• all of the above growth took place with a modest 14% increase in expenses

President’s Letter Our mission: to see the hearts of fathers turn toward their children 41,000 CHILDREN -- that’s what Great Dads is all about. 41,000 children across America have now received a lifelong Commitment Pledge from their father in which he pledges to always love, encourage, and care for them. This pledge is the tangible symbol of the dad turning his heart toward his child. Great Dads seeks every opportunity to reach fathers and encourage them to turn their hearts toward their children. This turning is so desparately needed as 35 million children -- half the children under age 18 in America -- currently suffer from father absence.

2004 was generally a strong growth year for Great Dads – seminars, dads trained, Associates, and partnerships all increased. We experienced a 23% increase in the number of seminars presented – from 129 in 2003 to 159 in 2004. From training 460 incarcerated dads in 2002, we have gone to training 1,623 in 2003 and 2,211 dads in 2004. Our outreach to military dads was rekindled as we presented 10 seminars, including first ones at West Point and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. We presented the first fatherhood training to Native American fathers. And we presented the first training ever to fathers in the country of India. Our national team of Associates was actively engaged as 48 Associates presented our seminars – the most ever. The Associates Team grew significantly with 32 new Associates being trained and certified. And we held our first annual Senior Associates Training conference, which 18 men enthusiastically welcomed.

Great Dads Washington, which began as a partnership between Great Dads and two coalitions consisting of 230 African-American churches, expanded its outreach to include various community-based organizations. It presented 20 seminars in 2004 focusing on disadvantaged dads, including one seminar for homeless dads at the Central Union Mission and another at the UMOJA Methadone Treatment Center.

While everyone on the Great Dads Team is pleased about the growth that took place in 2004, we are most excited about all the opportunities that lie before us. The first priority as we look ahead to 2005 is to substantially strengthen our web site – www.GreatDads.org. A second priority will be to expand our financial base, seeking to develop corporate partners and a greater major donor base. We hope to see our work internationially gradually expand with continued seminars in India and a launching of our training in Canada. We expect to establish a partnership with Military Ministries and hopefully with Promise Keepers. Finally, we foresee continued strong outreach to incarcerated dads as well as growth in our outreach to Native American dads. Most of all, we eagerly anticipate the unexpected opportunities God always provides.

-Bob Hamrin

A GODLY LEGACY CONTINUES FROM FATHER TO SON
My oldest son attended the Great Dads seminar in February also. It has greatly affected and infected his attitude with enthusiasm, and made his parenting skills more effective. So Great Dads has made a positive impact not only on my life, but my son’s, as our family’s Godly legacy continues on, just as the Bible says a Godly legacy will.
-- Melvin Wills

A FATHER WOUND IS HEALED
As a child and young adult, I can never remember my father telling me he loved me or ever showing me any affection. Most of my adult life I dealt with a low self-esteem and depression as a result of the relationship with my father. I recently attended a Great Dads seminar. The seminar had a tremendous effect on me which is why I was able to go to my father and ask him why he treated me the way he did, and to tell him because of our relationship how much I resented him. As a result of our talk on Father’s Day, I now realize why my father is the way he is. Because of our talk, I now know we can go forward with our relationship knowing that I love my father and he loves me. After my conversation with my father, we all went to my sister’s house where I expressed my desire to be a better husband and father and made a commitment to my wife and children and also presented each child with commitment certificates. It was a tearful but very joyful moment. This seminar helped lift the burden I had been carrying all my life. The Great Dads seminar was one of the best things that ever happened in my life aside from getting saved, married and having children. I will always be forever grateful.
-- Gary Sadler

A LOVE NOTE TOUCHES A CHILD
When the seminar was over we all hugged and praised God for what we had learned together. As I traveled home, I continued to rejoice over how God had moved in my heart. I wanted to put these ideas into action. When I got home, I gave L’il Kevin the “love note” that I had written out in the Great Dads seminar. I was in my room changing my clothes, when all of a sudden he came running into the room. He began to hug me, but this hug was not like any he had given to me before. When I asked him what was wrong, he said “I love you daddy and thank you for the letter (love note).” We hugged each other for a few minutes and my eyes welled and tears began to run down my face (just as they are now). Then he asked me, can we please go to Kinko’s and have it laminated so he could put it up on his wall in his bedroom. It was a feeling and a moment that words cannot describe. I had never experienced this kind of feeling with my own father. Who would have thought that something as simple as a letter to my son, and the response I received that night, would make me feel such joy in my heart.
-- Kevin Moore

A HUSBAND STRONGLY SUPPORTS HIS WIFE
The Great Dads seminar hit me right between the eyes with respect to basic number 4 on “spending time” as well as “partnering” with my wife. I renewed my commitment to be an encouragement and support to my wife as she was juggling all of her responsibilities. The seminar reinforced my support for her to become all that God wanted her to be.
-- Mark Wiggins

Financial Partners

Individual Donors
Great Dads was generously supported by a strong number of individual donors located throughout America. While most have been our financial partners for several years, many joined us in 2004 as new supporters. We are deeply indebted and so appreciative for each indivdual and family who makes up this wide base of support.

Foundations and Other Organizations
We also wish to deeply thank the following foundations, companies, churches, and campaigns that supported Great Dads in 2004.

Annie E. Casey Foundation
Burke Community Church
Combined Federal Campaign
Faith Presbyterian Church
First Baptist Church of Glenarden
Freddie Mac Foundation
Kentuckiana
ME Foundation
Maclellan Foundation
United Way
Youth Sequel Services
an anonymous foundation

ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents ..................................................$92,879
Inventory ................................................................................3,033
TOTAL ASSETS .................................................................$95,912

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
Accounts payable and accrued expenses ...............................$8,821
Seminar deposits ......................................................................300
Refundable advance.............................................................. 75,000
Net assets - Unrestricted .....................................................$11,791
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS ................................$95,912

We want to acknowledge AND applaud the individuals who have dedicated their efforts and a significant part of their lives to helping turn the hearts of fathers to their children. We eagerly anticipate welcoming many more to the Board, the Leadership Team, and our team of Associates in 2005. Please prayerfully consider your involvement.

Board of Directors
Officers

CHAIR
David Laux
President, U.S.-Taiwan Business Forum (ret.)
SECRETARY
Mike McCandless
TREASURER
Joel Stafford
Director, Accounts Payable, Nextel

Members

John Banks
Director, Angel Tree Programs, Prison Fellowship
MG Bob Dees, (ret.)
Executive Director, Defense Strategies, Microsoft
Robert Hamrin, Ph.D
President, Great Dads
Pastor John Jenkins
Senior Pastor, First Baptist of Glenarden, Chairman, Project Bridges
Major General Don Riley
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Leadership Team

Robert Hamrin, President and Founder
Lori Chapman, Administrative Assistant
Don Moore, Director of Prison and Military Ministries
Al Way, Executive Director, Great Dads Washington
Virgil Whitaker, Director of Seminars

Associates Team

We are fortunate to have a dedicated, outstanding team of 92 trained and certified Associates located in 26 states, the District of Columbia, Okinawa, and India