The Personal Story That Changed Foster Care Adoption

Send us Fan MailCorporate philanthropy for foster care adoption becomes more powerful when personal conviction, business systems, and measurable outcomes work together!Denny Lynch, author of Call Me Dave, and Rita Soronen, president and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, share how Dave Thomas turned his own adoption story into a lasting model for corporate-nonprofit impact.This fascinating discussion explores founder legacy, cause alignment, franchise engagement, program design, capacity constraints, and the responsibility successful businesses have to give back. It is a powerful example of how one leader’s personal experience can become an enduring institution when passion is matched with structure, measurement, and shared ownership.Dave Thomas founded the foundation in 1992 after recognizing that children waiting in foster care were being overlooked. His approach went far beyond lending a famous name to a cause. He brought the same focus, urgency, and operating discipline that helped build Wendy’s, asking a direct question: How many children did we help move into permanent families?Rita explains how that expectation pushed the foundation from awareness-building toward measurable action. The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program now funds adoption professionals across the United States and Canada who use an evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model. The goal is not simply to generate interest, but to strengthen the capacity needed to connect children, especially older youth, with safe, loving, permanent homes.As Rita tells us, “Behind that word dramatic is something measurable.” That mindset offers a valuable lesson for nonprofit executives, board members, funders, and corporate partners: a compelling mission must be supported by clear outcomes, sufficient infrastructure, and transparent reporting.Denny also describes the leadership traits that made Thomas’s commitment credible. “Find something that means something to you,” he advises business leaders, because authentic commitment attracts employees, franchisees, families, and communities in ways that transactional sponsorship cannot.00:00:00 Dave Thomas and the Mission of Foster Care Adoption00:01:38 Twenty Years of Stories Behind Call Me Dave00:03:29 Why Children Wait Years for Permanent Families00:04:36 How Adoption Shaped Dave Thomas00:07:08 The Values That Defined His Leadership00:09:35 A Final Mandate: Get This Job Done00:11:43 Finding the Courage to Share His Story00:13:19 The White House and Corporate Adoption Benefits00:14:45 Keeping a Founder’s Legacy Relevant00:18:39 Engaging Wendy’s Franchisees in the Mission00:22:29 Building an Evidence-Based Adoption Program00:24:35 Measuring Results Instead of Activity00:26:34 What Business Leaders Can Learn From Dave Thomas #CorporatePhilanthropy #FosterCareAdoption #TheNonprofitShowFind us Live daily on YouTube!Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn!Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_ShowOur national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PTSend us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] us on the web:The Nonprofit Show