--- title: What’s the Return on Investment of a Fatherhood Program? description: Learn how to estimate the monetary value of your fatherhood program. A great tool to help you leverage funding from existing and potential stakeholders. image: https://www.fatherhood.org/hubfs/Images/Blog/NFI_Blog_fatherhood-program-roi.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/whats-the-return-on-investment-of-a-fatherhood-program#main) - [![NFI mark](https://www.fatherhood.org/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI%20mark.svg)FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://www.fatherhood.org/) - [STORE.FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://store.fatherhood.org/) [![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=149&height=82&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=65&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=66&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=89&height=49&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ](https://www.fatherhood.org) - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) Open main navigation Close main navigation - Show submenu for Get Informed Get Informed - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - [Father Stats & Infographics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) - Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Find Your Stage of Father Inclusion](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-inclusion) - [How Father Friendly Is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Fatherhood Data & Statistics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - [How Father Friendly is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Other Free Resources](https://www.fatherhood.org/nfi-free-resources) - [Talk With us to Get Started](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) National Fatherhood Initiative Blog / [Latest Articles](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood) [Fundraising](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/topic/fundraising) # What’s the Return on Investment of a Fatherhood Program? 2 min read ![Christopher A. Brown](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/chris_circle_icon.png?width=100&height=100&name=chris_circle_icon.png) [** Christopher A. Brown ** ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/author/christopher-a-brown) Chris serves as the President of National Fatherhood Initiative® (NFI), where he is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of NFI's strategic plan and business model, as well as its operations and fundraising efforts. ![NFI_Blog_fatherhood-program-roi](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/Blog/NFI_Blog_fatherhood-program-roi.jpg?width=453&name=NFI_Blog_fatherhood-program-roi.jpg) If I asked you to estimate the monetary return on investment (ROI) of a fatherhood program, what would you say it is? If you’re savvy, you might wittily answer my question with this question: Return on investment for what or whom? The answer to that retort was the subject of a [recent study](https://www.frpn.org/asset/potential-monetary-value-responsible-fatherhood-program-outcomes-fathers-and-children) funded by the [Fatherhood Research and Practice Network](https://www.frpn.org/), the outstanding, and just completed, five-year research and evaluation initiative funded by the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Richard Chase of [Wilder Research](https://www.wilder.org/wilder-research) led the study. **The Study’s Value** Dr. Chase states that the report on the study: > “…provides and applies a framework for estimating the potential monetary value of non-resident father engagement, which broadly includes participating in Responsible Fatherhood programs, performing positive parenting behaviors and interactions with their children in activities that promote healthy child development, and enrolling their children in high quality early childhood education.” I won’t bore you with the details of the model and data Dr. Chase used to calculate the ROI—or “monetary value”—of responsible fatherhood programs. Read the report. But, suffice it to say, it’s one of the few and one of the most robust ROI studies of responsible fatherhood programs that I’ve seen. **If you run or want to start a fatherhood program, it’s value for you is in its potential to position a fatherhood program for funding from public and private sources. If you fund or want to fund a fatherhood program(s), its value for you is in its potential to argue for continued or new investing in fatherhood programs. ** It is also, according to Dr. Chase: > “…the first attempt to monetize the economic returns and avoided costs of a broad set of potential, two-generation, long-term child development and family well-being outcomes of responsible father engagement.” That aspect of the study holds potential value if you want to integrate a fatherhood program(s) within a [two-generation (2Gen) effort](https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/two-generation/what-is-2gen/), an area of increased interest among funders of parenting and child well-being interventions. **2Gen ROI** Dr. Chase estimated the total potential ROI of responsible fatherhood programs per father and per child. He included a range of outcomes (benefits and cost savings) for one father served and one child impacted by a father’s participation in a responsible fatherhood program. Examples of outcomes include: - Per father: increased lifetime earnings, increased taxes paid, and crime victimization savings. - Per child: value of improved health, savings in fewer students repeating a grade, savings in Medicaid costs, and additional income tax and sales tax revenues. All totaled, the study included six outcomes per father and 14 outcomes per child. The bottom line? **The total ROI per father is nearly $177,000. The total ROI per child ranges from $85,000 to $95,000.** Not shabby, are they? I encourage you to [download](https://www.frpn.org/asset/potential-monetary-value-responsible-fatherhood-program-outcomes-fathers-and-children), read, and share the report. Most important, if you run or want to run a fatherhood program, I encourage you to use this study to acquire funding for and to broaden your funding base. **Too few programs have such a base to sustain themselves.** If you are in a position to fund fatherhood programs, I encourage you to use this study to convince purse-string holders that investing in fatherhood programs is a wise use of funds. (Pay particular attention the study's limitations should you use the results of it for either purpose.) Have you thought of estimating the ROI of your fatherhood program? (Click [here](https://www.fatherhood.org/fatherhood/making-a-fundable-case-for-your-fatherhood-program) to read a previous post in this blog about the value of doing so, and an organization that can help.) [![he Benefits of Fatherhood Programs in Community-Based Organizations](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/135704/bbfbc796-8f3f-495b-a089-976b4f177f1f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/135704/bbfbc796-8f3f-495b-a089-976b4f177f1f) Date Published: 01/14/2020 Last Updated: 01/14/2020 ## Learn How to Build a Fatherhood Program That Works Download this free guide for a proven 7-step roadmap—from making the case and securing funding for your program, to launching and measuring real results! [Get The Guide Now!](https://www.fatherhood.org/starting-a-fatherhood-program) ![7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program.png?width=700&height=700&name=7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program.png) [ Previous ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/stand-out-look-out-shout-out-how-baby-u-created-a-program-dads-can-get-behind) [ Next ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/what-to-do-when-teen-boys-become-fathers) ## Related Articles ### [Funding A Father-Inclusive Effort For Non-Governmental Organizations Image created with GPT Image 2. Many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) struggle to identify funding sources for fatherhood initiatives and programs. After all, beyond the ... Read More](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/funding-a-father-inclusive-effort-for-non-governmental-organizations) ### [The Fatherhood Funding You’re Looking For Is Already There—You’re Just Not Seeing It Yet Image created with GPT Image 2. If you work in a nonprofit, you’ve probably had some version of this conversation: “We know father engagement matters, we just don’t have the ... Read More](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/the-fatherhood-funding-youre-youre-just-not-seeing-it-yet) ### [New Federal Rule Offers Opportunity for Fatherhood Programs Proactively identifying creative ways to fund your fatherhood program using private and public sources is vital for program sustainability. A new rule announced recently by the ... 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