Supporting Those Who Support Families: The Work of FFTA
- Sierra Gregg
- Jul 7
- 10 min read
Updated: Jul 9
FFTA supports the people and organizations serving children and families, creating connections that help strengthen communities across the country.
Prefer to listen Instead?
For many families, support comes from the people and organizations around them.
It may come from a child welfare provider, a behavioral health professional, a foster parent, a public agency, a nonprofit program, or a community-based organization working quietly in the background to help a family take the next step forward.
But behind all that work are teams of people carrying responsibilities that are complex, urgent, and deeply personal.
That is where FFTA comes in.
FFTA (Family Focused Treatment Association) is a nonprofit membership association dedicated to strengthening organizations that support the well-being of children, families, and communities. Its members include human service organizations, child welfare and behavioral health providers, state and county public agencies, and other community-based organizations across the country.
As Ryan Dowis, Executive Director of FFTA, shared,
“We believe every family should have the support they need, and every child should have the chance to thrive.”
For more than 40 years, FFTA has brought organizations together to learn from one another, strengthen leadership, share ideas, and advance policies that improve the lives of children and families. At the center of that work is a simple idea Ryan returned to throughout our conversation.
“At FFTA, we often say our role is to support those who support families.” Ryan Dowis
That message made FFTA a natural fit for Endowment Partners’ Monthly Nonprofit Spotlight series. The goal of this series is to bring more attention to nonprofit organizations carrying out meaningful work in the communities they serve and to give their stories the space they deserve.
FFTA’s story embodies connection. Its work helps strengthen the organizations serving children and families throughout communities across the country.
Supporting Those Who Support Families
Ryan explained that human services is often some of the most meaningful work a person can do.
“I wish more people understood how meaningful, and how inspiring, the work of human services really is.” Ryan Dowis
For many people, especially younger generations entering the workforce, purpose matters. Human services offers that sense of meaning every day. Professionals across FFTA’s member organizations help strengthen families, create opportunities for young people, and support the well-being of entire communities.
At the same time, Ryan was clear that the work is not easy.
Human service leaders are often contending with complex regulations, limited funding, workforce challenges, and growing community needs, all while remaining deeply committed to the people they serve. They are persistently adapting, problem-solving, and finding ways to do more with the resources available to them.
“I don’t think those leaders receive enough recognition for just how resilient, creative, and mission-driven they are.” Ryan Dowis
That recognition is a meaningful part of FFTA’s work. The organization understands that supporting families also means supporting the people and systems around them.
Strengthening the Entire Organization
Over the past several years, FFTA has continued to expand the way it thinks about strengthening organizations.
While much of its work has historically focused on professionals who work directly with children and families, FFTA now creates resources and learning opportunities for people across the organization.
That includes executive leaders, emerging leaders, supervisors, board members, human resources professionals, finance teams, fundraising professionals, communications staff, and direct service practitioners.
Each role matters.
A direct service professional may be the person sitting across from a child or family, but their work is shaped by leadership, funding, policy, communication, operations, governance, and culture. Strong organizations need support at every level.
As Ryan explained, “Supporting those who support families means investing in the entire organization.”
That perspective is part of what makes FFTA’s work so important. Human services depend on the full strength of an organization, from the people providing direct care to the teams ensuring the mission can continue.
Investing in People Doing the Work
Right now, FFTA is focused on helping organizations create spaces where people feel prepared, supported, valued, and equipped to succeed.
That includes practical learning opportunities, leadership development, workforce well-being, and helping organizations prepare the next generation of leaders before they are asked to step into those roles.
“The need has never been greater. Communities are asking organizations to address increasingly complex challenges, and the people doing this work deserve the tools, connections, and aid essential to meet those needs.” Ryan Dowis
Connection came up again and again in Ryan’s answers. And for all the right reasons.
One of the things he loves most about FFTA is the organization’s ability to connect people who might not otherwise have found one another.
The Power of Connection
Ryan shared a recent example of a member organization in Missouri looking for information on how another jurisdiction in Alberta, Canada, was supporting foster care.
Instead of starting from scratch, the organization reached out to FFTA.
Within days, FFTA connected them with leaders from a member organization in Alberta who had experience with the issue they were exploring. Those leaders started exchanging information, sharing useful insights, and building a professional relationship that continued beyond the original question.
To Ryan, that is what the FFTA community is all about.
“We don’t believe all of the best ideas originate at the national level. In fact, we believe many of the most innovative solutions are already happening in local communities every day.” Ryan Dowis
FFTA helps identify those ideas, brings people together, and creates opportunities for organizations to learn from one another and grow.
A question from one organization can become a conversation with another leader who has faced a similar challenge, tested an approach, and is willing to share what they learned. Those conversations can save time, spark new ideas, and grow into relationships that continue long after that initial introduction.
That kind of connection is especially valuable in a field where the work is both human and highly complex.
Elevating the Voices Closest to the Work
FFTA is also deeply focused on elevating the voices of the people closest to the issues.
Policy plays a major role in how organizations serve families. Good policy can remove barriers and create opportunities. Poor policy can make already difficult work even more challenging.
For FFTA, advocacy begins with listening. The organization works closely with member organizations, young people with lived experience, families, and community leaders to understand what is working, where challenges remain, and what changes might make the greatest difference.
Ryan pointed to substantial progress in areas like support for kinship caregivers and efforts like the Fostering the Future Act, which seeks to strengthen support for young adults transitioning from foster care.
Policy change can take time, but FFTA’s role is to help keep the voices of communities and those with lived experience at the center of the conversation. The people closest to the work often have the clearest understanding of what needs to change. FFTA helps make sure those voices are heard.
Upcoming Ways to Connect
This year is especially meaningful for FFTA as the organization celebrates the 40th anniversary of its Annual Conference, its largest gathering of the year.
The FFTA 2026 Annual Conference will take place July 7th–10th at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, bringing together nearly 700 professionals from almost 40 states and several countries to learn, share ideas, and build relationships. Attendees include direct service professionals, executive leaders, foster parents, researchers, public agencies, private providers, technology partners, and others who share a commitment towards strengthening families.
The conference reflects the three pillars of FFTA’s work: education, connection, and advocacy.
This year, Endowment Partners is also proud to be part of the conversation. Diane Tuntland, Founder and CEO of Endowment Partners, will be speaking at the Annual Conference on July 8th. Her session, “The Need Won’t Disappear - Will the Funding?” will focus on how nonprofit organizations can think more intentionally about long-term financial sustainability, including reserve planning, diversified revenue, endowment strategy, planned giving, investment oversight, and the structures that help organizations prepare before the next disruption arrives.
For organizations serving children, families, and communities, financial sustainability is not an abstract boardroom topic. It affects the ability to serve, respond, retain staff, plan ahead, and carry on the work when people need it most.
One piece of the conference that is especially meaningful to Ryan is the community volunteer opportunity. Each year, FFTA partners with a local nonprofit in the city where the conference is held, giving attendees the ability to step outside the hotel and spend an afternoon giving back to the community hosting them.
It is a meaningful reminder that the ideas discussed at FFTA events are already being put into practice in communities every day.
FFTA Annual Conference
Date: July 7th–10th, 2026
Location: Hyatt Regency Chicago
FFTA’s Annual Conference is the organization’s largest gathering of the year and, in 2026, marks its 40th anniversary.
Taking place at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, the conference brings together nearly 700 professionals from almost 40 states and several countries, including direct service professionals, executive leaders, foster parents, researchers, public agencies, private providers, technology partners, and others committed to strengthening families. The event reflects the three pillars of FFTA’s work: education, connection, and advocacy.
This year, Endowment Partners is also proud to be part of the conversation. Diane Tuntland, Founder and CEO of Endowment Partners, will be speaking on July 8 in the session “The Need Won’t Disappear - Will the Funding?” which will focus on long-term financial sustainability for nonprofit organizations and the importance of preparing today for the funding needs of tomorrow.
FFTA Leadership Summit
Date: October 27th–28th, 2026
Location: Circa, Las Vegas
FFTA’s Leadership Summit offers a different but equally valuable experience.
Taking place at Circa in Las Vegas, the Summit is intentionally smaller and designed for senior and executive leaders, board members, and those preparing for leadership roles. It creates space for deeper conversations around leadership, governance, organizational culture, workforce development, and the future of human services.
This year, FFTA is partnering with True North Executive Solutions to help shape the experience. FFTA is also expanding opportunities for board members to participate, recognizing that strong governance is essential to strong organizations.
For Ryan, both the Annual Conference and Leadership Summit are grounded in the same purpose: creating meaningful bonds that continue long after the event ends.
Leaving Connected, Valued, and Inspired
More than anything, Ryan hopes attendees leave feeling connected.
The work of supporting families can be extremely rewarding, but it can also be demanding. FFTA wants nothing more than for attendees to leave their events reminded that they are not doing this work alone.
Ryan even described one of his favorite moments at FFTA events: someone from Texas connecting with someone from Nevada over a challenge they are facing in their organization or community. They share ideas, lessons learned, and different approaches. Before long, they were swapping contact information and quickly realizing they had found someone they could continue learning from long after the event ended.
Months later, when a new challenge emerges, they could pick up the phone or send an email because they know someone who has been there before.
“That’s the power of the FFTA community and it’s something we work hard to cultivate every time we bring people together.” Ryan Dowis
He also hopes attendees depart feeling valued.
The people serving children and families do not always receive the recognition they deserve. FFTA wants to celebrate both the work they do and the difference they make every day. Another hope Ryan has is that attendees walk away with new ideas, practical solutions, fresh perspectives, and a renewed sense of pride in the impact they have on the families they serve.
A Place for People Who Care About Families
That sense of joint purpose stretches beyond FFTA’s events.
The organization is always looking to broaden the community of people committed to strengthening families. There are many ways to get involved, including becoming a member, attending educational programs, joining the Annual Conference or Leadership Summit, partnering on research or policy initiatives, sponsoring an event, becoming a year-round corporate sponsor, or sharing innovative ideas with others in the field.
“If you care about strengthening families and supporting the organizations that serve them, there’s a place for you in the FFTA community.” Ryan Dowis
That invitation reflects the heart of the organization. FFTA is built on the belief that no single organization has all the answers. Progress happens when people are willing to share what they know, listen to one another, and build solutions together.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Ryan and FFTA are hopeful about the future, believing that many of the best ideas for strengthening families are already underway in communities across the country.
The people closest to the work, including organizations serving families every day, young people with lived experience, families, and communities themselves, have tremendous insight into what works. FFTA’s responsibility is to listen, elevate those voices, and create opportunities for others to learn from them.
Through more than 300 member organizations, 24 state chapters, and relationships spanning nearly every state, FFTA is connected to remarkable work happening throughout communities across the country. That network gives the organization the ability to identify promising practices, elevate innovative ideas, and connect leaders who might otherwise never meet.
“My hope is that FFTA continues to be the place where those connections happen.” Ryan Dowis
That hope feels central to FFTA’s mission.
The future of human services will be formed by people willing to share what works, learn from one another, and build solutions together. FFTA helps make those connections possible.
Why This Work Matters
For Endowment Partners, organizations like FFTA show how powerful long-term community investment can be when it strengthens the people and institutions serving families every day.
Ryan also reflected on the importance of working with partners who understand the responsibility nonprofit organizations carry.
“One of the things we've learned is that nonprofits do their best work when they're surrounded by partners who truly understand the sector. Managing investments for a nonprofit isn't just about financial returns—it's about being responsible stewards of resources that have been entrusted to us to support children, families, and communities. Endowment Partners understands that responsibility, and we value having a partner who not only brings nonprofit expertise but also takes the time to understand our mission and the people we're here to serve.” Ryan Dowis
That perspective speaks directly to the heart of nonprofit stewardship. For organizations serving children, families, and communities, long-term planning is not separate from the mission. It is part of what helps the mission continue.
FFTA’s work creates space for leaders to learn, collaborate, and carry new ideas back to the communities they serve. In a field where the needs are complex and the work is deeply human, that kind of connection matters.
It helps organizations become stronger.
It helps leaders feel less alone.
And it helps families receive support from systems that are more prepared, more connected, and more responsive to the realities around them.
Comments