Garden of Dreams Foundation

What Garden of Dreams Foundation does

Garden of Dreams Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in 2006 and headquartered at 2 Penn Plaza, New York. It serves young people in the tri-state area facing serious illness, financial hardship, or the loss or injury of a family member in uniformed service, with expanded reach to Chicago, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. The foundation operates a unified portfolio of programs organized around three pillars — Community Projects, Education, and Inspiration & Joy — delivered through a network of 30 Foundation Partners that includes pediatric hospitals, wish-granting charities, community-based nonprofits, and uniformed-services organizations.

Its core programmatic offerings include the Inspire Scholarship program ($60,000 per scholar over four years, awarded to 20 high school seniors annually), the Emmy Award-winning MSG Classroom sports-television mentorship, MSG4Me career exploration, the elevateHER Basketball Program with the New York Knicks, the annual Talent Show at Radio City Music Hall (2,500+ performers since inception), Moments of Joy experiences with athletes and celebrities, community facility investments (gymnasiums, music studios, gardens), the Season of Giving holiday initiative (50,000+ meals distributed), Ticket Donations from Knicks and Rangers season-ticket holders, and the Dream Notes jumbotron-message program. The foundation does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its competitive differentiation derives from its structural affiliation with the MSG Family of Companies (MSG Entertainment, MSG Sports, Sphere Entertainment), which provides exclusive venue access at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Beacon Theatre, and Sphere.

The revenue model is entirely donation-based. Funding streams comprise individual donations, corporate partnerships with the MSG Family of Companies, employee workplace giving, in-kind contributions through Adopt-A-Family and toy drives, and ticket donations from season-ticket holders via the Knicks and Rangers Account Manager platforms. All programs are provided free of charge to eligible young people and their families. Since its inception the foundation has impacted more than 440,000 young people and families, awarded nearly $7 million in college scholarships since 2015, invested nearly $13.5 million in community projects since 2006, and delivered over 250,000 Moments of Joy. Governance is provided by a board chaired by Barry Watkins, with Executive Director Julianna Sabra and a roster of MSG executives, former Goldman Sachs leaders, athletes, and entertainment figures.

Name

Garden of Dreams Foundation

Legal name

Garden of Dreams Foundation

Website

https://gardenofdreamsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Garden of Dreams Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides scholarships, community project funding, mentorship, and live-event experiences to young people in the tri-state area facing illness, financial hardship, or loss of a uniformed-service family member, delivered through 30 Foundation Partners and the MSG Family of Companies' venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Nonprofit / Charitable Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Youth nonprofit services
• Scholarship programs
• Community foundation services
• Youth mentorship programs
• Charitable youth programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: The foundation raises funds through individual donations, corporate partnerships with the MSG Family of Companies, and employee giving programs. Donations support scholarships, community projects, mentorship programs, and event experiences for young people.
2. Ticket Donations: Season ticket holders and event attendees donate unused tickets which are then distributed to Foundation Partners for young people to attend Knicks and Rangers games, concerts, and other MSG Entertainment events. This is a non-monetary contribution that supports program delivery.
3. Adopt-A-Family and Seasonal Giving Programs: During the Season of Giving, the foundation coordinates Adopt-A-Family programs where MSG Family employees donate toys, clothes, and household items. Toy drives and school supply drives also generate in-kind contributions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Garden of Dreams Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that provides scholarships, grants, and unique experiences to young people facing serious challenges including illness, financial hardship, or loss/injury of a uniformed-services parent. It operates a portfolio of youth programs — Inspire Scholarships, Community Projects, Events, Mentorship, Moments of Joy, the Annual Talent Show, Season of Giving, Ticket Donations, and Dream Notes — delivered free of charge through a network of 30 Foundation Partners across the tri-state area and at MSG Entertainment venues.

Product overview

Garden of Dreams Foundation is a nonprofit organization that operates as a unified portfolio of youth empowerment programs, not a technology product. The core offerings include: the Inspire Scholarship (college/trade school scholarships), Community Projects (facility renovations), Events (venue access), Mentorship programs (MSG Classroom, MSG4Me, Rob Carter Masterclass, elevateHER), Moments of Joy (celebrity experiences), the annual Talent Show at Radio City Music Hall, Season of Giving (holiday charitable programs), Ticket Donations, and Dream Notes. These programs collectively serve young people facing illness, financial challenges, or family hardship through partnerships with 30 Foundation Partners in the tri-state area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inspire Scholarship Program Annual multi-year college and trade school scholarship awarding 20 high school seniors $15,000 per year, renewable for up to four years ($60,000 total per student), for young people facing financial challenges referred through Foundation Partners.
• Community Projects Capital grants for renovations and construction of youth-serving facilities including gymnasiums, basketball courts, music studios, gardens, pediatric healthcare family rooms, and recreation centers at Foundation Partner sites.
• Events Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Since its inception, Garden of Dreams has impacted more than 440,000 young people and their families.
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

40 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• MSG EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSG Entertainment is a core partner within the MSG Family of Companies. The foundation works closely with MSG Entertainment to bring young people together through world-class events and spaces at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Beacon Theatre, and Sphere Entertainment venues.
• MSG SportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSG Sports is a core partner that enables Garden of Dreams to connect young people with Knicks and Rangers athletes, provide game attendance experiences, and run basketball programs like elevateHER.
• Sphere EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSphere Entertainment is part of the MSG Family of Companies and provides additional venue access for Garden of Dreams programming and experiences.
• Children's AidcoreOthersCommunity-based Foundation Partner organization. Youth from Children's Aid participate in Garden of Dreams programs including Talent Show and elevateHER Basketball Program.
• The Children's VillagecoreOthersCommunity-based Foundation Partner that has received nearly $1.3 million in community project investments including a basketball court refurbishment, Technology Hub, and Recording Studio.
• Covenant House New YorkcoreOthersFoundation Partner serving young adults experiencing homelessness. Received a $200,000 grant for a complete music studio renovation serving 1,500 youth.
• Harlem Dowling West Side CentersecondaryOthersCommunity-based Foundation Partner serving families in Harlem.
• Madison Square Boys & Girls ClubcoreOthersCommunity-based Foundation Partner whose Talent Show performers (including the Johnson Brothers) have been featured.
• New York EdgesecondaryOthersCommunity-based Foundation Partner providing youth development programs.
• NYC Department of Homeless ServicessecondaryOthersGovernment Foundation Partner connecting homeless youth with Garden of Dreams programs.
• Police Athletic League NYCsecondaryOthersCommunity-based Foundation Partner whose Inspire Scholarship recipient Josiah has been featured.
• SCAN-HarborcoreOthersCommunity-based Foundation Partner that received a $1.3 million refurbishment of the Reverend T. Wendell Foster Recreation Center in the South Bronx.
• SCO Family of ServicessecondaryOthersCommunity-based Foundation Partner with five Early Childhood Education Centers in Brooklyn and Queens, receiving a $46,000 garden spaces grant.
• WHEDcosecondaryOthersCommunity-based Foundation Partner. MSG Classroom participant Mario from WHEDco has been featured.
• You Gotta BelievesecondaryOthersCommunity-based Foundation Partner focused on older youth in foster care.
• Cohen Children's Medical CentersecondaryOthersHospital Foundation Partner providing experiences for children facing illnesses.
• Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital at Hackensack University Medical CentersecondaryOthersHospital Foundation Partner serving pediatric patients.
• Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU LangonesecondaryOthersHospital Foundation Partner whose Talent Show performer Logan has been featured.
• Hospital for Special SurgerysecondaryOthersHospital Foundation Partner serving pediatric patients.
• Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center Health NetworksecondaryOthersHospital Foundation Partner serving pediatric patients in the Westchester area.
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CentersecondaryOthersHospital Foundation Partner serving pediatric oncology patients, including Dream Come True recipient Antonio.
• NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's HospitalsecondaryOthersHospital Foundation Partner whose Inspire Scholarship recipient Rachel has been featured.
• Ronald McDonald House of New YorksecondaryOthersHospital Foundation Partner that received a grant worth more than $500,000 to construct two Ronald McDonald Family Rooms at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan.
• enCourage Kids FoundationsecondaryOthersWish-granting Foundation Partner providing experiences for children facing critical illnesses.
• Make-A-Wish ConnecticutsecondaryOthersWish-granting Foundation Partner serving children with critical illnesses in Connecticut.
• Make-A-Wish Hudson ValleysecondaryOthersWish-granting Foundation Partner whose recipients Charlotte (Moments of Joy) and Jill and Oscar (Inspire Scholars) have been featured.
• Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New YorksecondaryOthersWish-granting Foundation Partner serving children with critical illnesses in the greater New York area.
• Make-A-Wish New JerseysecondaryOthersWish-granting Foundation Partner whose scholarship recipient Chris and family member Vinny have been featured.
• Sunrise Day CampsecondaryOthersWish-granting Foundation Partner serving pediatric cancer patients and their siblings. Received a $275,000 grant toward a $500,000 bathhouse-changing station project.
• Answer The Call (N.Y. Police and Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund)secondaryOthersUniformed services Foundation Partner providing aid to families who have lost a loved one in the line of duty.
• NYPD Widows and Children's FundsecondaryOthersUniformed services Foundation Partner serving families of NYPD officers lost in the line of duty.
• Uniformed Firefighters AssociationsecondaryOthersUniformed services Foundation Partner serving families of firefighters lost or injured in the line of duty.
• Wounded Warrior ProjectsecondaryOthersUniformed services Foundation Partner serving wounded warriors and their families.
• NBAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe NBA partnered with the Knicks, Squarespace, and Garden of Dreams Foundation for the NBA 75th Anniversary Legacy Project basketball court refurbishment at The Children's Village.
• New York KnickscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Knicks partner with Garden of Dreams on elevateHER Basketball Program, NBA Legacy Projects, and provide game attendance experiences and athlete meet-and-greets for Foundation Partners.
• Jr. KnicksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJr. Knicks collaborates on the elevateHER Basketball Program with Garden of Dreams.
• SquarespaceminorOthersSquarespace co-sponsored the NBA 75th Anniversary Legacy Project basketball court refurbishment at The Children's Village alongside Garden of Dreams and the Knicks.
• Cord Meyer DevelopmentminorOthersPartner in the Sunrise Day Camp bathhouse-changing station project alongside Garden of Dreams Foundation.
• MSG NetworkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSG Networks hosts the Emmy Award-winning MSG Classroom mentorship program where students learn sports television production and produce their own shows filmed at MSG Networks Studios.
• Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSG Entertainment Corp. operates the venues where Garden of Dreams programs are delivered, including Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Boys & Girls Club of America: National youth-development nonprofit offering after-school, mentorship, and college/career programming. Comparable in youth-services focus and the scholarship/mentorship pillar model that Garden of Dreams delivers through MSG Classroom and Inspire.
• Children's Aid: NYC-based youth and family services organization running education, mentorship, and college-access programs. Children's Aid is a Foundation Partner and elevateHER Basketball Program collaborator, with highly comparable tri-state youth-development scope.
• Police Athletic League (PAL NYC): NYC youth-development nonprofit serving underprivileged children through sports and education. PAL is also a Garden of Dreams Foundation Partner, with directly overlapping tri-state youth programming and uniformed-service heritage.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: Delivers programs and experiences to seriously ill children in hospitals. Comparable to Garden of Dreams' Moments of Joy and pediatric hospital programming, with similar hospital partner distribution model.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Supports families of seriously ill children through housing and in-hospital programs. RMHC of NY is a Garden of Dreams Foundation Partner, and both organizations target pediatric hospital populations with funding and experience-based programming.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation: National wish-granting charity serving children with critical illnesses. Garden of Dreams is a direct peer and Foundation Partner — both serve seriously ill youth with experiences, scholarships, and emotional support, with significant overlap in tri-state program delivery.

Regional players

• Wounded Warrior Project: National nonprofit supporting wounded veterans and their families. Garden of Dreams serves as a Foundation Partner for Wounded Warrior Project's youth and family members, with overlapping beneficiary profiles among uniformed-service families.

Emerging players

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth-mentorship nonprofit pairing young people with adult mentors. Closest peer to Garden of Dreams' MSG Classroom and MSG4Me mentorship pillars, with similar career-exposure and confidence-building outcomes.
• New York Giants Foundation: Sports-team-affiliated foundation supporting youth, education, and community programs. Shares the professional sports-foundation DNA and uniformed-service beneficiary connection (Justin Tuck, a Giants Legend, sits on Garden of Dreams' board).
• New York Yankees Foundation: Sports-team-affiliated foundation supporting youth and community programs across the tri-state area. Most direct structural analog to Garden of Dreams' MSG-affiliated model — same pro-sports-funded youth philanthropy chassis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gardenofdreams
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@gardenofdreamsfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/GardenofDreams
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gardenofdreams
• Instagraminstagram.com/Gardenofdreams

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Garden of Dreams Foundation