The Dream Fund provides emotional and financial support to advertising, public relations, and media professionals whose lives have been impacted by severe hardship.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
26¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$66K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2022 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $7K a year · 6% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
26%
of spending
Concern: 26% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$66K
to officers and key staff · 60% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 60% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
11 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $251K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 10.9 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $10K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
21
of 21 voting members
Looks good: 21 of 21 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$75K
-27% vs prior year
Spent
$110K
To programs
26%
Net assets
$350K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$75K
FY2022▼ -27%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$85K
FY2021$102K
FY2022$75K
FY2023$104K
FY2024$177K
FY2025$138K
Expenses
$110K
FY2022▲ +18%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$143K
FY2021$93K
FY2022$110K
FY2023$144K
FY2024$110K
FY2025$120K
Net assets
$350K
FY2022▼ -9%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$376K
FY2021$385K
FY2022$350K
FY2023$336K
FY2024$397K
FY2025$423K

From the FY2022 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2022 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Apr 1998.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

26 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 26% · $28K Management & general 50% · $55K Fundraising 24% · $26K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

22 people listed on the 990; $66K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$66,000Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
VP/Philanthropy
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Founder/Past President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
VP/Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Teresa Novak’s $66K as Executive Director is at the 56th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2168 $100K–1M human services nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Teresa Novak$66,000$66,000$66,000$66,000$55,000$55,000

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Dream Fund executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Offers emotional and financial help to advertising, PR, and media professionals facing severe hardship.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $28K · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

Provided assistance to 10 individuals of the advertising & media industry.

$28Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$10K
Grants paid · 5 grants · $202K · 2020–2025
Unitemized GrantFY2025$28,822
Unitemized GrantFY2024$22,710
Unitemized GrantFY2023$58,937
Unitemized GrantFY2021$21,446
Unitemized GrantFY2020$70,392

By the numbers

The FY2022 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$75K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$173K
Money outPt IX
$110K
Ln 25
Programscol B$28K
Managementcol C$55K
Fundraisingcol D$26K
Owns and owesPt X
$350K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$99K
Total assetsLn 16$350K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
22
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a21
IndependentVI 1b21
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$173K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$44K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$181K
Gains on assetsLn 7−$26K
Total revenueLn 12$75K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$33K
SavingsLn 2$67K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$99K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$251K
Total assetsLn 16$350K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$350K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 637
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY22End FY22
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$103K$99K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$282K$251K
Total assetsLn 16$385K$350K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$385K$350K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$22K$22K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$66K$7K$33K$26K
Investment management feesLn 11f$3K$3K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$18K$18K
Total functional expensesLn 25$110K$28K$55K$26K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $138K$120K$18K$423K 990 PDF
FY2024 $177K$110K$67K$397K 990 PDF
FY2023 $104K$144K−$40K$336K 990 PDF
FY2022 Viewing $75K$110K−$35K$350K 990 PDF
FY2021 $102K$93K$9K$385K 990 PDF
FY2020 $85K$143K−$59K$376K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2022 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $74,639 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $134,800$173,157
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $14,989−$25,942
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$47,741−$72,576
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $102,048$74,639
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $21,446$21,812
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $55,000$66,000
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $16,472$21,946
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $92,918$109,758
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $9,130−$35,119
Part VI · Governance 21 of 21 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body21
VI-1b Independent voting members21
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $74,639 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$181,052
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$2,105
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$43,559
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$173,157
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax −$25,942−$25,942
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$95,226−$95,226
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $22,650$22,650
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $22,650 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax −$121,168$74,639
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $109,758 across 4 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $21,812$21,812
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $6,600 · Management $33,000 · Fundraising $26,400$66,000
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $3,461$3,461
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Management $18,485$18,485
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $28,412 · Management $54,946 · Fundraising $26,400$109,758
Part X · Balance sheet $349,838 assets, 8 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $26,613$32,777
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $76,384$66,516
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $281,960$250,545
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $384,957$349,838
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $384,957$349,838
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $384,957$349,838
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $384,957$349,838
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $349,838 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$74,639
XI-2 Total expenses$109,758
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$35,119
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$384,957
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$349,838

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2022 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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