
Family Run Organizations
Family-run organizations (FROs) are family-led, 501 (C )(3) non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting families who are caring for children, youth and young adults with social, emotional, substance use or multi-systems challenges – and the agencies that serve them. They are governed and guided by the lived experience* of families.
Family-run organizations encompass the collective lived experience of families in their states and communities. They are specialty providers, each as unique as the families they serve.
The foundation for being a family-run organization consists of four essential elements:
- Mission: It is dedicated to supporting families caring for a child or youth with social, emotional, substance use or multi system challenges.
- Governance: The board of the organization is comprised of at least 50% family members with “lived experience”
- Personnel: The Executive Director/CEO and the majority of staff members providing support are family members with lived experience.
- Family voice: The organization promotes and advances family voice at all levels of the organization and within systems that serve children, youth and families.
What do family-run organizations do?
o learn FROs provide a variety of services and supports to help families navigate complex service systems, access necessary resources, and develop the knowledge and skills they need to improve their lives and the lives of their children. To ensure that services and supports meet the needs of youth and families, family-run organizations play a wide range of pivotal roles in preparing and supporting families to participate in the service, agency and policy arenas. Examples include providing peer support and navigation for families and youth, delivering training and workforce development for professionals across child-serving systems, participating in continuous quality improvement processes, serving as members of care coordination teams, and informing public policy decisions. Watch the videos below to learn more about some of their work.
A 2019 survey of family-run organizations conducted by FREDLA showed that:
FREDLA offers consultation and training for organizational development. For information and pricing, contact us.
What is the added value of a partnership with a family-run organization?
Partnerships with family run organizations can help families, state and federal policy makers, managed care organizations and providers achieve their shared goals of improving services and achieving positive outcomes for children, youth, young adults and their families.
Family-run organizations know how to engage families, advance positive outcomes and collaborate for change
Over 30 years of research studies cite the positive outcomes that result from engaging families. Family organizations have the specialized skills to engage families in decisions about their child’s care, as employees and board members of agencies, and to inform policy and program development. The graphic below shows those outcomes.

How can I find a family-run organization? Ask us! info@fredla.org
Governance
Governance is a broad term that can encompass many aspects relevant to the running of an organization or business; in short, however, it defines the rights and responsibilities of the various stakeholders in the business, determines how decisions will be made, and establishes checks and balances.
- Nonprofit Impact Matters
- What Does Board Service Entail?
- Checklist of Board Roles and Responsibilities
- Nonprofit Board Member Code of Conduct
- Every Board’s Must Have Documents
- Board Member’s Job Description
- Board Orientation Checklist
- Taking Action on Board Diversity
- Board Roles and Responsibilities
- Leading with Intent: Index of Nonprofit Board Practices
- Recommended Governance Practices
- Conflict of Interest
- Robert’s Rules of Order Tip Sheet
- Fact Sheet on Board Minutes
- Leading with Intent: Index of Nonprofit Board Practices
- Principles Workbook: Steering Your Board Toward Good Governance and Ethical Practice
- What Board Members Need to Know About Not-for-Profit Finance and Accounting
- Board’s Role Reviewing the 990
Executive Leadership
- The Business of FROs
- Accounting Policies and Procedures Manuals (sample template)
- A Nonprofit’s Guide to Risk Management and Insurance
- An Executive Director’s Guide to Financial Leadership
- Managing Cash Flow
Staff
- Employing Staff with Lived Experience