In our modern society however, families seem to be disintegrating, and we believe this has led to most of the major social problems that beset our nation. These problems include the erosion of economic well-being for large segments of our society, an increase in crime, the widespread use of illegal drugs, an epidemic of young and unwed mothers, a deterioration in our system of education, and the debasement of much of our culture.

In the belief that the root cause of these problems is the disintegration of family, the Foundation set out to find the basic causes of family disintegration and to identify the roots of family strength. To assist in this quest for knowledge, the Foundation convened a Symposium of experts in the field of family. They came together in October of 1994 for a three day dialogue with members of the Grantmaking Committee. The full proceedings of this Symposium were published by the Foundation in 1995 in a book entitled “Family: The First Imperative” (copies of which are available upon request). 

As a result of what we learned, our Foundation selected a project entitled “Fathers & Families Together” as its initial focus area project. Working through the Center for Families and Children in Cleveland, Ohio, we funded and participated in a project that targets fathers in Cleveland's disadvantaged neighborhoods. The program aimed to strengthen the father-child bond, to help fathers assume greater parenting responsibility, and to enhance the self-sufficiency of fathers. A number of services were integrated into the program which attempt to build on existing resources in the community.

Fathers & Families Together completed its tenth year in 2005. It now operates from multiple sites, receives additional funding from the State of Ohio, and has generated a very active alumni group called the Council of Fathers. 

In 1998 the Foundation's Grantmaking Committee agreed to retain its focus in the area of family, and to continue its concentration on fathering programs, by soliciting proposals to respond to its new “Families Need Fathers” initiative. Over 60 proposals were received from nine cities, and from this group three were selected for partnership and funding. Our partners were: Beech Brook in Cleveland, Ohio; Services United for Mothers and Adolescents in Cincinnati, Ohio; and Kingsbridge Heights Community Center in Bronx, New York. Each organization's program  incorporated carefully designed services for fathers into existing programs serving mothers and children. Foundation family members and staff were involved in each project, either as members of an advisory committee or as Foundation liaisons.

In the fall of 2001, the Foundation developed a new fathering initiative called the "Caring, Responsible and Committed Fathers Initiative."  A Request For Proposals was distributed to three Ohio-based organizations with whom we have worked in the past.  In it, we committed to fully fund any program we might approve for its first four years of operation, with our funding to gradually taper off over the following three years.  We also called for independent outcome evaluation, annual milestone measurements, and advisory participation by Foundation representatives.  At an information meeting we held for representatives of the organizations involved, we challenged them to "think outside the box." 

Early in 2002, the Foundation's Grantmaking Committee considered the proposals received in response to this Initiative, and decided to fund two of the proposed programs. $427 thousand in first year funding was awarded to the Center For Families and Children in Cleveland, Ohio for its Fathers & Families Together program, and $388 thousand in first year funding was awarded to Services United for Mothers and Adolescents in Cincinnati, Ohio for its Fatherhood Initiative. Fourth-year funding for both of these programs was approved by the Grantmaking Committee in 2005 and their progress in achieving stated outcomes continues to be monitored and measured.