Franklin & Milwaukee, Wisconsin
A ranch where foster youth learn to build a future they choose.
DOVE Ranch pairs hands-on horsemanship, agriculture, and business skills with a community that shows up — so kids exiting the foster system have a real alternative to exploitation, and a place they belong.
Our Mission
Every child deserves the chance to build something of lasting worth.
Every year, roughly 60% of young people with histories in the foster care or child welfare system become victims of commercial sexual exploitation. DOVE Ranch equips these youth and teens with meaningful skills for career and lifestyle development — from agricultural classes and animal care to business management — so they can envision a future defined by empowerment and choice.
Through hands-on programs and community events, we connect foster youth to safe, affirming spaces where they matter, belong, and thrive.
Horsemanship
Groundwork, riding, and the discipline of caring for a horse that depends on you.
Agriculture
Planting, tending, and harvesting — real work with a visible, honest result.
Animal Care
Responsibility and routine, one feeding and one chore at a time.
Business Management
Budgeting, selling, and running the ranch's own small ventures.
A Day at the Ranch
Real kids, real horses, real skills
Free Supporter Guide
5 Ways Anyone Can Change a Foster Youth's Story This Month
A short, practical guide for donors, mentors, and church groups who want to help but don't know where to start. Get it free, straight to your inbox — plus occasional updates from the ranch.
Upcoming Events
Building connections and community
DOVE Annual Donor Dinner
An evening of celebration and a review of our past year, hosted with the community that makes this work possible.
Mercy Hill Church — Bay View842 S 5th Ct, Milwaukee, WI 53207
Holiday Fundraiser & Bake Sale
Building relationships in Franklin, WI as we expand the community around the foster care system.
Franklin, WI7220 W Rawson Ave, Franklin, WI 53132
The Road Ahead
Wisconsin roots. A global vision.
DOVE Ranch started in Wisconsin because this is where the need was in front of us. The model — land, animals, and real skills, paired with a community that won't let a kid disappear — travels. Every gift and every guest at the table helps us prove it can work here first, so it can work anywhere next.