Logo for InfluenceWatch InfluenceWatch

Non-profit

Dream Corps

Location:

OAKLAND, CA
Tax ID:

26-1140201
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2017):

Revenue: $6,702,051
Expenses: $7,706,309
Assets: $3,006,097

Dream Corps is a left-leaning non-profit advocacy organization that promotes various left-leaning policy issues and receives funding from a variety of notable left-leaning organizations, tech companies, and private donors. The organization has three main projects that respectively focus on environmentalist issues, criminal justice and incarceration, and diversity quotas in the technology sector. [1]

The organization has received funding from notable athletes, musicians, and organizations, including Apple[2] and the National Football League. [3]

People

Dream Corps was founded in 2007 by Van Jones, a left-of-center political commentator and activist best known for serving in the Obama White House as Special Advisor for Green Jobs and hosting the “Van Jones Show” on CNN. Jones has a long record of promoting environmentalism and leading billions of dollars of investments into environmentalist-aligned companies in his role as a senior advisor in the Obama administration. [4]

Jones resigned from the Obama administration after receiving criticism from Republicans due to his association with 9/11 terrorist attack conspiracy “truthers,” [5] and for calling Republicans “a**holes” [6] before being appointed to his position within the administration. [7]

Vien Truong, a California-based climate activist who formerly led the Oakland Planning Commission, works as the CEO of Dream Corps. [8] Truong earned over $221,000 in compensation from the organization in 2018. [9]

Activity

Among the most visible of the projects conducted by Dream Corps is the #Cut50 campaign. The campaign is dedicated to reducing the number of incarcerated inmates in all 50 states. Cut50 works with “formerly and currently incarcerated individuals.” [10] Notable Cut50 partners include Shaka Senghor, who served 19 years for murder, and Michael Mendoza, who was convicted for the role he played in a gang-related murder. [11]

Many notable organizations and individuals have supported the #cut50 campaign including the San Francisco 49ers football team. [12] Additionally, rapper Travis Scott performed at the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show under the condition that the National Football League make a donation to the organization, which led to the NFL making a $500,000 contribution to Dream Corps. [13]

Other campaigns led by Dream Corps include the Green for All campaign, which promote left-leaning environmentalist policies and seeks to garner support for such initiatives from low-income communities,[14] and the Dream Corps Tech campaign which seeks to promote diversity within the technology sector. The Tech campaign also includes the #YesWeCode initiative, which has drawn support from large tech companies including Apple that have partnered with Dream Corps to promote coding education programs in the Oakland area. [15]

References

  1. “About.” Dream Corps. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://www.thedreamcorps.org/about/ ^
  2. Press Release. “Apple and Dream Corps build career opportunities for Oakland coders.” Apple. February 18, 2019. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/02/apple-and-dream-corps-build-career-opportunities-for-oakland-coders/ ^
  3. “Big Boi, Travis Scott To Join Maroon 5 In Super Bowl Show.” 97.1 The Ticket. January 14, 2019. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://www.radio.com/971theticket/articles/big-boi-travis-scott-join-maroon-5-super-bowl-show ^
  4. “Van Jones.” Dream Corps. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://www.thedreamcorps.org/bio/van-jones/ ^
  5. Barbash, Fred, Harry Siegel, Jack Shafer, Nancy Scola, and Derek Robertson. “Van Jones Resigns amid Controversy.” About Us. September 07, 2009. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://www.politico.com/story/2009/09/van-jones-resigns-amid-controversy-026797 ^
  6. Barbash, Fred, Harry Siegel, Jack Shafer, Nancy Scola, and Derek Robertson. “Van Jones Resigns amid Controversy.” About Us. September 07, 2009. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://www.politico.com/story/2009/09/van-jones-resigns-amid-controversy-026797 ^
  7. Barbash, Fred, Harry Siegel, Jack Shafer, Nancy Scola, and Derek Robertson. “Van Jones Resigns amid Controversy.” About Us. September 07, 2009. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://www.politico.com/story/2009/09/van-jones-resigns-amid-controversy-026797 ^
  8. “About.” Vien Truong. Accessed September 18, 2020. http://www.vientruong.net/about ^
  9. IRS Form 990. 2018. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/261140201/01_2020_prefixes_23-26%2F261140201_201812_990_2020012317060960 ^
  10. “Our Mission & Work.” #cut50. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://www.cut50.org/our_mission ^
  11. Hackman, Rose. “Shaka Senghor: The Man with the American Story No One Wants to Tell.” The Guardian. March 30, 2016. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/30/shaka-senghor-interview-prison-reform-incarceration-book-writing-my-wrongs-cut50 ^
  12. “SOURCE SPORTS: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS ANNOUNCE RECIPIENTS FOR $1M SOCIAL JUSTICE GRANT” The Source. September 11, 2020. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://thesource.com/2020/09/11/source-sports-san-francisco-49ers-announce-recipients-for-1m-social-justice-grant/ ^
  13. “Big Boi, Travis Scott To Join Maroon 5 In Super Bowl Show.” 97.1 The Ticket. January 14, 2019. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://www.radio.com/971theticket/articles/big-boi-travis-scott-join-maroon-5-super-bowl-show ^
  14. “Tech.” Dream Corps. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://www.thedreamcorps.org/our-programs/tech/ ^
  15. Press Release. “Apple and Dream Corps build career opportunities for Oakland coders.” Apple. February 18, 2019. Accessed September 18, 2020. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/02/apple-and-dream-corps-build-career-opportunities-for-oakland-coders/ ^

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. Van Jones
    Co-Founder
  See an error? Let us know!

Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: April 1, 2009

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2017 Dec Form 990 $6,702,051 $7,706,309 $3,006,097 $612,764 N $6,203,673 $371,264 $2,523 $540,266 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $5,945,031 $5,326,354 $3,843,406 $445,900 N $5,798,854 $56,676 $987 $556,731 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $6,010,348 $4,127,482 $3,105,538 $326,709 N $5,616,320 $320,065 $828 $372,122 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $683,918 $2,676,723 $868,922 $189,447 N $598,258 $67,576 $2,168 $222,500 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $1,029,729 $3,734,560 $3,044,170 $371,890 N $969,394 $56,467 $3,868 $415,194 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $2,851,114 $3,972,633 $5,596,171 $219,060 N $2,701,584 $144,757 $4,773 $409,595 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $3,522,281 $4,734,128 $6,669,404 $170,774 N $3,365,651 $140,057 $16,573 $361,191 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Map image for Dream Corps

    Dream Corps

    1611 TELEGRAPH AVE
    OAKLAND, CA 94612-2143