Built by Purpose: How Fathers Making Progress Is Changing Communities
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An Interview with Terron Edwards, Executive President of Fathers Making Progress
For many nonprofit leaders, the mission is personal.
For Terron Edwards, Executive President of Fathers Making Progress (FMP), fatherhood didn’t just inspire his work, it saved his life.
In this conversation, Terron shares his journey, the power of intentional community, and how building the right systems, including AI teammates through Vee — has helped his organization scale its impact without scaling stress.
“Fatherhood Saved My Life.”
Terron was born in Flint, Michigan, to married parents. When he was nine years old, his father was tragically murdered. Soon after, he and his mother moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Life wasn’t easy.
Like many young men navigating grief and instability, Terron faced struggles that could have easily defined his future. But everything shifted the moment he found out he was going to become a father himself.
“Being a dad actually, in some way, saved my life.It made me reevaluate. It put purpose under me. It put a flame under me.”
That flame turned into a mission — not just to be somebody for somebody, but to help other fathers find purpose, stability, and direction in their own lives.
That mission became Fathers Making Progress.
What Fathers Making Progress Is Really About
Fatherhood transcends race.Fatherhood transcends culture.Fatherhood transcends social and economic status.
At FMP, the fathers who walk through the door come from every walk of life.
Some are:
Re-entering society after incarceration
Recovering from addiction
Rebuilding relationships with their children
Experiencing housing instability
Others are:
Young professionals new to the city
Recently married with a baby on the way
Stable, but seeking mentorship and community
And sometimes, those two dads sit side by side in the same group.
“We’re not trying to fill a stadium.Our groups are intentional — usually 10 to 15 dads.Personal attention. Real conversation. Real growth.”
For over 20 years, the movement has grown steadily. Since officially incorporating, FMP has nearly doubled its impact year over year.
Momentum like that requires more than passion. It requires structure.
The Nonprofit Founder Reality: Doing Everything
Before working with Vee, Terron describes social media and grant writing as constant pressure points.
“Social media was definitely a tough thing.Finding strong grants and writing them to keep things going — that’s the challenge of nonprofit founders.Especially when you don’t have a big staff.”
Like many nonprofit leaders, Terron was:
Managing programs
Overseeing finances
Leading groups
Maintaining partnerships
Handling operations
Every new task felt like one more plate spinning in the air.
“Just one more thing off the plate is probably the biggest thing.”
Why Systems Matter More Than Hustle
When asked what advice he’d give to other nonprofit leaders trying to do everything themselves, Terron didn’t hesitate:
“Find as many systems as you can to help automate.Vee is great. AI is great.”
For Fathers Making Progress, Vee helped streamline:
📱 Social Media & Branding
Consistent narrative
Stronger brand presence
Clear messaging across platforms
Automation support that reduced manual workload
“We’ve done such a great job of branding.Being able to give the narrative and get the information out.”
💰 Grant Research & Writing
Identifying aligned opportunities
Drafting strong proposals
Keeping funding pipelines moving
And perhaps most importantly:
🧠 Mental Bandwidth
Nonprofit leadership isn’t just operational — it’s emotional. Having systems that reduce friction allows leaders to focus on vision and relationships instead of administrative overload.
“People don’t even know that our staff is as small as it is.”
Quality systems make small teams feel bigger.
Small Team. Big Impact.
FMP operates with intentionality.
They don’t measure success by how many people fill a room. They measure it by transformation.
Ten to fifteen dads at a time.Deep conversations.Life skills.Accountability.Community.
And that focus is working.
Over the last several years, Fathers Making Progress has:
Nearly doubled impact year over year
Expanded programming
Strengthened community presence
Built a recognizable brand
All without a massive staff.
That’s what happens when mission meets systems.
Terron’s Message to the Community
Momentum requires partnership.
“If you care about strong fatherhood and strong families and strong communities — please support us.”
Fathers Making Progress continues to grow its reach and programming. To keep that momentum alive, they are seeking:
Donors
Sponsors (including support for the FMP Awards)
Community partners
Because when fathers are supported, families are strengthened.And when families are strengthened, communities thrive.
Why This Story Matters
At Vee, we believe nonprofits don’t need more hustle — they need better infrastructure.
Terron’s story is a reminder that:
Mission-driven leaders often carry enormous weight.
Automation isn’t about replacing people — it’s about empowering them.
Systems create sustainability.
And purpose deserves support.
Fathers Making Progress is building something powerful.
We’re proud to be part of the systems helping them scale it.
If you’re a nonprofit leader trying to do everything alone — you don’t have to.
You need purpose.You need community.And you need the right systems behind you. 💜
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