Fathers & Families - June 2007 Charity-of-the-Month
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Fathers & Families
20 Park Plaza
Suite 628
Boston, MA 02116
tel: 1-617-542-9300
email: info@fathersandfamilies.org
web: fathersandfamilies.org
Mission
Fathers & Families protects the child's right to the love and care of both parents. We seek shared parenting for the children of divorced and never-married parents with equal rights and responsibilities for fathers and mothers.
Fathers & Families is committed to the long fight that is necessary to change the courts and inform the media that children need BOTH parents. Your contribution demonstrates to the courts, to legislators, and to media the number of people dedicated to providing children the love and care of both parents.
Who We Are: About Fatherless Children
The Problem
Nearly 25,000,000 children are growing up in America without fathers - making America the world's leader in fatherless families. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, over one-third of families have no father living at home - one of the highest rates in the country.
Politicians give lip service to the idea that father absence is the "single biggest social problem in our society," but there seems to be little understanding of the problem. Most fathers do not walk away from their children. They are driven away.
The Courts
The combined force of well-meaning but misguided laws, judicial traditions, and government policies drive many loving fathers out of their children's lives.
The Children
Children are the innocent victims of the outdated laws and judicial attitudes that make them strangers to their fathers. Research studies show that they pine for their lost fathers, and that children without fathers actively involved in their lives have much higher rates of depression, suicide, violence, gang involvement, criminal behavior, educational failure, drug and alcohol abuse and teenage pregnancy.
Strategy
We saw that fathers' organizations in Massachusetts were polarized at two extremes.
On one side were organizations that provided fellowship, support, and commiseration for fathers who had been badly treated by the family courts, but had no realistic program for changing society's treatment of divorced and never-wed fathers and their children.
On the other side were militant organizations, strong on rhetoric and confrontation, but also lacking a realistic program for social change.
Fathers & Families was determined to enter the middle ground. We would grow into a powerful advocacy organization, using modern, sophisticated tools to fight for social change, while avoiding unfunded efforts to provide social services to fathers, as well as intemperate rhetoric and confrontation.
Early Progress
We began immediately with a marketing campaign to attract as many supporters as possible, as well as a media campaign to maximize our visibility. As our funding increased, we retained professional lobbyists in late 1999, and we gradually increased sustainable member services. We are currently in the process of intensifying our media visibility, expanding our marketing efforts, improving our research capabilities, and launching our legal defense fund.
Keys to Success
For every advocacy organization in America, there are two keys to success: members and money.
Our membership has now grown to approximately 1,800 men and women. In 2002, we reached our goal of $100,000 of contributions and gifts, up nearly 50% from 2001, while almost all other charitable organizations saw declines of 20% or 30%.
Our goals in 2006: 2,500 members and $300,000 in revenue, allowing us to add or improve the legal defense fund, media campaign, marketing, research, and member services.
The Old Way
The combined force of well-meaning but misguided laws, judicial traditions, and government policies drive many loving fathers out of their children's lives. For instance, the former head of the Brooklyn Family Courts said, "You have never seen a bigger pain in the ass than the father who wants to get involved...This type of involved father is pathological." Such judges are creating a river of wounded children and fathers. Most fatherhood organizations understandably have responded with commiseration, fellowship, and counseling.
The New Way
Fathers & Families has chosen a different course. Our primary goal is to change society's institutions that create so many casualties in the first place. We are an advocacy organization, an organization that fights to change an unjust system. We also minister to the needs of individual fathers and grandparents to the extent possible, but this is a secondary activity.
WHAT WE DO: ADVOCACY
Fathers' Lobby
Fathers & Families has retained The Suffolk Group, a respected lobbying firm, since 1999. Since then, we have devoted approximately 17% of our budget to lobbying activities. Fathers & Families has six bills before the Massachusetts Legislature. Each bill is sponsored by a member of the legislative leadership.
In addition, we have submitted testimony to support or oppose dozens of bills filed by other parties. This is the first time a fatherhood organization has developed comprehensive surveillance of ALL bills affecting fathers and children in Massachusetts.
Most importantly, we have developed a positive reputation for credibility within key segments of the legislature. This has been accomplished with dozens of one-on-one meetings with legislators and carefully crafted testimony at legislative hearings.
The Fathers' Media & Public Education Campaign
Fathers & Families is establishing itself as the voice of fathers in the Massachusetts media. We have appeared on FOX's "The O'Reilly Factor," NECN's "News Night," WGBH's "Greater Boston" with Emily Rooney, "The Brudnoy Show," and numerous local news shows.
We have been featured in The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, other major Massachusetts print media, and local radio talk shows. We devote approximately 20% of our budget to public education.
The Fatherhood Research Project
Fathers & Families has compiled the best library in New England on the issues confronting divorced and unwed fathers and their children. This library has been a crucial resource in preparing legislation, position statements, and media appearances that are well informed, accurate, and credible. In the future, The Fatherhood Research Project will undertake targeted research projects to produce data supporting our positions. Thirteen percent of our budget goes to research.
Focus areas include:
- Problem solving and handling change
- Dealing with anger, pain, depression or loss
- Overcoming barriers to positive parenting
- Discipline and child development
- Career and family balance
- Making a new home for your new family
- Alcohol and drugs
- Love and sex
Donations
Please consider making a new, matched or increased tax-deductible gift. Donate online here.
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Fathers & Families
20 Park Plaza
Suite 628
Boston, MA 02116
tel: 1-617-542-9300
email: info@fathersandfamilies.org
web: fathersandfamilies.org
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