non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
, non-partisan, non-sectarian organization that aims to improve the well-being of children through the promotion of
responsible fatherhood
The responsible fatherhood movement encourages fathers to be involved in their children's lives and advocates for societal support of such involvement.
The rise of single-parent homes
The number of children living in single-parent households ...
. Headquartered in
Germantown, Maryland
Germantown is an urbanized census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. With a population of 91,249 as of 2020 U.S. Decennial Census, Germantown is the third most populous place in Maryland, after the city of Baltimore ...
, United States, its mission is to improve the well-being of children by increasing the proportion of children with involved, responsible, and committed fathers. NFI was founded on March 7, 1994, by Don Eberly, a
civil society
Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.
Its three-fold mission is to educate and inspire all Americans, equip organizations and fathers in six different sectors, and engage all sectors of society to address this issue. The three target sectors of its equipping strategy are military, corrections, and community-based organizations. The organization also produced and disseminated a national
public service advertising
A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...
campaign, in partnership with the
Ad Council
The Advertising Council, commonly known as the Ad Council, is an American nonprofit organization that produces, distributes, and promotes public service announcements on behalf of various sponsors, including nonprofit organizations, non-governme ...
. The campaign included print, television, radio, internet, and outdoor ads.
Although the size of NFI's staff has decreased over the last years, the organization remains by some measures the largest provider of fatherhood resources and training in the nation. It offers more than 100 resources in its online store and print catalog, as well as numerous free online and downloadable resources for dads and practitioners. Since 2004, NFI has distributed more than 6.9 million fatherhood resources. Since 2002, NFI has trained over 18,000 practitioners from more than 6,300 organizations on how to deliver fatherhood programming to dads via webinar. These programs include 24/7 Dad, the most widely used fatherhood curriculum in the country, and InsideOut Dad, the only evidence-based program designed specifically for incarcerated fathers.
Andy Schoka, currently with Acumen Solutions, is the board chairman, and Christopher A. Brown is the organization's president after serving as executive vice president for three years.
Among the awards that the organization has given are awards to race car driver
Dale Jarrett
Dale Arnold Jarrett (born November 26, 1956) is a former American race car driver and current commentator for NBC. He is best known for winning the Daytona 500 three times (in 1993, 1996, and 2000) and winning the NASCAR Winston Cup Series champi ...
(in 2003), singer
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Coun ...
(in 2004), singer
Buddy Jewell
Buddy Jewell Jr. (born April 2, 1961) is an American country music singer who was the first winner on the USA Network talent show ''Nashville Star''. Signed to Columbia Records in 2003, Jewell made his debut on the American country music scen ...
(in 2005), Rabbi
Shmuley Boteach
Jacob Shmuel Boteach ( ; born November 19, 1966) is an American Orthodox Jewish rabbi, author, and television host. Boteach is the author of 31 books, including the best seller ''Kosher Sex: A Recipe for Passion and Intimacy'', and ''Kosher Jesu ...
(in 2007), basketball player Dwyane Wade (in 2011), mayor
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
(in 2012), and film director
Andy Fickman
Andy Fickman is an American film director, film producer, screenwriter, television director, television producer, and theatre director. His credits as a theater director include the premiere of the ''Reefer Madness!'' musical, the first Los Angele ...