Sunflower provides skilled job training and employment opportunities to diverse young adults with learning differences. Pastry Arts students spend 26 weeks on professional instruction, employee development (resume writing, workplace communication, interviewing), SafeServe training, and employment matching. Thanks to career guidance and an extensive network of employer partners, more than 70% of graduates land a job within 12 months. A 26-week hospitality program exposes students to all front-of-house skills (customer service, communication, inventory and order processing) and to soft skills (goal setting, problem solving, dealing with setbacks). Paid internships put these new skills to use and job coaching services set participants on the road to success. New on the menu? Year-round shipping of Sunflower products, and shipping and packaging as additions to the curriculum. At Sunflower Bakery all persons, regardless of their differences, find opportunities to lead productive lives.

Headquarters: MD-Montgomery County

Where They Operate: MD-Montgomery County

Age Groups Served: Pre-teen/teen (12-17); Young adult (18-24); Adult (25-49)

Population(s) Served: Individuals with Disabilities; Low- to Moderate-Income Community Members; Men/Boys; Women/Girls; Students

Schools They Work In: Montgomery County Public Schools; Private schools in the MetroDC area


  • % of Pastry Arts graduates securing a job within 6 months of program completion:   80%

Awards & Recognition

Ruderman $50,000 Prize in Inclusion (2013)

Press

  • No stories found

Budget (FY2023)

  • $3 million or higher
  • The current budget for Sunflower Bakery is: $1 million to $3 million
  • $500k to $1 million
  • Less than $500k

Catalogue charities range in size from $100,000 to $3 million. This graphic indicates the budget range of the organization featured here. If you see an organizational budget above the $3 million mark, that is because the featured charity has grown in size since it first appeared in the Catalogue. We proudly present on our website the work of these "growth" charities.

About Spur Local

Every year, 190+ local nonprofits (with budgets under $4M) apply to join the Spur Local network. 170+ community volunteers assess these applications for impact. 100% of organizations are site visited and financially reviewed. Finally, 76+ critical, local nonprofits are selected for inclusion in Spur Local's annual print and digital catalog, and enter a four-year partnership with us. Since 2003, we have raised over $65 million for nonprofits across the Greater Washington region. We charge no fees and raise funds separately to support our work.

Spur Local looks to friends like you to keep our services independent and entirely free of charge. Consider a small contribution to Spur Local to cap off your gift and help the causes you care about get the full support they deserve!

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