Donate

Every year around Father’s Day, I find myself reflecting on the inspirational stories I’ve had the privilege of encountering since I founded Good Dads ten years ago.

Take, for example, a recent class completion ceremony for Good Dads 2.0, our flagship fatherhood skills course. A 10-year-old boy, who was present because his stepfather had finished the course, approached one of our staff members after the ceremony.

“I wish my dad could take this class,” he said. “I think it would help him.”

I want to help more dads and kids across Missouri, and I’m thinking you do, too. I’m always amazed and humbled to learn that fathers and father-figures across the state are inspired, resourced and encouraged to be more involved in the lives of their children. But the bottom line is this: Without the generous support of our donors, we simply can’t do what we do. It’s our tenth anniversary as a nonprofit, and there is still so much to be done—there are still many more communities with a vast need. 

Do you know what happens when a community rallies around responsible fatherhood? Relationships are healthier; schools are stronger; the economy is more robust; neighborhoods are safer. Their efforts create the kind of community where people want to live. In short, Good Dads equals Great Communities.

I was thinking about all this and more while working in my garden this spring. It occurred to me that our nonprofit is not unlike perennials, the kind of flowers you plant once that continue to bloom year after year. It’s a lot of work up front, but the ripple-effect is undeniable.

In the first year, perennials establish their root system with little evidence of above-ground growth. Gardeners sometimes call this sleeping. In the second year, they are creeping forward, but the results are still underwhelming. Finally, by the time the third spring arrives, plants bloom with abandon—like they are leaping out of the soil.

Good Dads is a lot like a perennial flower bed. Ten years ago, it began in a small office and may have appeared to be sleeping. We had a tiny staff and progress was slow, but a healthy system of rooted relationships was being established. We were certainly creeping upward by the time the New Pathways for Good Dads program launch in 2018.

Finally, over the last three years Good Dads began to see substantial outcomes, so much so that the team approached state legislators with the results of their efforts and received more financial support to expand in southwest Missouri and Columbia.

Today, Good Dads is leaping across the state, adding 15 community chapters to the network—including places like Ava, Rolla and Texas County, our three Great Community of the Year winners. But here’s the thing. There is still an urgent need in many, many more communities in our state and beyond. 

Your generous support will mean that we can change the lives of more children, like the young man who said he wished his dad could attend Good Dads class. Your donation will directly support fathers—and in turn, you’re helping children, families and entire communities. 

I hope that you’ll join us in our efforts to help communities bloom for generations to come. 

With gratitude,