The National At Home Dad Network

What The National At Home Dad Network does

The National At-Home Dad Network (NAHDN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 in Chicago and currently headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, with a stated mission of supporting at-home fathers through advocacy, community, and education. It serves stay-at-home and primary-caregiving dads, operating as the central coordinating body for a distributed community of 150+ local dad groups across more than 30 U.S. states and Canada, and reaching what the organization describes as "millions weekly" through its social media presence.

The organization's core products and touchpoints include the annual HomeDadCon convention (with the 30th edition planned for 2026), the HomeDadChat podcast, NAHDN DadX Discussions webinar series, a Discord-based online community, and advocacy initiatives such as the RAD! campaign. Its technology stack is built on commodity tools — a WordPress website, Facebook and Instagram for distribution, Discord for community, podcast hosting, Zoom for webinars, and a Printful-powered merchandise store — without proprietary technology, AI features, or differentiated platform infrastructure. Headcount is reported at 12 employees, with operations supported by an elected executive committee (President Chris Griffin, VP Danny Mercer, Secretary Nik Hargis, Treasurer Paul Gordon).

NAHDN's business model is a diversified nonprofit funding stack: individual membership dues priced at $35 annually or $500 lifetime, tax-deductible donations, small-dollar corporate sponsorships (e.g., Fatherhood Wines), and merchandise revenue via Printful. City Dads Group is identified as a core affiliate partner. Annual operating expenses are approximately $36,933, and total assets sit in the $79,613–$84,865 range across recent reporting periods, indicating a small, stable, grassroots-funded operation.

Name

The National At Home Dad Network

Legal name

The National At-Home Dad Network

Website

https://athomedad.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National At-Home Dad Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 that supports stay-at-home fathers through its annual HomeDadCon convention, HomeDadChat podcast, webinars, and a network of 150+ local dad groups across 30+ U.S. states and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fatherhood Community Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

akta.pro primary industry

Co-Parenting, Father Engagement & Caregiver Inclusion Programs (EDACALAI)

Keywords

• Stay-at-home dad support
• Fatherhood community network
• Dad advocacy nonprofit
• Father caregiver community
• Parent support organization

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual memberships at $35 per year and lifetime memberships at $500 provide core operational revenue. Membership benefits include convention access, board meeting minutes, past HomeDadCon recordings, exclusive store access, and voting rights in leadership elections.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: The organization partners with companies who value stay-at-home dads. Sponsorship opportunities include activity sponsorships (e.g., Fatherhood Wines $500 activity sponsorship), supporting memberships ($250), and convention sponsorships. Past sponsors include DadUniversity, Turf Valley, Plan To Run, Perceptive Parents, Fiscal Dad, DrinkWisconsibly, Dove Men Care, Happy Family Organics, Britax, Huggies, BN3TH, HomeLight, and FlexJobs.
3. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce through Printful offering branded merchandise including t-shirts, hats, polo shirts with embroidery, and accessories. A portion of purchases supports the organization. Products include 'Dads Don't Babysit' merchandise and RAD! (Really Accepting Dads) campaign items.
4. Donations: Individual donations support the organization's mission of advocacy, community, education, and support for at-home dads. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entirely supported by generous individual donations and corporate sponsorships.
5. Major Gifts: The organization received a $50,000 major gift intended to strengthen long-term financial stability, with ongoing stewardship and transparency discussions by the board.
6. Brian Dickson Memorial Scholarship Fund: Scholarship fund helping dads with travel, lodging, and ticket costs to attend convention. Managed through board policies with $5 of each $35 membership dues allocated if scholarship balance is under $5,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

The National At-Home Dad Network (NAHDN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates the HomeDadCon annual convention, the HomeDadChat monthly podcast, the NAHDN DadX Discussions monthly webinar series, and a paid membership program (annual and lifetime) for stay-at-home fathers. It also maintains a national directory of 150+ local dad groups across 30+ U.S. states and Canada, runs the Fathers Overcoming Adversity emergency assistance fund and Brian Dickson Memorial Scholarship, and sells branded merchandise through a Printful print-on-demand storefront to support its advocacy mission.

Product overview

The National At-Home Dad Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a community-focused platform for at-home dads centered around advocacy, community, education, and support. The organization's core offerings include HomeDadCon (annual at-home dads convention), the HomeDadChat Podcast, NAHDN DadX Discussions webinar series, and a membership program ($35 annual / $500 lifetime). Supporting services include a Dad Groups Directory spanning the US and Canada, the Fathers Overcoming Adversity Fund for emergency assistance, the Brian Dickson Memorial Scholarship for convention attendance support, Dad Victories storytelling content, and an exclusive merchandise store through Printful. The organization operates primarily through digital platforms including websites, social media, YouTube, Discord, and podcast distribution channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HomeDadCon: The Annual At-Home Dads Convention - a professional development event for at-home fathers that includes networking, educational sessions, and community building
• Fathers Overcoming Adversity Fund
• Brian Dickson Memorial Scholarship
• NAHDN DadX Discussions
• Home Dad Chat Podcast
• Dad Lounge
• Dads Don't Babysit

Products and services

• HomeDadCon Annual Convention Flagship annual gathering of primary caregiver fathers from across the U.S. and beyond for professional development, networking, and fellowship. Recent editions include Milwaukee 2023 (90+ attendees from 25 states and the Netherlands) and Phoenix 2022, with San Antonio and New Orleans hosting future events.
• NAHDN Membership Program Annual membership at $35/year or lifetime membership at $500, granting access to HomeDadCon tickets, monthly board meeting minutes, past HomeDadCon recordings, the exclusive members store, and voting rights in leadership elections. Lifetime members receive an exclusive NAHDN/Dads Don't Babysit coin.
• NAHDN DadX Discussions Webinar Series Monthly webinar series distributed via YouTube featuring parenting experts, researchers, and authors discussing topics relevant to at-home dads such as gender inclusivity, self-care, and fatherhood skills.
• HomeDadChat Podcast Monthly podcast series with relatable content for parents covering tantrums, stress relief, gaming, and dad life storytelling, distributed on YouTube and Spotify.
• Dad Groups Directory Online directory of 150+ local dad groups across 30+ U.S. states (and Toronto, Canada) enabling at-home dads to locate in-person community nodes, including City Dads Group affiliates.
• Fathers Overcoming Adversity Fund Emergency financial assistance program providing support to NAHDN community members and families who have suffered severe physical injury or sickness, funded through donations and an annual 5K event.
• Brian Dickson Memorial Scholarship Scholarship fund helping dads cover travel, lodging, and ticket costs to attend the HomeDadCon annual convention, with nominations accepted through the website.
• NAHDN Exclusive Printful Merchandise Store Print-on-demand e-commerce store offering branded merchandise such as t-shirts, hats, polo shirts, accessories, and exclusive NAHDN/Dads Don't Babysit coins, with a portion of proceeds supporting the nonprofit.
• Dad Victories Storytelling Storytelling initiative collecting and publishing personal stories from at-home dads about their challenges, triumphs, and caregiving experiences to inspire and connect the broader community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.4 million stay-at-home dads in the US (most accurate count per Dr. Beth Latshaw's research)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Fatherhood WinesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Reached out looking to do a $500 activity sponsorship as well as a $250 Supporting Membership. Discussion in progress regarding partnership alignment.
• Drury HotelscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Drury properties discussed positively for convention hosting based on recent experience. No food-and-beverage minimum, included breakfast and evening kickback offerings, helpful staff, and favorable cost structure. Board expressed interest in exploring multi-year relationship. Used for HomeDadCon 2024 (St. Louis Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch) and 2026 (New Orleans Drury).
• LGBT Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025LGBT Chamber of Commerce vendor list received for HomeDadCon San Antonio. Organization has commitment to have 25% of HDC vendors and sponsors be minority or women-owned businesses.
• Turf ValleyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Sponsor of HomeDadCon events. Turf Valley is a comedy series about at-home dads featuring three-time Super Bowl champion Charles Mann. Writer-Producers Adam Rodgers and Tom Ventimiglia presented at the convention.
• Plan To RunminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Sponsor of HomeDadCon 2023 and 2024, supporting the organization's events and mission.
• Perceptive ParentsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Sponsor of HomeDadCon 2023, supporting the at-home dad community and convention.
• Fiscal DadminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Sponsor of HomeDadCon 2023.
• Drink WisconsiblyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Sponsor of HomeDadCon 2023 in Milwaukee, supporting the at-home dad convention.
• DadUniversityminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of The National At-Home Dad Network, participating in the organization's mission to support at-home dads through corporate sponsorship.
• Trans Youth Equality FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner for the RAD! (Really Accepting Dads) campaign supporting transgender youth and their families. 100% of proceeds from RAD! shirt merchandise sales go to support this foundation.
• Dove Men CareminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Past sponsor of NAHDN, supporting the at-home dad community.
• Huggies DiapersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Past sponsor of NAHDN, supporting at-home dad families.
• BritaxminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Past sponsor of NAHDN, providing child safety products support.
• FlexJobsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Past sponsor supporting at-home dad community.
• Dad 2.0 SummitminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Co-founder Doug French presented at NAHDN webinars. Dad 2.0 Summit is an organization built on connecting with dads and their stories to change the image of fatherhood through blogging, YouTube, Instagram, and working with brands.
• ScholasticminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Past sponsor providing educational content support.
• City Dads Group (Dads Supporting Dads)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020City Dads Group is an official partner organization helping fathers across the nation socialize and support one another. Many local dad groups listed on NAHDN's Find a Dad Group page are officially part of City Dads Group (marked with asterisk). The organization maintains a presence at dadssupportingdads.org.
• Happy Family OrganicsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Past sponsor of HomeDadCon 2021 supporting at-home dad families.
• BN3THminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Past sponsor of NAHDN.
• HomeLightminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Past sponsor of NAHDN.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Promundo: Promundo is a global nonprofit working to advance gender equality and prevent violence by engaging men and boys in healthy caregiving and fatherhood. It operates at much broader international scale with research and policy programs, making it an adjacent incumbent rather than a head-to-head community competitor to NAHDN.

Emerging players

• The Good Dad Project: The Good Dad Project is a dad-focused media and community platform offering podcasts, coaching, and online courses for engaged fathers. It addresses the same at-home dad use cases (parenting, identity, balance) as NAHDN but operates commercially rather than as a nonprofit, with lighter community infrastructure.
• Dad University: DadUniversity is a dad-focused educational resource and content brand offering courses, podcasts, and community for fathers. It is listed as a NAHDN sponsor and overlaps on the educational-program side of NAHDN's pillars, but is commercial and content-led rather than event/convention-driven.

Direct peers

• Fatherly: Fatherly is a digital media and commerce brand targeting modern fathers with editorial content, newsletters, podcasts, and a community. It competes with NAHDN for the same engaged-dad audience and brand sponsorship dollars, but operates as a venture-backed media company rather than a member-supported nonprofit.
• Mocha Dads: Mocha Dads is a community-driven organization and online platform supporting fathers of color through storytelling, podcasts, and local meetups. It overlaps with NAHDN on the dad-advocacy and community-engagement mission while addressing a distinct demographic segment, making it a comparable direct peer in the niche dad-community space.
• All Pro Dad: All Pro Dad is a national fatherhood organization that provides resources, events, and a podcast/digital curriculum to help dads be more engaged. It targets a similar 'involved father' persona as NAHDN, with comparable educational content, events, and corporate partnerships, though it is more school-based and family-marriage focused.
• Dad 2.0 Summit: Dad 2.0 Summit is a conference and community brand connecting dads and brands to change the image of fatherhood via digital content. It is a direct parallel to NAHDN's HomeDadCon and shares co-founder Doug French as a webinar presenter with NAHDN, making it the closest event-based peer.
• National Fatherhood Initiative: National Fatherhood Initiative is the leading U.S. nonprofit advocating for responsible fatherhood through research, programming, and public awareness campaigns. It overlaps with NAHDN on the fatherhood advocacy mission and national reach, though it is more policy/research-oriented while NAHDN is community/event-driven.
• City Dads Group: City Dads Group is a national network of social and support groups for involved fathers and is an explicit strategic partner of NAHDN, with many local groups on NAHDN's directory being City Dads Group affiliates. Both organizations target engaged, urban, primary-caregiver dads with in-person social groups and fatherhood advocacy.

Others

• Fathers Eve: Fathers Eve is a community initiative and celebration held the evening before Father's Day to connect dads and families. It appears on NAHDN's sponsor page and operates in the adjacent dad-community/e-commerce space, but does not run the year-round programming or advocacy that NAHDN does.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/homedadnet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8s9VQSLC-_tBPZbPxwfKhQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/HomeDadNet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-national-at-home-dad-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/homedadnet
• TikTokvm.tiktok.com/TTPdUUWYMx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The National At Home Dad Network