About "I Have A Dream" Foundation of Boulder County

A large group of diverse people gathered together inside a building, smiling at the camera, with some standing on stairs in the background.

"I Have A Dream" Foundation® of Boulder County (IHDF) is a Boulder-based nonprofit dedicated to partnering with youth and their families as they successfully navigate school, college, and career.

We provide a holistic academic, social, and emotional program from elementary school through college, along with postsecondary scholarship assistance — walking alongside Dreamer Scholars from 1st Grade to First Job.

Founded in 1990, IHDF is one of the largest affiliates of the national "I Have A Dream" Foundation, which was established in 1981 by Eugene Lang in New York City.

We are an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving all of Boulder County through the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley School Districts.

View our Annual Report

A group of diverse young people, some holding certificates, posing on a staircase inside a building with white columns and a black railing on each side, during a graduation or award ceremony. Large blue text "2024" and white text "Annual Report" overlay the image, along with a logo of a person with a cap and gown, and the text "I Have a Dream" Foundation Boulder County at the bottom.
View on web
A group of children and a young woman sitting around a table playing a game of Bingo in a classroom or recreational room. The table has a bingo card with red markers, and a transparent plastic container holding the markers.

Our Mission

Our mission is to partner with youth and their families as they successfully navigate school, college, and career by providing a holistic academic, social, and emotional program from elementary school through college, along with postsecondary scholarship assistance.

Children and a diver underwater at an aquarium, reaching out towards sea life and coral.

Our Vision

Our dream is a world where every child has equitable access to the educational and career opportunities that will ignite their innate potential.

Our Values

  • Social Justice

  • Inclusion

  • Asset-Based Approach

  • Curiosity

  • Co-Design

  • Continuous Improvement

  • Stewardship

A woman with long dark hair wearing glasses and a white tank top is looking into a microscope with her right hand holding her hair back. The microscope is a Bausch & Lomb brand, and there is a person in the background wearing a black t-shirt and holding a smartphone.

Our Work

IHDF partners with Boulder County youth and families who qualify through the Free and Reduced Lunch program or Affordable Housing eligibility. Dreamer Scholars enter our program in 1st grade and receive 12+ years of continuous, year-round support — through high school graduation, postsecondary enrollment, and into career.

Our programming includes academic tutoring and mentoring, social-emotional development, college access and career readiness, postsecondary scholarship assistance of up to $10,000 per student, and our 2-Generation (2-Gen) Advancing Families Program, which extends support to the parents and families of Dreamer Scholars alongside their students.

Learn more

Our Team

Meet our team

Leadership

Perla Delgado, Ph.D.

CEO / Executive Director "I Have A Dream" Foundation of Boulder County

Board of Directors

Erika Smith, Chair — Community Member

Shannon Sackman, Vice Chair — Elevations Credit Union

Max Nathanson, Secretary — Community Leader

William Barclay, Ph.D. — Retired, Scientist

Jorin Bale — Elevations Credit Union

Jamie Dawson — Broadview Wealth Partners

Miriam De Santiago — Self-Employed

Maureen Espinoza — The Colorado Group, Inc.

Megan Foskett — Community Member

Tracy Leffingwell — Leffingwell Foundation

Financial Accountability & Transparency

"I Have A Dream" Foundation of Boulder County is committed to the highest standards of financial stewardship and organizational accountability.

  • Legal name: "I Have A Dream" Foundation of Boulder County

  • EIN: 84-1150542

  • Tax status: 501(c)(3) public charity — donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law

  • Audited financials:

IHDF maintains a conflict of interest policy and ethics policy applicable to all board members and staff. We are committed to transparency in governance and financial reporting.

Request more information