National Families in Action

National Families in Action

National Families in Action is a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, focused on substance use prevention, family empowerment, and public policy. It conducts research, develops educational resources, and engages in policy advocacy to influence federal and state initiatives related to youth, families, and community health. The organization works with local coalitions, government agencies, and philanthropic institutions to translate evidence into practice.

History

Founded in 1977, the organization emerged amid national debates that included the careers of Jimmy Carter, the rise of nonprofit advocacy groups such as Common Cause, and public health campaigns associated with the Surgeon General of the United States. Early work coincided with federal initiatives under the National Institutes of Health, activities by the Department of Health and Human Services, and policy shifts influenced by reports from the National Academy of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the 1980s and 1990s the group engaged with state legislatures in Georgia (U.S. state), collaborated with coalitions connected to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and interacted with research networks tied to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. In subsequent decades it responded to national conversations shaped by figures and institutions such as Barack Obama, the U.S. Congress, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Mission and Programs

The organization’s mission emphasizes family-led prevention and evidence-based approaches resonant with initiatives from the World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychological Association. Programs include training for parent leaders modeled on practices used by the National Parent Teacher Association and community mobilization strategies similar to those promoted by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America. Curriculum and workshops align with prevention frameworks advanced by the Institute of Medicine and evaluation standards used by the RAND Corporation and the Urban Institute. Programmatic partnerships reach municipal and state actors such as the Mayor of Atlanta, the Georgia General Assembly, and county-level public health departments that have worked with groups like United Way and YMCA affiliates.

Research and Publications

The organization produces policy briefs, guides, and reports drawing on evidence from scholars and institutions including the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Yale School of Medicine, and the National Bureau of Economic Research. Publications synthesize data from longitudinal studies like the Monitoring the Future survey and clinical research associated with the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Reports cite comparative analyses performed by the Brookings Institution, meta-analyses from the Cochrane Collaboration, and measurement tools employed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. It has published guidance used by coalitions that also reference work from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Advocacy and Policy Impact

The organization conducts advocacy targeting federal policy debates in forums such as hearings of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, and has engaged with administration officials across presidencies from Ronald Reagan to Joe Biden. Policy aims have intersected with legislation and administrative action involving agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Education. It has lobbied on issues related to prevention models cited in reports by the National Academy of Sciences, influenced state-level statutes in jurisdictions including California, New York (state), and Texas, and contributed testimony alongside organizations such as the American Medical Association and the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnerships have included collaborations with foundations and institutions such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and regional funders like the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. Academic partnerships have linked the group with universities and research centers including Emory University, the University of Georgia, and the Georgia State University research community. Collaborative networks extend to national nonprofit partners including Data Quality Campaign, Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network, and state coalitions modeled after Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. The organization has also participated in multi-stakeholder initiatives with corporate, philanthropic, and governmental actors such as the Annenberg Foundation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Georgia (U.S. state)