Our History

The NFLG formally began as an organization in 2003. We initially came together to discuss possible strategies for strengthening the responsible fatherhood field. NFLG became incorporated in the District of Columbia in 2007 and is current pursuing 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. 

Since that time, we have grown into a group of 10 persons, all of whom have served in leadership positions in a variety of organization that have worked in the areas of family advocacy, youth services and fatherhood.  The members have chosen to use their collective experience and reputations to contribute to the improvement of policies and practices that affect the lives of disadvantaged children and their families throughout the United States.

NFLG members have participated in significant activities to strengthen the fatherhood field over the past few years, such as:

• Providing verbal and written testimony to Congress during deliberations that led to passage of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (which provided up to $50 million of federal funding for fatherhood initiatives);
• Playing an active role, in support of one of our member organizations, the National Partnership for Community Leadership (NPCL), in planning and carrying-out the Eighth International Fatherhood Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in June of this year;
• Sponsoring a National Press Club Event in 2005 featuring Jason De Parle, the award winning journalist, and author of a seminal book on welfare reform, American Dream, Ten Kids, and a Nation’s Drive to End Welfare;
• Conducting an annual legislative leadership recognition program to salute legislators who demonstrate exemplary leadership in the development and promotion of policies that emphasize the importance of fathers in families;
• Designing and implementing an “E-Campaign” strategy, which is a constituency and advocacy development campaign, targeting approximately 5,000 individuals and organizations involved in or interested in fatherhood policy and practice;
• Holding national webinars on the Obama administration's agenda for fatherhood, marriage and healthy families and on Congressional activity impacting fatherhood funding;
• Working with the healthy marriage community to foster equitable funding of both healthy marriage and responsible programs, resulting in Congress appropriating $75 M for Healthy Marriage and $75 M for Responsible Fatherhood in 2010 and
• Submitting recommendations on evaluating responsible fatherhood programs to the Administration and disseminating them widely to the field, including staff at the Administration for Children and Families.