The 7 Steps to Starting a Successful Fatherhood Program

You know there's a need, and you want to help. But how? Many of you have told us you want to help create more involved, responsible, and committed fathers. But you've also expressed that you don't know where to start. The task seems too big to handle. Creating a successful, sustainable fatherhood program from the start is difficult but vital. This task isn't for everybody. But some of you can. If you have a passion for connecting a dad to his child, I have this to tell you: you can do it...we can help. 

You may have noticed that I borrow the phrase "you can do it...we can help" from The Home Depot. Think of National Fatherhood Initiative® as The Home Depot of fatherhood. Or don't, if you dislike that hardware store. My point is, we have the experience and tools to help you tackle the work of connecting fathers to their kids.

Here are seven (7) steps for starting a fatherhood program:

Step 1: Make the Case for a Fatherhood Program

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in America – one out of three – live without their biological father in the home. This means the father factor is part of nearly all the societal ills facing America today. Research shows that when a child is raised in a father-absent home, he or she is affected in many ways. Children are more likely to have behavioral problems, more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, two times more likely to suffer obesity, and two times more likely to drop out of high school… and more. 

There is a father factor in nearly all
societal ills facing America today. 
How you address this issue matters. 

You and/or your organization may already agree on the need for fatherhood programs. However, it's important to remember that debate continues about the necessity of fathers. Our research-based view is that good biological or adoptive fathers perform functions that no one else can, even though others, such as male teachers and family friends, can be partial substitutes for good fathers. Let’s look at some research.

In a study examining father involvement with 134 children of adolescent mothers over the first 10 years of life, researchers found that father-child contact was associated with better socio-emotional and academic functioning.

• The results indicated that children with more involved fathers experienced fewer behavioral problems and scored higher on reading achievement. This study showed the significance of the role of fathers in the lives of at-risk children, even in the case of nonresident fathers. Source: Howard, K.S., Burke Lefever, J.E., Borkowski, J.G., & Whitman, T.L. (2006). Fathers’ influence in the lives of children with adolescent mothers. Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 468-476.
• Children in father-absent homes are almost four times more likely to be poor. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Children’s Living Arrangements and Characteristics: March 2011, Table C8. Washington, D.C.: 2011
• Even after controlling for income, youths in father-absent households all had significantly higher odds of incarceration than those in mother-father families. Youths who never had a father in the household experienced the highest odds. Source: Harper, Cynthia C. and Sara S. McLanahan: Father Absence and Youth incarceration. “Journal of Research on Adolescence 14 (September 2004): 369-397.

Father absence data will help you educate others on the importance of father involvement and how father absence underlies numerous societal issues that community organizations and social service agencies seek to combat or solve. It stands to reason that building the skills of fathers – giving them the specific, targeted tools and skills they need to be involved – will lead to their increased involvement in the lives of their children, and reduce the chance of the ill effects of father absence for that child.

Father involvement/father absence data can help you write stronger grant proposals and bolster support for your program in your community. Father involvement/father absence data can also inform your mission, and help establish goals you may want to reach to demonstrate marked improvement in your community as a
result of your work.

“With this tool in your “belt”, you will
be equipped to make the case
for fatherhood work in your organization.

Plenty of research and statistics show the positive effects of father involvement and the negative effects of father absence. NFI has a book called Father Facts 8. Father Facts 8 is the reference manual for anyone interested in promoting responsible fatherhood.

Step 2: Assess the Father Friendliness of Your Organization

Just because you're passionate about father involvement and think it’s important doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone around does or will. Each person carries their own understanding of what it means to have (or not have) a father in their lives, and their own opinion about whether having an involved father is even important to children today. These opinions and attitudes can shape their everyday work with the families you serve. Assessing your organization's father-friendliness is a vital step in serving fathers and starting a fatherhood program. To head in the right direction, you must know where to start.

How father-friendly are you? 
How about your organization?

NFI’s Father Friendly Check-Up™ (FFCU) is a free tool that helps you successfully engage dads and strengthen families in your community. This assessment allows you to analyze your physical environment, location, organizational philosophies, staff attitudes, and more. Without the full “buy-in” from all of your staff members, your fatherhood program and father-involvement plans may come to a screeching halt.

The FFCU will help you examine your organization's structure and whether it has the foundation to build a successful service or program. Without that foundation, your organization risks failing to effectively serve fathers.

“Wouldn’t it be terrible to put all this work into starting
something and find out later that it didn’t
have “legs to stand on” for success?

In the full ebook How to Start a Fatherhood Program, you can review an organizational case study highlighting use of the Father Friendly Check-Up™ to launch a strategic plan using NFI resources.

Step 3: Focus Your Efforts on the Type(s) of Fathers You Will Engage

There are a great number of fatherhood programs with dedicated staff, curriculum, a facility, and community support – but lack participants.

Your fatherhood program doesn’t
really exist without dads to serve.

Marketing a program or service is the greatest challenge. Unfortunately, some fatherhood program practitioners are skilled in program operations but don't know where their target population is or how to get them in the door. 

Marketing your fatherhood program involves not only recruitment, but also retention and creating a positive image of your program or service in the community to generate referrals. The "Field of Dreams" quote, “if you build it, they will come,” doesn't apply here! Just because you are passionate, your staff is ready to work with fathers, and you have a plan in mind, doesn’t mean they will come. You must proceed with careful planning.

You may have heard the old saying, “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.” That’s why successful fatherhood practitioners plan ahead by strategizing how they will draw fathers in, what other services they will offer as “hooks”, and lay out the demographics and location of their target population. It is ideal to do this prior to choosing the curriculum for your fatherhood program.

START with these questions: 

• What kind of other “wrap-around” resources do we offer that have a “draw” for potential participants?
• What could be the “hook”?
• What kind of fathers are we targeting? (e.g., new fathers, teen fathers, single fathers, non-custodial fathers, and so on.)
• What is our target father’s age range? Children’s age(s)? Marital status?

NEXT, answer these questions:

• Where can we find the specific types of fathers we want to reach (listed above)?
• Where are the fathers that have the “need” we serve? Where would they hang out?
• Where can we post a flyer? (e.g., bulletin board in a community center or grocery store; flyer on pizza boxes or other food delivery services, etc.)
• Do we already serve mothers, and can we get the message to fathers through them?
• What other creative things can we offer to attract fathers to our center? (food, prizes, credits, etc.)

“Successful fatherhood practitioners plan ahead
by strategizing how they will draw fathers in
by determining the other services they will offer as “hooks.”

Regarding effective hooks, NFI’s own research has found most fathers enroll in a fatherhood program because it helps them address their immediate needs (e.g., job training and placement, access and visitation with their children, getting a GED, etc.) Often, fathers only realize the benefits of learning fatherhood skills after they’ve been enrolled in a program for a while. 

So from a marketing and recruitment standpoint, it’s more important to stress how your program or organization can meet the fathers’ immediate needs and then introduce them to the fatherhood program. Ultimately, make the fatherhood program an integral part of a larger set of programs or services fathers receive.

For example, NFI’s 24/7 Dad® program is an ideal complement to wraparound services such as job training, support, and financial literacy because it speaks to why men do what they do. Fatherhood can give men greater context and purpose in life, and when you tap into that, you can make significant inroads in other service areas as well.

Depending on your location and the types of fathers you will serve, you may find fathers in different places.

For example:

• If your program is located in a rural setting, you may find program participants at hunting lodges, fire stations, fishing equipment stores, and sporting events.
• If your setting is urban, you might recruit program participants at shopping malls, libraries, social service buildings, business venues, and sporting events.
• If you’re looking to recruit teen and younger adult fathers, skate parks, shopping malls, computer gaming facilities, and coffee shops may be prime recruitment locations.

Step 4: Select the Right NFI Resources and Programs for Serving Fathers

NFI resources let you customize programs to engage fathers in ways unique to your organization and setting.

I’m ready to serve dads… 
but with what resources?

After you have determined which type of fathers you will target, it will become easier to select the fatherhood skill-building resources that best fit your needs. To start, NFI uses “intensity levels” to help you understand the staff involvement and monetary investment needed to offer/facilitate different categories of products and resources. You choose your implementation strategy – NFI provides you with an approach and tools to create a cohesive, effective fatherhood plan.

• Low Intensity Resources: NFI fatherhood skill-building resources that require minimal staff time and monetary investment, and are easily incorporated into your other organizational offerings for fathers, such as Brochures, Tip Cards, Pocket Guides, and Posters. 
• Medium Intensity Resources: Fatherhood skill-building workshops and resources that require moderate staff involvement and monetary investment, and are generally shorter in delivery length, such as The 7 Habits of a 24/7 Dad™, DoctorDad® Workshop, The InsideOut Dad® Guide to Family Ties, FatherTopics™ Workshops. 
• High Intensity Resources: Group-based Fatherhood curricula programs that require the highest level of staff time and monetary investment, and run for 12 weeks, such as 24/7 Dad® A.M. and P.M., InsideOut Dad®, and Understanding Dad™

Step 5: Prepare for a Sustainable Fatherhood Program 

It’s time to think about how you can create a program, or initiative, you can sustain. Now that you have completed the Father Friendly Check-Up™ and determined you are ready to take the next steps toward starting your fatherhood program, it’s time to think about how you can create a program or initiative you can sustain. Sustainability refers to the long-term ability to keep your fatherhood program alive and thriving. From building the program to ensuring long-term funding, a good place to start is creating a logic model. 

Keeping your fatherhood program alive & thriving
for the long-term requires sustainability.

Developing a program requires a process for planning, implementing, and measuring the success of all the organization’s efforts. A logic model is simply a picture of how your program works. It keeps your goals in view and shows the processes and activities connected to achieving that goal. It is a valuable tool for showing potential partners and funders that solid, systematic planning supports your program.

Remember how we spoke in Step 3 about using wraparound services as a hook for your fatherhood program? This is where you plan what that will look like.

 Components of a Logic Model

• Inputs (what we invest)
• Outputs:
  • Activities (the actual tasks we do)
  • Participation (who we serve; customers & stakeholders)
  • Engagement (how those we serve engage with the activities)
• Outcomes/Impacts:
  • Short Term (learning: awareness, knowledge, skills, motivations)
  • Medium Term (action: behavior, practice, decisions, policies)
  • Long Term (consequences: social, economic, environmental, etc.)

“The goal of a Logic Model is to help you get started
on “the right foot” with your fatherhood program,
and help everyone involved understand
what’s needed, and where you’re headed.”

Learn the 6 ways to create a useful logic model in the full ebook How to Start a Fatherhood Program.

Step 6: Fund Your Fatherhood Program

So you have an awesome logic model for your fatherhood program. Great! Now what? We understand you want to do everything you can to promote children's well-being through father involvement and fatherhood programs. But organizational budgets are tight, and funding can be difficult to secure. The good news is that there are a variety of ways you can fund - or find funding – to work with fathers and take advantage of NFI’s wide range of affordable skill-building resources and out-of-the-box fatherhood programs.

How are you going to find funding
for all this much-needed fatherhood work?

Funding from Your Own Budget

The first option to consider is how you can find funding within your own organizational budget - which can certainly be difficult. Consider pulling a small amount of money from a program or two that is not as successful as expected, or from a budget where, with some shrewd planning, costs could be reduced. Of course, when you have the opportunity to plan budgets for the next fiscal year, be sure to include fatherhood in your planning, and earmark funds for fatherhood skill-building resources, just as you would for other handouts/brochures for other types of clients you serve.

Whichever fatherhood programming level you choose, providing father-specific, skill-building materials is a step in the right direction.

Funding from Outside Sources

Funding from outside sources is an option for your organization, in addition to starting fatherhood work on a smaller scale using funds from your own budget. With planning, hard work, and dedication, you may find an outside funding source that supports all aspects of your work with fathers.

From training your fatherhood program facilitators to funding your program (staff stipends, ongoing fathering handbook costs, and other materials needed to run fatherhood program classes), outside funding could open doors for your fatherhood program you may never have imagined. And you may be able to serve even more fathers than you ever thought possible

Your organization may want to seek outside funding from:

• Individuals
• Foundations
• Corporations
• Local, State & Federal Government
• Special Events/Fundraisers

Here are a few websites where you can research funding opportunities:

Federal Grant Resources

• Grants.gov - A federal site that aggregates all federal grant opportunities. You can search for currently available grants and access grant-writing resources.
• Office of Management & Budget (OMB) Circulars - Provides direction on federal budgeting and expensing for nonprofits, educational institutions, and state, local, and Indian Tribe governments.
• Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Grants – An ongoing, $150 million per year funding stream provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, to provide grants to organizations seeking to run fatherhood and/or marriage programs. 

Foundation / Grant Funding

• The Grant Station - An online funding resource for organizations seeking grants worldwide. By providing access to a comprehensive online database of grant makers, along with other valuable tools, Grant Station can help your organization make smarter, informed fundraising decisions.
• The Grantsmanship Center - Offers a variety of training such as The Grantsmanship Training Program, Earned Income Strategies, and Competing for Federal Grants.
• Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training (GIFT) - Provides a range of training programs and webinars to help you raise money from your community. They also offer articles and subscription-based services to support your fundraising efforts. 

Step 7: Launch Your Fatherhood Program and Measure the Results

Ready to Launch? Once you’ve made the case to your director/board/boss about starting a fatherhood program, planned a sustainable program, selected your fatherhood skill-building resources, and even recruited dads to come to class—it's time to start leading! Now, you may be asking questions such as where to hold each session, what to include, whether you need training, and whether you should have more than one facilitator. 

Plan to evaluate your program’s success.

Fatherhood skill-building sessions can be held anywhere: community centers, churches, library meeting rooms, or even in the home for home visitation agencies. Small touches, such as food and drinks, are a great way to keep dads coming back. While training on NFI’s core fatherhood programs isn't required—since they are considered “out of the box” curricula (a Program Guide, Logic Model, and marketing materials are provided with each Complete Program Kit)—we do offer curriculum training for facilitators.

Once you have been running your fatherhood program for several weeks or months, your director might want to know how it’s going, and may ask questions such as:

• Are you retaining the dads who are coming to class?
• Is the program having a positive impact?
• Are the dads enjoying what is being taught?
• Are the dads learning the key points and objectives laid out for each session?

Planning to evaluate your program will help you get the best results and correct your course if something isn't working. An evaluation is like a GPS – it tells you whether you’re headed in the right direction and helps you to correct your course if necessary.

Evaluations are critical for program credibility, accountability, improvement, sharing best practices, and proving to funders that their dollars were well spent. You don’t need a complicated design to evaluate your program effectively. To help you with this step, NFI includes evaluation tools with many of our fatherhood programs such as 24/7 Dad® and InsideOut Dad®.

“Evaluations are critically important
for program credibility, accountability,
improvement, sharing of best practices,
and to prove to funders that their dollars were well spent.”

Starting a fatherhood program will be incredibly rewarding for you, your staff/program facilitators, and the dads you serve. Now that you’ve read this blog, download the full ebook and start with Step 1! NFI is here to help you create a fatherhood program that works!