida. Closest geographic peer to Children's Dream Fund with a near-identical wish-fulfillment mission, but operates in a different Florida region and therefore does not directly compete for the same beneficiary pool.
• A Wish with Wings: Texas-based wish-granting nonprofit serving children with life-threatening illnesses, primarily in North Texas. Comparable in mission and model to Children's Dream Fund, but does not directly compete geographically; useful as a regional chapter-style benchmark.

Emerging players

• Compassion Can't Wait: Smaller, emerging wish-granting nonprofit focused on children with serious medical conditions. Comparable mission and beneficiary type to Children's Dream Fund; serves as a relevant comparable on operating scale and lean nonprofit structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/childrensdreamf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVYyFua3NwCUSV_yX-AxXHg
• Facebookfacebook.com/353384478777
• Instagraminstagram.com/childrensdreamfund

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Children's Dream Fund