About Us
Follow The Dream Foundation
Our Mission
The mission of Follow the Dream Beauty Pageant Scholarship Inc. is to help young individuals to grow personally, professionally, emotionally and spiritually by inspiring, encouraging, and empowering them to pursue a higher education and to reach their full potential. We aim to show them how to feel compassion by finding in others inherent goodness and integrity.
Our Mission is to influence the thinking and future success of the young ladies who are accepted to be contestants to the annual Follow the Dream Beauty Pageant in the hope that they will qualify to participate in our series of seminars and workshops and compete for the top prize.
Equally important are the dreamers who follow the program and imagine themselves walking down the final runway to be crowned the winner. The power of the dream and the imagination is a remarkable thing. We aim to teach above all, that when you have a dream and you follow your dream you are living in the spirit of America and can achieve a life of happiness and success. It all begins with the dream.
We support and promote good moral character in our contestants and followers. We work to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families and to eliminate barriers to opportunity for personal growth, self-fulfillment and achievement.
The Follow the Dream Beauty Pageant Scholarship, Inc. program, allows our contestants and followers to distinguish themselves on the basis of quality education, self-confidence, and values.
Finally, we empower young women by awarding the winners a college scholarship because I firmly believe that “Education Builds A Stronger Tomorrow.” Those who do not finish in first place nonetheless graduate from our educational and character building program changed for the better and more equipped for life, learning, achievement and following their dreams, than when they arrived.
How We are Funded?
The success of the Follow the Dream Beauty Pageant is totally dependent on the degree of financial support received from the local community and from those who believe in the power of dreaming and the American ideal. With more financial support we can reach more young ladies and extend our influence with their help and yours, to a circle that is far greater than those who participate in the annual Pageant as contestants and as audience.
We seek your help and support to make this program possible. There is no government funding or endowment for Follow the Dream. We rely on individuals who believe in the power of the dream and who want to help those less fortunate begin the journey that will make them far more productive members of society than some of their peers who never had this opportunity.
Please consider a generous donation. You can make use of this website to donate with a credit or debit card, or you can send your donation by mail.
Direct financial contributions or sponsorships will help defray Pageant expenses, including gowns for the contestants, floral arrangements, sashes, crown, etc. To help reach a larger audience we have public relations and communications expenses such as news media bulletins, websites, newsletters, literature. We have classes and training workshops for the girls accepted as contestants. We have the cost of locating interested individuals and soliciting their application for the contest.
Donations of goods or gift certificates for a silent auction are also greatly appreciated. Donated items and contributions of $100 or more will be printed in the Pageant program booklet. Major gifts will be listed in the program and receive verbal recognition at the Pageant.
For those who own a business the expense of a Sponsorship of $100 can be listed as a business expense because of the advertisement in our Souvenir Journal at the final Pageant.
Those who are more generously endowed and have been blessed with some degree of material success are encouraged to consider a more generous donation as follows, which will be recognized on the inside front cover of the annual Follow the Dream Beauty Pageant Souvenir Journal.
Benefactor – $500 donation
Patron – $1,000 donation
Honorary Pageant Co-Chairman – $5,000 (limit: 4)
Honorary Pageant Chairperson – $10,000 (limit: 1)
Those of our Benefactors and Patrons who can attend the annual event or the Benefit Dance prior to it will be provided special, reserved seating and recognition, while the Honorary Pageant Co-Chairmen and Honorary Chairman will be afforded the opportunity to actually participate in the ceremony.
Because Follow the Dream Beauty Pageant Scholarship, Inc. is recognized by the IRS as a non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(4) organization, your donation is not tax deductible on your federal or state tax return.
The exception to this is if you own or operate a business which can support Follow the Dream, then your donation may qualify as an advertising expense. Of course, we do not claim to be your accountant or to provide legal or accounting advice so if this is important to you then you must seek your own legal or accounting counsel. We are aware of numerous businesses which have extended support to us as a business expense.
In the event that we can meet our immediate organization expenses of operating the annual event, it is our intention to appeal the IRS decision to grant 501/c/4 status and change our status in the future to that of a 501/c/3 organization, which enables those who provide gifts to write off the full amount on their tax return.
If you are willing to make a donation, please use the appropriate link at this website or click HERE.
