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American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$9.2M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.0M
Decision Time
3mo

American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $9,196,947 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Data not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Historically 2-3 months (March application to June announcement)
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $25,000
  • Average Grant: $10,000
  • Geographic Focus: 19 U.S. states (American Family Insurance operating territories)
  • Application Method: Multi-year commitments (no open call)

Contact Details

Email: AFIDreamsFoundation@amfam.com
Phone: 608-249-2111
Website: www.amfam.com (Community Investment section)
Address: 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783

Overview

The American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation was established in 2015 as the charitable arm of American Family Insurance. Since its launch in 2016, the foundation has committed $16.5 million through nearly 1,300 grants across the country, investing $18.8 million to 1,500 community organizations. In 2023 alone, the foundation invested $2.3 million in 223 charitable organizations. The foundation has undergone a significant strategic shift toward trust-based philanthropy, now providing exclusively multi-year, unrestricted general operating support rather than program-specific funding. Nearly 75% of the foundation's grant funding is now committed via multi-year, unrestricted support. This approach represents a commitment to reducing power imbalances in traditional funding models and allowing nonprofit leaders to determine how funds are best used in their communities. In 2021, American Family Insurance announced "Free to Dream," a $105 million initiative over five years focusing on economic empowerment, education and health equity, climate resilience, criminal justice reform, and workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Dreams Foundation provides unrestricted, general operating grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. All Dreams Foundation grants are now multi-year commitments, representing a shift away from annual application cycles. The foundation also operates:

  • Community Grants Program: Unrestricted general operating support ($1,000 - $25,000, average $10,000)
  • Scholarship Program: Launched in 2016 for individual students (281 scholarships awarded as of 2022)
  • Employee and Agent Matching Gift Programs: Launched in 2016 (nearly 4,300 employees and agency owners directed $3.6 million in matched gifts)

Priority Areas

Academic Achievement and Education

  • Programs and services that advance educational equity in learning and academic achievement through access to high-quality education
  • Wrap-around educational programming from birth through college

Healthy Youth Development

  • Programs and services that support the ongoing needs of young people from birth through age 25
  • Social-emotional learning and mental health support

Economic Opportunity

  • Programs and services that increase employment access and opportunity
  • Job training and workforce readiness
  • Educational or workforce opportunities for individuals currently incarcerated, justice-involved, or experiencing re-entry into the community

Community Resiliency

  • Programs that remove barriers to short and/or long-term needs of individuals and families
  • Food security through food banks and pantries, community gardens, and sustainable food sources
  • Housing, transportation, and daycare needs

Priority Communities: The foundation places emphasis on organizations that work with communities that identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), those that are economically disadvantaged, and youth and young families.

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not detailed in public sources, but organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits located and offering programming in one of the 19 operating states.

Governance and Leadership

The American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation is governed by a board of trustees, though specific names and details are available in their IRS Form 990-PF filings. The foundation operates as a private grantmaking foundation based in Madison, Wisconsin.

Key Quote on Funding Philosophy: "We are committed to using trust-based values to create meaningful, impactful relationships and reduce the inherent power imbalances of the traditional funding model." - Noah (Foundation leadership)

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Important: The American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation no longer has an open call for grant applications. All Dreams Foundation grants are now multi-year commitments to existing partners.

Organizations interested in being considered when future grant opportunities arise should:

  1. Fill out the interest form available on the American Family Insurance website (www.amfam.com)
  2. Visit the Community Investment or Making a Difference sections of the website for updates

Historical Application Process (for reference): Previously, the foundation held annual application cycles that opened in mid-March and closed in mid-April (5 p.m. Central Time), with applications submitted through an online portal.

Decision Timeline

Historical Timeline: Grant recipients were typically announced in June, approximately 2-3 months after the application deadline.

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly disclosed. In 2023, the foundation made grants to 223 organizations out of an undisclosed number of applications. In 2023, there were 12 awards according to tax filings, though the foundation reports 223 organizations received funding (suggesting these 12 may represent major grants while others were smaller awards).

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable under the current multi-year grant model. Under the previous annual cycle, reapplication policies were not publicly disclosed.

Application Success Factors

The American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation has clearly articulated values and approaches that guide their grantmaking:

Trust-Based Philanthropy Principles:

  • The foundation has fully embraced trust-based philanthropy, "promoting equity between grantmakers and grantee partners"
  • They have simplified the grant process, eliminated traditional reporting requirements, and provide unrestricted general operating support
  • The approach includes "collaborating with community partners, listening, being open to continually learning and allowing organization leaders to decide how grant funds are used"

Alignment with Priority Communities:

  • Strong preference for organizations serving BIPOC communities, economically disadvantaged populations, and youth/young families
  • Organizations working with justice-involved individuals or those experiencing re-entry are particularly aligned with the Free to Dream initiative's criminal justice reform pillar

Example of Funded Organization:

  • JAG (Jobs for Arizona Graduates): A 2023 grant recipient that has been bridging the gap between education and employment for 40 years. During the 2022-2023 school year, JAG Arizona served 1,147 students and 307 recent graduates. This exemplifies the foundation's priority areas of Academic Achievement/Education and Economic Opportunity.

Notable Large Grant:

  • In 2022, the Dreams Foundation approved a $2.5 million donation to the Center for Black Excellence and Culture, demonstrating the foundation's commitment to BIPOC communities and potentially larger strategic investments beyond the typical $1,000-$25,000 range.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Multi-year model only: The foundation no longer accepts open applications; fill out the interest form to be considered for future opportunities
  • Trust-based approach: The foundation values unrestricted general operating support and has eliminated traditional reporting burdens—emphasize your organization's leadership capacity and community knowledge
  • BIPOC focus: Organizations serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities are priority recipients
  • Geographic requirement: Must be 501(c)(3) located and offering programs in one of 19 operating states (AZ, CO, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MN, MO, NV, NE, OH, OR, ND, SD, WA, WI, UT)
  • Alignment with Free to Dream: Consider how your work connects to one or more of the five pillars: economic empowerment, education/health equity, climate resilience, criminal justice reform, or workforce DEI
  • Unrestricted support: The foundation provides general operating grants, not program-specific funding—be prepared to articulate organizational mission and impact rather than individual programs
  • Average grant size: Expect grants around $10,000 unless you're pursuing a strategic partnership (which could be substantially larger)

References

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