Make Dreams Real granted over $280,000 for the children in Stanislaus County this year!

We were excited to award so many youth programs in Modesto and the greater Stanislaus community with extra funding for their programs.

March 20, 2023 – Application closed
April 18, 2023 – Recipients notified

Grant Guidelines

Please review the following information. We have a new online application program that will both auto-save your answers as well as allow you to login later to finish your application. 

Make Dreams Real will only accept online applications.

Carl Boyett was a visionary, passionate in his quest to make dreams become a reality for underserved youth. The passion he instilled in the many lives he touched left a legacy that will grow and prosper for years to come. 

Making dreams real for school-aged children of Stanislaus County through participation in programs that enrich and stimulate their minds and bodies and teach values through service learning.

Service learning is a required component for programs requesting grants from Make Dreams Real. As a requirement for Make Dreams Real, this grant requires a process of accountability and volunteerism in the community with collaboration and participation within the student and parent support groups.

What is service learning?

Service learning is an educational approach that teaches students the importance of giving back to one’s community. It is the belief of the Make Dreams Real Advisory Board and its founder, Carl Boyett, that children and parents who engage in service learning achieve greater success in the program and lasting changes in character. 

What does service learning look like?

Service learning looks exactly like community service. Some examples of service learning are as follows:
• Working in your teacher’s classroom after school
• Picking up trash in a park or school
• Feeding the homeless
• Setting up tutoring system or reading buddies with younger students

Examples of service learning logs:

***Special note regarding service learning: We realize that not every student may be capable of fulfilling the service learning component. This population of students includes, but is not limited to, students with physical handicaps and those who have experienced severe emotional distress. If your population of students fits into one of these categories, please consider alternative ways of satisfying the service learning component with volunteers.

Grant applications will be accepted to support programs within Stanislaus County that are aligned with our mission. These include:

• Nonprofit organizations with 501(C)(3) tax exempt designation from the IRS
• Educational institutions open to the public and not exclusively for specific political, religious, race, creed, gender, sexual orientation group
• Faith-based organizations open to the general public and not exclusive to members of the organization
• School-aged children (kindergarten through 12th grade)

Make Dreams Real’s grant selection committee will NOT consider applications for programs outside of Stanislaus County or focused on any of the criteria listed below:

• Annual funds, capital campaigns, galas or other special events and fundraising activities
• Debt reduction
• General operating costs (program operating costs are accepted)
• Sectarian religious activities, political lobbying or legislative activities
• Public programs that discriminate on the basis of race, gender, creed, sexual orientation in policy or in practice
• Loans, scholarships, fellowships or grants to individuals
• Programs outside of Stanislaus County

Grant applications will be available online at https://makedreamsreal.awardsplatform.com. All grant applications must be filled out and submitted online by March 20, 2023. One grant application PER organization PER grant year will be accepted, although an organization may apply for multiple programs within the grant. Questions about the application process can be directed to Annie Benisch at .

Programs selected for funding will be notified April 18, 2023.

All grantees will be posted on our website by mid-May 2023.

Grantees are required to provide a report that clearly explains how the prior funds were spent, as well as the progress and results of the program from the previous year. The report is available online at www.www.makedreamsreal.org. Grantees must also have their program available for site visits by the Make Dreams Real Advisory Board and Grant Selection Committee members, upon request. If your funding is revoked, your organization will not be eligible for any other funding for the remainder of that grant year. 

New grants will not be considered until the previous year’s results have been submitted in a report.

Typical grant awards vary in amount, based upon the cost of the actual program, but awards generally do not exceed $10,000. Grants may be awarded in amounts less than the requested amount on the application. 

Grantees may be eligible for a three-year funding approval if all proposal requirements are met. 

Make Dreams Real does not support 100% of a program or project cost. Grantee must demonstrate long-term program sustainability with proper budget information.

• Section A: Contact information
• Section B: Program narrative
• Section C: Program budget
• Section D: Service learning logs
• Section E: Board of Directors list (names, titles and email addresses)
• Section F: Copy of most recent year’s financial audits, review, IRS Form 990 or year-end Income and Expense Statement signed by your Board Treasurer
• Attachments: 501(c)(3) designation letter, Program photographs + financial forms (from Section F)

Congratulations to All of Our 2023 Make Dreams Real Grant Recipients