Esf Dream Camp Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $1.8 million
- Spending
- $1.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 86%
- Reserves
- 16.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 95%
- Employees
- 34
- Volunteers
- 79
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 91% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 16.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 19% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1586% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 6 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 58 out of 100. Higher than 13% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- DREAM CAMP PROVIDES OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME OPPORTUNITIES (AFTER SCHOOL, SUMMER AND/OR WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS) TO LOW-INCOME STUDENTS, OFFERING ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAMMING, HEALTHY FOOD, AND FREE TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM OUR PROGRAMS. TO QUALIFY FOR DREAM CAMP PROGRAMS, FAMILIES MUST LIVE AT OR BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL AND QUALIFY FOR THE FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH PROGRAM. CHILDREN ARE REFERRED BY TEACHERS, SOCIAL WORKERS, AND GUIDANCE COUNSELORS. THE STAFF TO STUDENT RATIO IS LOW 1:4 SO THAT IMPACTFUL TUTORING AND MENTORING CAN BE PROVIDED. THERE IS A STRICT NO CELL PHONE POLICY TO MAXIMIZE PERSON-TO-PERSON RELATIONSHIP SKILL DEVELOPMENT ALONG WITH STUDENT TO STUDENT AND STAFF TO STUDENT BONDING. DREAM CAMP PROVIDES OUT-OF-SCHOOL-TIME ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF UP TO APPROXIMATELY 120 YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 6-18. THESE PROGRAMS, BASED IN PHILADELPHIA, INCLUDE: 1. AFTER SCHOOL ACADEMY: THIS PROGRAM SUPPORTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS BY OFFERING ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, AND A SAFE ENVIRONMENT DURING AFTER-SCHOOL HOURS FROM OCTOBER TO APRIL. 2. BRIDGE PROGRAM AND INTERNSHIP CORPS: TARGETING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, THESE PROGRAMS OFFER LIFE SKILLS TRAINING, INCLUDING FINANCIAL LITERACY, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, RESUME WRITING, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. STUDENTS ALSO PARTICIPATE IN PAID INTERNSHIPS THROUGH THE PROGRAM. 3. SUMMER CAMP: A FIVE-WEEK PROGRAM WHERE STUDENTS OF ALL AGES ENGAGE IN ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES AND MENTORING. ALL ACTIVITIES ACROSS THE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH EXPERIENCES AND SKILLS THEY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE ACCESS TO, FOSTERING THEIR ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL GROWTH.
- $1.4 million spent. SUMMER EXPERIENCE: EVERY DAY FOR 5 WEEKS 200 DREAM CAMPERS COME TO OUR SITE AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY WHERE THE DAILY SCHEDULE OPERATES WITH ROTATING 45 TO 90-MINUTE BLOCKS OF TIME SIMILAR TO THAT OF A SCHOOL DAY. THE CHILDREN AGES 6-17 PARTICIPATE IN EVERYTHING FROM JOURNALING, HEALTHY COOKING INSTRUCTION, CHESS, TEAM-BUILDING AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION, CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS, VIOLIN, DRUMS, MUSIC AND VIDEO PRODUCTION, ENTREPRENEURSHIPS, SCRABBLE GAMES, INTERNATIONAL MUSIC AND DANCE, DEBATE, SPORTS, GEOGRAPHY, SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS AND CREATIVE READING AND WRITING EXPERIENCES. ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF SPECIAL GUESTS, WORKSHOPS AND FIELD TRIPS EACH YEAR INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION SESSIONS, TRIPS TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS THE PHILADELPHIA ZOO. WORKSHOPS ARE ALSO INSPIRED BY PARENT FEEDBACK AND REQUESTS. STUDENTS COME FROM 69 LOCAL SCHOOLS AND ATTEND DREAM CAMP EACH DAY FOR AT LEAST EIGHT TO TEN HOURS, TOTALING A MINIMUM OF 192 HOURS DURING THE SUMMER.
- YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM (YLP): PROVIDES OLDER TEENS WITH LEADERSHIP AND CAREER PATH EXPERIENCE DURING THE SUMMER EXPERIENCE. THROUGH MENTOR-IN-TRAINING MIT COURSES, STUDENTS LEARN HOW THEIR POSITIVE BEHAVIOR CAN IMPACT THEIR YOUNGER COUNTERPARTS. THEY ALSO PARTICIPATE IN WORKSHOPS THAT FOCUS ON COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS. THIRTY-EIGHT INCOMING SENIORS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE YLP PROGRAM SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2010, AND 100% OF YLP STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN WITH DREAM CAMP FOR FIVE OR MORE YEARS HAVE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL. SEVENTEEN OF THOSE STUDENTS BECAME STAFF AT DREAM CAMP, AND 29 YLP STUDENTS HAVE ENROLLED IN COLLEGE, DREAM CAMP PROPOSES OFFERING MORE YLP PROGRAMS YEAR-ROUND TO KEEP OLDER TEENS ENGAGED, ENHANCING THE CURRENT PROGRAM OF MONTHLY CHECK-INS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. AS PART OF THE ENHANCEMENT, DREAM CAMP WILL IMPLEMENT PROGRAMMING THAT INCLUDES GUIDANCE ON FUNDING COLLEGE, MOVING OUT AND LIVING ALONE, CULTURE SHOCK, COLLEGE CHECK-INS, MOCK INTERVIEWS, RESUME WRITING, COLLEGE ESSAYS, RESEARCHING COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS, AND MORE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 2002.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.