2006Annual Report Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption 4150 Tuller Road Suite 204 Dublin, Ohio 43017 1-800-ASK-DTFA (1-800-275-3832) www.DaveThomasFoundationforAdoption.org ® 2006Annual Report Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Who We Are The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a 501(c)3, non-profit public charity dedicated to dramatically increasing the number of adoptions of foster care children in North America. Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s, established the Foundation in 1992. He had a vision that one day every child would have a permanent home and loving family, and he entrusted the Foundation with his vision. He knew first-hand how important home and family are because he was adopted. And he wanted every waiting child to have the same opportunities he had. The Children We Serve Vision: Every day in America, children are abused, abandoned and neglected. Through no fault of Every child will have their own, many end up in foster care, separated from family and community, and too often move from home to home without a sense of belonging. This year alone, nearly a quarter of a permanent home Introduction 3 the 517,000 children in foster care will be permanently separated from their families and in and a loving family. Letter from Executive Director and Board President 5 need of safe, loving adoptive families. Consider the following: Signature Programs and Awareness Campaigns 6 • More children in the foster care system become available for adoption each year than Mission: are adopted. Grants Program 8 Dramatically increase • A child available for adoption often moves three or more times. Statements of Financial Position 10 • Once in foster care, a child can wait five years for an adoptive family. Five years is a the number of lifetime to a child. Statements of Activities & Changes in Net Assets 11 adoptions of waiting • Twenty percent of these children turn 18 in foster care and then leave the system, without Donor Recognition 12 a family to call their own. children in North Board of Trustees and Staff 15 America. We Believe The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption views the urgency of this issue through the eyes of these children. As we work to make foster care adoption a streamlined process that is accessible and affordable to every family wanting to adopt, we remain dedicated to critical core beliefs: • Every child deserves to live in a safe, loving and permanent family. • No child should linger in foster care or leave the system at age 18 without a permanent family of their own. • No child is unadoptable. What We Do As an independent public charity, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption raises national awareness about the need for adoptive families for foster care children and awards grants to adoption organizations that aggressively move children from foster care to adoptive homes. 3 ® Dear Friends When we began this journey nearly 15 years ago, we had two powerful reasons to plan forward – a Highlights and commitment to elevating the cause of foster care adoption and Dave Thomas’ passionate belief that this Accomplishments was the right thing to do. We are proud to share with you that today our commitment to the children impacted by foster care adoption is stronger than ever, and the legacy of Dave Thomas, who was adopted The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption funds results-driven as a child, weaves into and embraces every effort of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. programs targeted specifically at finding adoptive families for children waiting in foster care and at raising There is a sense of urgency in all that we do. Today, more than 118,000 children live in temporary awareness about the joys of foster care waiting to be adopted. These children entered foster care through no fault of their own as a care adoption. Following is a list of highlights from this reporting period. result of abuse, neglect or abandonment and, once freed for adoption, they may move multiple times often waiting more than five years for an adoptive family. Five years is a lifetime to a child. And sadly, • Expanded Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, a groundbreaking direct- more than 20,000 of these children will celebrate their 18th birthday by leaving foster care without a service signature program family to call their own. designed to find adoptive families for foster care children, to 41 recruiters in 30 states. The board and staff of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption are dedicated to planning • Impacted 4,500 adoptions. strategically, working aggressively for results and, most importantly, seeing the world through the eyes of a child. Through signature programs like Wendy’s Wonderful Kids; Adoption-Friendly • Served 2,000 children (non-finalized adoptions). Workplace; National Adoption Day; National Adoption Awareness Month educational, policy and media efforts; benchmarking adoption attitudes research; and national poster and public service • Launched the Every Child Needs a Family endowment campaign. announcement campaigns, we are indefatigably committed to realizing the vision of a safe home and loving family for every child. • Assisted 19,146 individuals and organizations who contacted us through 1-800-ASK-DTFA, This is not an effort accomplished alone. Our partners and supporters help us change children’s lives Adoption-Friendly Workplace, and [email protected]. every day. We value your encouragement, your support, and your input. Working together, we will continue Dave Thomas’ legacy and assure that every child has a safe, nurturing and permanent home. • Distributed 77,756 Beginner’s Guides; 33,287 posters; 5,679 They deserve no less. educational videos; and more than 4,000 Adoption-Friendly Workplace toolkits to callers. All good wishes, • Presented the seventh annual On any given day, “A Home for the Holidays” CBS television special with Children’s there are more than Action Network. 118,000 children in our nation’s foster care Rita Soronen Denny Lynch 5 system just waiting to Executive DIrector President, Board of Trustees be adopted. Signature Programs and Awareness Campaigns National Adoption Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Adoption-Friendly Workplace Awareness Month “A Home for the Holidays” On any given day, there are more than 118,000 Thousands of U.S. employers offer financial Congress designated November as National Adoption Since its premier in 1999, “A Home for the Holidays” has The Dave Thomas children in our nation’s foster care system just reimbursement, paid leave and unpaid leave to Awareness Month in 1990 to raise awareness about the been a successful collaboration among the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption waiting to be adopted. There are 30,000 in employees who adopt. The Adoption-Friendly need for adoption in the United States. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Children’s Action Network, CBS awards grants to support the Canadian system. Workplace, a signature program of the Dave Foundation for Adoption leads the nation in supportive Television, Triage Productions and Wendy’s International. Thomas Foundation for Adoption, encourages activities for this important initiative, including: This one-hour primetime special features top talent and local and national programs Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, a signature program employers to offer adoption benefits and soul-stirring foster care adoption stories. that aggressively promote of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption celebrates those who do. National Adoption Day the adoption of foster care is making a difference – one child at a time. It The Saturday before Thanksgiving each year, National The Foundation’s toll-free telephone number is listed during combines the fundraising efforts of Wendy’s and Our expertly staffed toll-free telephone line, Adoption Day brings the community, courts, adoption the program, with a call to action. When viewers call, children in the United States its customers, results-driven grant management as well as our dynamic website, provide easy agencies and community organizations together to they reach an adoption expert who provides them with and Canada. In addition, of the Foundation and the talent of seasoned access to free tools and technical assistance finalize adoptions of children, raise awareness of foster customized resource information and follows up with the Foundation works adoption recruiters to find permanent, loving for employers who want to establish adoption care adoption and celebrate all families who adopt. them at designated intervals. More than 3,682,800 people homes for foster care children. benefits and employees who want to propose The Foundation has taken the lead on this national watched the show in 2005 and 1,771 sought additional independently and with them. During this reporting period alone, more collaborative, which has garnered significant national information. A survey of past viewers indicated that 8 partners throughout North The Foundation awards grants to local adoption than 4,000 people contacted us, requesting media attention and raised critical national awareness percent of those who responded to the show went on to America on specific projects agencies to hire recruiters and execute toolkits, technical assistance and benchmark about foster care adoption. In 2005, 227 local adoption adopt as a result of watching the special. aggressive child-focused recruitment programs research on adoption benefits. events in 45 states facilitated the finalization of more than designed to raise awareness targeted exclusively on placing foster children 3,300 adoptions on National Adoption Day. A Child is