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| Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption |
| Formation | 1992 |
| Founder | David "Dave" Thomas |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | Dublin, Ohio |
| Leader title | President and Chief Executive Officer |
| Leader name | Patricia A. Hickey |
| Purpose | Increase adoption of children from foster care |
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a nonprofit organization established to increase the number of adoptions of children waiting in the United States foster care system. The foundation was created by restaurateur David "Dave" Thomas and has pursued national initiatives involving child welfare agencies, philanthropy, corporate partners, and celebrities to promote foster youth adoption. It operates through grantmaking, program implementation, public awareness campaigns, and research partnerships.
The foundation was founded in 1992 by David "Dave" Thomas", the founder of Wendy's and a prominent advocate for adoption, following his own experience as an adoptee and his involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Children's Defense Fund. Early activities included grantmaking to local adoption agencies and public-awareness campaigns featuring national personalities such as Oprah Winfrey, Mike Rowe, and Rachael Ray. In the 1990s and 2000s the organization expanded through collaborations with entities like Casey Family Programs, Child Welfare League of America, and The Annie E. Casey Foundation to influence policy discussions in venues such as hearings of the United States Congress and forums hosted by National Adoption Day partners. Milestones include the 1994 launch of advertising initiatives, the 2004 establishment of structured grant programs, and later strategic investments in evidence-based models in concert with research centers at institutions like Columbia University and University of Chicago.
The foundation's mission focuses on increasing adoption from foster care using targeted programs, public education, and research. Programmatic work includes competitive grantmaking to agencies such as Catholic Charities USA, Bethany Christian Services, and Children's Home Society of America; development of recruitment models; and support for training and technical assistance through partnerships with organizations like Casey Family Programs and The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. The foundation convenes stakeholders including policymakers from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, judges from family court benches such as those associated with National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and leaders from philanthropic institutions like The Ford Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation.
Wendy's Wonderful Kids is a child-focused recruitment model developed and funded by the foundation to find adoptive families for children with long-term foster placements. The program trains and places full-time adoption recruiters who use intensive, child-specific recruitment practices modeled on principles from social work research at institutions like University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of California, Berkeley, and Case Western Reserve University. Implementation partners have included State of Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, and county agencies across states such as Texas and Florida. Evaluations conducted in collaboration with researchers from Chapman University and University of Michigan have informed refinements to the model.
The foundation reports measurable increases in finalized adoptions attributable to Wendy's Wonderful Kids and grant-supported activities, with documented outcomes presented alongside analyses by academic partners including Cornell University and Rutgers University. Impact metrics often cited include increased adoption finalizations, reduced time to permanency, and improved post-adoption stability for children served in programs affiliated with Adoption Exchange Association members and multisystem collaboratives such as FosterClub. External evaluations have been presented to committees of United States Senate subcommittees and at professional gatherings like conferences hosted by the National Association of Social Workers and the Child Welfare League of America.
Funding sources include corporate philanthropy from companies such as Wendy's, major gifts from philanthropic entities including The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and campaign contributions from individual donors and family foundations. The foundation has run national fundraising campaigns leveraging celebrity ambassadors including Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, and Tony Robbins to raise awareness and support. Grants and contracts have also come via state budget allocations and private donor-advised funds associated with institutions like Fidelity Charitable.
Strategic partnerships encompass nonprofit organizations, academic research centers, child welfare agencies, and corporate entities. The foundation engages with national initiatives such as National Adoption Day, collaborates with advocacy groups like AdoptUSKids and Stop the Traffik, and coordinates with legal stakeholders including the American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law. Advocacy efforts have sought changes in practice and policy in forums involving Child Welfare Information Gateway, state legislatures in jurisdictions including Ohio and California, and federal agencies including U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The foundation is governed by a board of directors composed of leaders drawn from corporate, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors, including executives with backgrounds at The Wendy's Company, Disney, and major law firms such as Baker McKenzie. Senior leadership has included presidents and CEOs with experience in human services and nonprofit management, and the organization works with advisory councils of practitioners from institutions like Columbia University School of Social Work and Case Western Reserve University Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences to inform program strategy.
Category:Charities based in Ohio