Flowers for Dreams Foundation logo

Flowers for Dreams Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Chicago, IL EIN: 85-4112741 Website

Flowers for Dreams Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It supports small and local charities in the communities served by its partner, Flowers for Dreams LLC, and says its mission is to use flowers to advance justice and charity in the community. The foundation is supported by Flowers4Dreams LLC and is not soliciting contributions from the general public.

Flowers for Dreams Foundation at a glance

In short: Flowers for Dreams Foundation gave $191K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Illinois. 83% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$190,878
-0.3% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
24
+4.3% vs 2024
Average grant
$7,953
-4.4% vs 2024
Median grant
$5,906
Total assets
$64,734
-22.8% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
83% first-time grantees (19 of 23, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Illinois (79% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Flowers for Dreams Foundation

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted online through the foundation’s website. The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations, that there are no restrictions on awards, and that applications have rolling deadlines.

Review Cycle
Rolling; applications are accepted year-round.
Deadline
Rolling; applications are accepted year-round.
Contact

Application contact: Steven Dyme
Mailing address: 1812 W Hubbard Street, Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: (312) 620-1410
Website: https://www.flowersfordreamsfoundation.org

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Flowers for Dreams Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Midwest Bond Fune: $25KMidwest Bond Fune$25KCoalition to Save Our Mental Health Centers: $19KCoalition to Save Our MentalHealth Centers$19KHope for the Day: $19KHope for the Day$19KCentro Sanar: $17KCentro Sanar$17KThe Night Ministry: $13KThe Night Ministry$13KGlobal Gardens Chicago: $12KGlobal Gardens Chicago$12KGardeneers DBA Chicago Growth Food: $12KGardeneers DBA Chicago GrowthFood$12KGrowing Home: $12KGrowing Home$12KTeens Growing Greens: $10KTeens Growing Greens$10KGrand Ave Club: $8KGrand Ave Club$8K

The largest 2025 recipient was Midwest Bond Fune ($25K). Together the top 10 received $147K.

Grant Size Distribution

105 grants across all recorded years

104<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 105 (99%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation’s website identifies its service area as the area served by Flowers for Dreams, with special emphasis on Chicago, Detroit, and Milwaukee. In the 2025 filing, 79% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 11% to Wisconsin, and 10% to Michigan.

Grant Distribution by State

7states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.

Cities

ChicagoMilwaukeeDetroitHighland ParkArlingtonGreenfieldMadisonMinneapolisMontgomeryNew YorkNewtonvilleNormalNorthbrookOak ParkPlymouthSchaumburgW MilwaukeeWaukesha

Is Flowers for Dreams Foundation open to new grantees?

83%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 19 of 23 grantees (83%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $6K. How we count

Medians: $8K first-time, $5K repeat.

  • 4% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$100K$200K$300K0 grants2020 14 grants2021 24 grants2022 20 grants2023 23 grants2024 24 grants2025

From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $182K (2021) to $209K (2023). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $191K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Midwest Bond Fune Chicago, ILGeneral Support$25,000
Coalition to Save Our Mental Health Centers Chicago, ILGeneral Support$18,708
Hope for the Day Chicago, ILGeneral Support$18,708
Centro Sanar Chicago, ILSupplies$16,692
The Night Ministry Chicago, ILGeneral Support$13,053
Global Gardens Chicago Montgomery, ILGeneral Support$12,324
Gardeneers DBA Chicago Growth Food Northbrook, ILGeneral Support$12,324
Growing Home Chicago, ILGeneral Support$12,324
Teens Growing Greens Milwaukee, WIGeneral Support$9,550
Grand Ave Club Milwaukee, WISeneral Support$7,951
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsDistributable Amount
2025$64,734$214,508$238,220$190,87824$238,220$1,826
2024$83,890$246,527$230,272$191,41523$227,390$2,667
2023$72,228$269,198$260,409$208,93920$255,411$2,369
2022$56,155$245,718$257,048$205,41124$256,861$1,813
2021$31,258$238,690$207,522$182,13914$207,326$2,348

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Flowers for Dreams Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation’s stated mission is “using flowers to advance causes of justice & charity in our community.” Its website identifies giving areas that include animal rescue, Black Lives, domestic violence, education, the environment, the Great Lakes, gun violence, housing and homelessness, mental health, refugees and immigrants, veterans, and women and girls.

The 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. Hope for the Day describes its work as suicide-prevention conversation and mental-health education; Centro Sanar provides accessible, non-medicalized mental-health services; and The Night Ministry provides human connection, housing support, and health care to people experiencing homelessness or poverty. Growing Home describes itself as an organic farm and workforce-development center serving Greater Englewood with paid employment training and affordable produce. Keep Growing Detroit works toward a food-sovereign city where residents grow most of the fruits and vegetables consumed within the city.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 24 grants totaling $190,878. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $25,000, with a median grant of $5,906. Among the larger awards were $25,000 to Midwest Bond Fund, $18,708 each to Coalition to Save Our Mental Health Centers and Hope for the Day, $16,692 to Centro Sanar, and $13,053 to The Night Ministry. Other reported awards included $12,324 each to Global Gardens Chicago, Gardeneers DBA Chicago Growth Food, and Growing Home; $9,550 to Teens Growing Greens; and $6,472 to Keep Growing Detroit.

The foundation’s grant-program information says awards typically range from $5,000 to $20,000, depend on Flowers for Dreams LLC sales, and are typically unrestricted. It says applications are accepted year-round, remain on file for one calendar year, and are typically reviewed in March, May, August, and December. Award recipients are required to report one year after receiving funds on how the money was used, its impact, and the number of people served. The foundation may also request photos and impact information for marketing purposes.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Steven Dyme as president, Joseph Dickstein as vice president, Cam Balzer as secretary, and Alex Wasserman as treasurer. The foundation’s website describes its board as including company owners and employees, community stakeholders, and nonprofit executives.

Flowers for Dreams Foundation is led by Steven Dyme, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Steven Dyme

    President

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Cam Balzer

    Secretary

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Joseph Dickstein

    Vice President

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Alex Wasserman

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Sandy Nuccio (2020–2021) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Frequently asked questions about Flowers for Dreams Foundation

How much does Flowers for Dreams Foundation give each year?

Flowers for Dreams Foundation gave $191K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $191K across 23 grants.

What is Flowers for Dreams Foundation's typical grant size?

Flowers for Dreams Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,906, and its average grant was $7,953, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Flowers for Dreams Foundation that year got $9K on average.

Where does Flowers for Dreams Foundation give grants?

Flowers for Dreams Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Wisconsin (11%) and Michigan (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (13 grants), Milwaukee, WI (4 grants) and Detroit, MI (4 grants).

Does Flowers for Dreams Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 92% of Flowers for Dreams Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Flowers for Dreams Foundation's largest grantees?

Flowers for Dreams Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Midwest Bond Fune ($25,000), Coalition to Save Our Mental Health Centers ($18,708) and Hope for the Day ($18,708), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Flowers for Dreams Foundation?

Flowers for Dreams Foundation reported $65K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $238K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Flowers for Dreams Foundation fund?

The foundation’s stated mission is “using flowers to advance causes of justice & charity in our community.” See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Flowers for Dreams Foundation?

Applications should be submitted online through the foundation’s website. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Flowers for Dreams Foundation's EIN?

Flowers for Dreams Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-4112741. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.

Data update history

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 22, 2022)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 17, 2023)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 29, 2024)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 27, 2025)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 19, 2026)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025

Explore Open Grants

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Flowers for Dreams Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/flowers-for-dreams-foundation-morg_a342972181a642b5b5c541dbae8a03e1

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_854112741_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Flowers for Dreams Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/flowers-for-dreams-foundation-morg_a342972181a642b5b5c541dbae8a03e1},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}

The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.

Figures come from Flowers for Dreams Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.

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