AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE DREAMS FOUNDATION
At the American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation, our mission is to inspire, protect and restore dreams by creating more equitable communities. From investments and volunteerism to meaningful partnerships, we drive change through listening, learning, collaboration and trust. We believe it’s our responsibility to ensure our customers and communities have the ability and access to make their dreams possible.
2020 Quick Look
$10M Total Giving in 2020
$6.8M COVID Relief Given Since March 2020
Dreams Foundation Impact
Among its many philanthropic efforts, the Dreams Foundation is proud to offer grants to eligible non-profits. Discover how these grants help remove obstacles, strengthen communities and help people pursue their dreams ― like in the case of organizations like New Pathways for Youth.
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MARLO DYKEMAN: The mission of New Pathways for Youth is to empower youth to fulfill their full potential through mentoring and life skill development. The problem that we're really trying to address is the cycle of poverty, adversity, and homelessness. Our youth come from circumstances of violence, substance abuse, parent incarceration. And really they're experiencing four times these adversities as other youth.
What we recognize as the most powerful intervention to really mitigate those adversities is a caring, stable, adult relationship.
CHELSEA CABANILLAS: My role as an agency owner with American Family has even been further developed by my volunteer efforts. I started volunteering with New Pathways for Youth after I graduated from college. As much as we try to make a difference in those mentees' lives, as a mentor, your life is definitely changed forever if you're open to it.
BRIANA ETHELBAH: My mentor always tells me I'm here for you. She's able to connect with me and support me. I felt like nobody understood me, but she did. My dream is to become independent, and to create stability for myself, and knowing that, no matter what, I'll be OK.
VERONICA SALCIDO: When I met Isala, she was not showing up for class. Because of it, she wasn't passing any of her courses. And then at the end of the wrap of that semester, she had straight A's.
MARLO DYKEMAN: You know, when I think about our kids and how we ask them to dream fearlessly, it's about recognizing the fact that they're capable, and that there's support behind them, and that they're not alone. That creates the foundation for just believing in yourself. And that's powerful to see.
VERONICA SALCIDO: We are breaking the cycle of generational poverty. It is not an easy task but, man, is it doable.
MARLO DYKEMAN: New Pathways for Youth can't do this alone. We need the support of organizations like American Family to help us ensuring that we're reaching the most vulnerable youth in the community. And so to have that support means that we have the resources that enable us to do it successfully.
CHELSEA CABANILLAS: They're literally trying to create an ecosystem for these kids to realize, yes, there are so many things going wrong right now, but it is totally OK to dream.
2020
Community of Dreamers
Thanks to everyone who nominated a charity that’s making a difference in our communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. See the 200 nonprofits selected for a $2,500 Community of Dreamers donation!
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On screen: American Family Insurance — Dreams Foundation —
Narrator 1: For the past 90 years, community's always been the foundation of what we do at American Family.
Narrator 2: People in the community can count on us. We're going to be there when things get tough.
Narrator 3: American Family supports the dreams of families and those programs in the community that help them achieve those dreams.
On screen: Phil Heller, Parent, Special Olympics | Indianapolis, IN
PHIL HELLER: Without Special Olympics, my son wouldn't have the opportunities that a typical kid would have and so because of American Family’s partnership supporting Special Olympics, he's been able to participate in things like bowling or basketball, run track — and those have been meaningful experiences for him to feel like he's part of something bigger than himself.
On screen: Britt Stender, State Director, St. Louis, MO
BRITT STENDER: Here in the St. Louis area — believe it or not — there's over 90,000 kids that do not have paper, glue, pencils, scissors when they start to school — the first day — they have no school supplies. So we started this partnership with KidSmart, about ten years ago, and over the years I think we've donated probably around close to $250,000. And this is just a great partnership that we felt like — really — connected with American Family.
On screen: Jennifer Miller, President, KidSmart, St. Louis, MO
JENNIFER MILLER: Every dream does deserve a champion and we also believe every child does too. And in St. Louis American Family Insurance has really made a lot of dreams come true for local kids.
On screen: Thank You, American Family Insurance
On screen: Torrie Tai, CEO Child Crisis Arizona | Phoenix, AZ
TORRIE TAI: When parents need to take their children somewhere — if they're experiencing some trauma in their life — where they need a safe environment, for their children: they come to us. In Maricopa County, Child Crisis Arizona is the only shelter facility program that exists to serve children zero to eight years old.
On screen: Amy Navarro, Sales Planning Manager | Phoenix, AZ
AMY NAVARRO: I've been involved with child crisis Arizona for about 25 years. And I really do think that the community counts on us. And I think that we can on the community, so it's very mutual.
On screen: Karen Menendez Coller, Executive Director, Centro Hispano |Madison, WI
KAREN MENENDEZ COLLER: Through the American Family Dreams Foundation, we were lucky enough to get a grant to develop our capacity as an organization. We run amazing programs, but the programs can't do the work that they do unless operationally were as efficient and as effective as we want to be.
On screen: Cesar Pinzon, Agency Sales VP, East Region | Madison, WI
CESAR PINZON: American Family’s involvement with Centro is probably as personally rewarding to me as I hope it's as rewarding to the community in central itself.
KAREN MENENDEZ COLLER: The idea of working with a long-standing partner that's been around as a company in the community for so long — there's just been so much that we've learned from that partnership and I'm just really proud to be a community partner with American Family.
On screen: American Family Insurance — Dreams Foundation —
Our Community Partners
In the News
Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County Receive $750K Grant from American Family Insurance for AVID/TOPS Program
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American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation three-year investment announced by Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County President and CEO Michael Johnson at a news conference today in Madison.
American Family Insurance Announces Three-Year Partnership with Chicanos Por La Causa
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American Family Insurance and Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) have announced a new community partnership, with American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation investing $750,000 over a three-year period to support CPLC Workforce Solutions in delivering education, training and job placement, case management and career pathways programs in the Maryvale neighborhood in Phoenix.
American Family Insurance Commits $105M to Help Close Equity Gaps Under ‘Free to Dream’ Initiative
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Free to Dream, announced by American Family, is a $105 million initiative over the next five years to address societal issues focused on five pillars: economic empowerment, education and health equity, climate resilience, criminal justice reform and workforce diversity, equity and inclusion.
American Family Insurance Partners with Local School District for Drive-Through Community Donation Event
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Volunteers from American Family Insurance and Isaac School District No. 5 in Phoenix recently distributed 4,000 bags of donated Procter & Gamble (P&G) personal hygiene and cleaning products to families during a drive-through event. Personal protection equipment (PPE) items were also donated to schools.
American Family Insurance, foundations pledge support to COVID-19 relief
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American Family Insurance group, the American Family Dreams Foundation and the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation could provide more than $6.8 million to COVID-19 relief and other non-profits.
American Family Insurance Announces 2021 Grant Recipients
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American Family Insurance and the American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation are investing in more than 200 nonprofit organizations in 2021 through grants totaling nearly $1.9 million.
