American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation supports lifelong learning and basic needs in Wisconsin and other places where the affiliated company does business.
FUNDING AREAS: Lifelong learning, education, employment opportunities, basic needs, food, housing, transportation, childcare
IP TAKE: This is an corporate foundation that gives often in Wisconsin and has an accessible letter of inquiry process for local groups.
PROFILE: Established American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation (AFIDF) is a corporate foundation based in Madison, Wisconsin. American Family Insurance is an insurance company with a history that dates back to 1927 and that provides vehicle, property, business and other types of insurance for its customers. The foundation “builds on the company’s long-standing commitment to and support of the communities it serves.” AFIDF funds local efforts for lifelong learning, education, employment opportunities, basic needs, food, housing, transportation and childcare.
The American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation’s lifelong learning grants encompass access to education and empowering individuals to contribute to a growing workforce. These grants go towards STEM education, early childhood development, Pre-K through college education, employment access, job training, workforce readiness and financial literacy. Basic needs grants address short-term and long-term needs for local families, including food security through food pantries and community gardens. Other basic needs grants go towards emergency shelters, long-term stable housing and transportation and daycare to help adults pursue their education or employment. The foundation also established the Free to Dream program, which will focus on economic opportunity; education and health equity; climate change and resilience; criminal-justice reform; and diversity, equity, and inclusion in the work force. AFIDF provides program and project support but not general operating support or capital campaign support.
Grants range between about $1.000 and $25,000, with the average award approximately $10,000. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records. Grantmaking largely focuses on Wisconsin, as well as other states where the company does business. Other states of interest are Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Washington. Past local grantees include 100 Black Men of Madison, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee and Centro Hispano of Dane County.
This foundation accepts unsolicited grant letters of inquiry from nonprofits. AFIDF invites select organizations to submit full proposals after review of the LOIs. It uses an online application system to accept all requests. The grant portal typically opens in early February, and the LOI deadline is at the end of February. Organizations receive notifications about their LOIs by late April and grant disbursement in August. A second annual grant cycle runs from July through early December. Direct general questions to the staff at AFIDreamsFoundation@amfam.com or 608-249-2111.
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