About Garden of Dreams Foundation
Bringing life-changing opportunities to young people in need by raising spirits, building resilience, and providing networking, mentoring and educational opportunities through community building.
Focus Areas
Youth servicesEducation and scholarshipsMentorshipCommunity developmentEvents and arts
About Garden of Dreams Foundation
Garden of Dreams Foundation directs its giving toward young people in need, with community grants and scholarships built around youth services, education, mentoring, and opportunities that strengthen resilience. The largest recent grants show a clear emphasis on organizations that serve children and teens facing housing instability, serious illness, or other family challenges. In 2025, it gave $530,000 to Ronald McDonald House of NY and $245,962 to Make-a-Wish NJ, both for the foundation’s purposes. The pattern continues across New York nonprofits such as Covenant House, Homes for the Homeless, and The Children’s Village, alongside youth-serving groups like New York Edge and Whedco. The foundation also runs the Inspire Scholarship, which awards 20 high school seniors $15,000 per year and can be renewed for up to four years, creating a longer-term education pathway within its broader youth-focused giving. Its recent grants are concentrated in community partners and nonprofit programs rather than individuals, and the foundation is identified as a regular funder.
What Garden of Dreams Foundation Funds
Youth services are the clearest throughline in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $213,913 to Sco Family of Services in Glen Cove, NY and $115,000 to Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry, NY, both tied to the foundation’s purposes for young people. Education and scholarship support is another visible area: the Inspire Scholarship provides 20 high school seniors with $15,000 per year, renewable for up to four years. The foundation also supports mentoring and community development through organizations such as New York Edge in Woodside, NY, which received $136,175. Arts and events are part of the mix as well through youth-centered experiences and community-building work, reflected in grants to organizations like Police Athletic League in New York, NY and Boys & Girls Club Chicago in Chicago, IL.
How Garden of Dreams Foundation Gives
Typical grant size sits at $11,250 at the 25th percentile, a median of $76,892, and $132,290 at the 75th percentile, showing a spread from smaller community awards to larger institutional grants. The recent record also shows repeat recipients: Covenant House appears in multiple years, as do SCO Family of Services and Boys & Girls Club organizations. Garden of Dreams Foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The active programs indicate direct grantmaking and scholarships, and the community grants and scholarship programs both list unsolicited applications as not accepted.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$983K
Total Assets
$6.9M
Total Revenue
$8.9M
Total Expenses
$8.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $11K and $132K, with a median of $77K.
25th Percentile
$11K
Median
$77K
75th Percentile
$132K
Geographic Reach
Regional5 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
BARRY WATKINS
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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