Editing Focus on the Family (section)

==History ==
[[File:Focus on the Family logo.png|thumb|Focus on the Family's former logo]]
[[File:Focus on the Family Welcome Center (Colorado Springs).jpg|thumb|Focus on the Family's Visitor's Welcome Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado]]

=== Origins and Dobson era ===
From 1977 to 2003, [[James Dobson]] served as the sole leader of the organization, which was originally based in [[Arcadia, California]]. Dobson and his organization generated significant controversy by taking a different approach to [[Christian ministry|ministry]] than many other [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] [[Parachurch organization|parachurch organizations]], opting to combine its parenting programs with conservative political activism.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Rabey |first=Steve |title=Focus on the Family turns 40, with Jim Daly saying the good word is "Shalom" |url=http://gazette.com/focus-on-the-family-turns-40-with-jim-daly-saying-the-good-word-is-shalom/article/1599721 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421095128/http://gazette.com/focus-on-the-family-turns-40-with-jim-daly-saying-the-good-word-is-shalom/article/1599721 |archive-date=April 21, 2017 |access-date=April 20, 2017 |work=Colorado Springs Gazette}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=White |first=Gayle |date=1993-09-04 |title=Focus on the Family: Evangelical Christian organization is bursting at the seams |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/402934146/ |work=The Atlanta Constitution |pages=67}}</ref> By 1993, Focus on the Family was receiving approximately 10,000 personal letters and 3,000 phone calls per day by individuals seeking personal assistance from the organization.<ref>{{Cite news |last=White |first=Gayle |date=1993-09-04 |title=Focus on the Family: Evangelical Christian organization is bursting at the seams |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/402934146/ |work=The Atlanta Constitution |pages=67 |quote=People seeking personal attention send about 10,000 letters and make about 3,000 calls a day to Focus on the Family. The Colorado Springs facilities include a bank of counselors who reply, referring some to counseling centers near their homes.}}</ref> The organization, and especially James Dobson, wielded significant national influence within the U.S., and particularly among [[Christian right|politically conservative Christians]] and women working within the home.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Perkes |first=Kim Sue Lia |date=1995-08-12 |title=Search & rescue: James Dobson's Christian ministry seeks to deliver families from 'destruction' at the hands of a liberal society |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/123413811/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |work=[[The Arizona Republic]] |location=Phoenix, Arizona |pages=D6–D7}}</ref> During the 1990s Dobson and Focus on the Family were accused by an early member of the organization of moving away from their original mission of helping families and instead becoming "too political".<ref>{{Cite news |date=1997-08-22 |title=Co-founder of Focus on the Family makes public apology |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/879752841/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |work=[[Seattle Gay News]] |pages=8}}</ref> The organization's cornerstone items included their radio broadcasts as well as other ventures such as their film publishing arm ''Focus on the Family Films''.<ref name=":6" />

In 2003, [[Donald P. Hodel]] became president and chief executive officer, tasked with the day-to-day operations.<ref>{{cite news
|url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1zIwAAAAIBAJ&pg=4223,327647
|title = James Dobson no longer a manager, just an orator
|date = May 17, 2003
|page = A9
|newspaper = Reading Eagle
|access-date = January 27, 2016
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170308205703/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1zIwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uaMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4223,327647
|archive-date = March 8, 2017
|url-status = live
}}</ref> Dobson remained chairman of the board of directors, with chiefly creative and speaking duties. In March 2005, Hodel retired and [[Jim Daly (evangelist)|Jim Daly]], formerly the vice president in charge of Focus on the Family's International Division, assumed the role of president and chief executive officer.<ref>
{{cite news
|url= http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?ID=20234
|title= Hodel retiring as president of Focus, succeeded by James Daly
|date= February 25, 2005
|work= Baptist Press
|publisher= [[Southern Baptist Convention]]
|url-status= dead
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120320070740/http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?ID=20234
|archive-date= March 20, 2012
}}</ref>

By 2007, the executive leadership of the organization reportedly worked to sustain the group's cultural influence by investing more heavily into family programs targeted at younger generations as opposed to only bolstering its political programs favored by James Dobson. As a result of targeting a younger demographic more frequently in digital spaces, the organization reported a decrease in donations, dropping from 755,000 donors in 2004 to 564,000 donors by September 2007.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Gorski |first=Eric |date=2007-10-27 |title=Focus on the Family executives more interested in parenting than politics |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/321827344/ |work=[[The Baxter Bulletin]] |pages=14 |type=Newspaper}}</ref>

In the first decade the 2000s, Focus lead [[Sexual abstinence|abstinence]] programs both domestically in the U.S. and worldwide. The program, often titled ''No Apologies'', had some success in [[Muslims|Muslim]]-majority countries such as [[Egypt]] and [[Malaysia]] where the teachings of abstinence aligned with messages of [[Islam]]. The program was brought to [[China]] with the permission of the [[Chinese Communist Party]], who desired to bring down birth rates at the time.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wan |first=William |date=2010-09-03 |title=Abstinence program partners Chinese officials with U.S. Evangelicals |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/824510436/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |work=[[West Hawaii Today]] |pages=9A |agency=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

In November 2008, the organization eliminated 202 jobs, representing 18 percent of its workforce. The organization also cut its budget from $160&nbsp;million in fiscal 2008 to $138&nbsp;million for fiscal 2009.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gazette.com/news/focus_43586___article.html/lays_eliminationg.html |title=Focus on the Family eliminating 202 jobs |author=Bill Reed |work=Colorado Springs Gazette |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203223537/http://www.gazette.com/news/focus_43586___article.html/lays_eliminationg.html |archive-date=February 3, 2009}}</ref>

In February 2009, Dobson resigned his chairmanship.<ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/27/dobson-steps-down-fof-chairman/ Dobson steps down as FOF chairman] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209161227/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/27/dobson-steps-down-fof-chairman/ |date=February 9, 2011}}. ''[[The Washington Times]]'' (February 27, 2009). Retrieved May 21, 2012.</ref> He left Focus on the Family in early 2010, and subsequently founded Family Talk as a non-profit organization and launched a new broadcast that began airing nationally on May 3, 2010.<ref name=":5" /> He is no longer affiliated with Focus on the Family.

=== Post-Dobson ===
In a break from the previous status quo, president Jim Daly purportedly tried to steer the organization away from the same level of political activism that the organization was known for in its initial decades of existence. Daly made connections with figures and organizations that founder Dobson disdained and cut off, such as [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[United States]] [[President Barack Obama]], liberal activist [[Ted Trimpa]], and the newspaper [[The Independent]].<ref name=":1" />

On June 23, 2017, [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Mike Pence]] attended the organization's 40th anniversary celebration; at the event, he praised founder James Dobson, stated that then-[[President of the United States|President]] [[Donald Trump]] was an ally of the organization, and added that the Trump administration supported Focus on the Family's goals (including the abolition of [[Planned Parenthood]]).<ref>{{cite news|last=Blue |first=Miranda |title=Pence Tells Focus On the Family It Has An 'Unwavering Ally' In Trump |url=http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/pence-tells-focus-on-the-family-it-has-an-unwavering-ally-in-trump/ |access-date=June 24, 2017|work=Right Wing Watch|date=June 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627212525/http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/pence-tells-focus-on-the-family-it-has-an-unwavering-ally-in-trump/|archive-date=June 27, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Paul |first=Jesse |title=Mike Pence to speak in Colorado Springs for Focus on the Family's 40th anniversary celebration|url=http://www.denverpost.com/2017/06/13/mike-pence-colorado-springs-focus-family-anniversary/|access-date=June 24, 2017|work=The Denver Post|date=June 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616233331/http://www.denverpost.com/2017/06/13/mike-pence-colorado-springs-focus-family-anniversary/|archive-date=June 16, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Garrison|first1=Robert|title=Vice President Mike Pence to speak at Focus on the Family event in Colorado Springs |url=http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/vice-president-mike-pence-to-speak-at-focus-on-the-family-event-in-colorado-springs|access-date=June 24, 2017|work=7News - The Denver Channel |date=June 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614014952/http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/vice-president-mike-pence-to-speak-at-focus-on-the-family-event-in-colorado-springs|archive-date=June 14, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Pence's attendance at the event, along with Focus on the Family's stances on LGBT rights, was criticized by the [[Human Rights Campaign]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Peters |first=Stephen |title=#HateWatch: Trump-Pence Endorse Agenda of Anti-LGBTQ Organization|url=http://www.hrc.org/blog/hatewatch-donald-trump-mike-pence-endorse-agenda-of-anti-lgbtq-organization|access-date=June 24, 2017|date=June 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625232544/http://www.hrc.org/blog/hatewatch-donald-trump-mike-pence-endorse-agenda-of-anti-lgbtq-organization|archive-date=June 25, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In its IRS Form 990 for Tax Year 2015, dated October 26, 2017, Focus on the Family for the first time declared itself a "church, convention of churches or association of churches", claiming that it was no longer required to file the IRS disclosure form and that the sources and disposition of its $89 million budget were "Not for public inspection". Tax attorney Gail Harmon, who advises nonprofit organizations on tax law, said she found the declaration "shocking", noting that "There's nothing about them that meets the traditional definition of what a church is. They don't have a congregation, they don't have the rites of various parts of a person's life."<ref>Miranda Blue, [http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/focus-on-the-family-has-declared-itself-a-church-avoiding-irs-disclosure-rules/, "Focus On The Family Has Declared Itself A Church, Avoiding IRS Disclosure Rules"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218145105/https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/focus-on-the-family-has-declared-itself-a-church-avoiding-irs-disclosure-rules/ |date=December 18, 2020}}, "Right Wing Watch", February 20, 2018, Retrieved: February 23, 2018</ref> A spokesperson for the organization stated that it changed its status "primarily to protect the confidentiality of our donors".{{ r | WP_now_church}} By 2023, the organization had offices in 14 countries and partnerships in 60 countries, for an international presence in 98 countries.<ref>Focus on the Family, [http://www.focusonthefamily.com/about/global-outreach Global Outreach], focusonthefamily.com, USA, retrieved February 4, 2023</ref>