The organizations, articles, voices, and books behind Dying for Friendship and Community. Use this as a companion guide or a starting point for your own exploration of the loneliness epidemic.
The organizations actively addressing loneliness, social isolation, and community connection around the world.
Part of the United Nations since 1948, the World Health Organization has designated loneliness a global health threat and funds research into social connection worldwide.
who.int →A 75-year-old nonprofit igniting human potential and building understanding. Home to the Weavers project, created by David Brooks, focused on community rebuilding.
aspeninstitute.org →Operating for over 175 years across 100+ countries, the Y supports health, wellness, and community — one of the largest community-connection networks in the world.
ymca.org →A global network of over 1.2 million neighbors, friends, and leaders united under "Service above Self" — and increasingly active on loneliness as a community issue.
rotary.org →The Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection — a coalition addressing loneliness through awareness, research, and policy advocacy at the international level.
gilc.global →Washington, DC-based organization publishing a weekly newsletter on connection research and advocating for social health as a policy priority.
social-connection.org →With over 35 million members, AARP's Connect2Affect program directly addresses loneliness and isolation among older adults across the United States.
aarp.org →A charitable organization focused on multiple community services, including dedicated loneliness programs for seniors and isolated individuals.
catholiccharitiesusa.org →A non-partisan think tank conducting research and designing policies to improve the wellbeing of boys and men, including tackling the male loneliness epidemic.
aibm.org →Wide-ranging research covering many aspects of wellness, aging, and social connection, with a focus on the intersection of health policy and loneliness.
milkeninstitute.org →Founded by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to build connection and community in America for our health and wellbeing.
UK-based loneliness charity for all ages. Mission: create a society where we recognize that loneliness exists and support each other to make new connections.
marmaladetrust.org →Seattle-based nonprofit focused on all aspects of social connection, led by Aaron Hurst, dedicated to rebuilding the social fabric of American communities.
chamberofconnection.org →Among its many health missions, the Red Cross runs programs specifically addressing loneliness — particularly for seniors and isolated populations.
redcross.org →Creating mentorship and meaningful connection for young people, with a network that gives youth a supportive village and lasting relationships.
bbbs.org →Research-based organization helping people build richer, more meaningful friendships. Home to the Friendship Matters podcast, Connection Coach Certification, and Civility Index™.
friendshipinstitute.org →A documentary exploring the collapse of civic participation and community connection in America, and what we lose when belonging disappears.
A wide-ranging conversation on the role of friendship in mental health and success, the male loneliness epidemic, and why vulnerability is a precondition for real connection.
Galloway and Winfrey on the forces driving the male loneliness epidemic — economic, social, and structural — and what recovery might actually look like.
Haidt's case that smartphone use and social media since 2010 have caused a measurable mental health epidemic, and why the solution starts before age 16.
An examination of the structural and social forces that cause male friendships to atrophy after young adulthood — and what it costs men when they do.
A practical and honest look at why adults struggle to form new friendships, with three concrete strategies for closing the gap between wanting connection and having it.
Rotary CEO John Hewko on how civic organizations are becoming the front line of the national response to isolation and disconnection.
The people whose work shaped our understanding of loneliness, friendship and what it means to belong.
NYU marketing professor and prolific podcaster on loneliness and young men.
Notes on Being a Man (2025)
profgalloway.com →Social psychologist at NYU Stern. Argues smartphones and social media since 2010 caused the youth mental health epidemic; advocates keeping phones from children until 16+.
The Anxious Generation (2024)
jonathanhaidt.com →Oxford and Warwick educated; founder of the American Institute for Boys and Men. Focuses on social mobility and the structural challenges facing boys and men.
Of Boys and Men
aibm.org →Author, podcaster, and speaker known for unconventional views on leadership, business, and — increasingly — the friendship crisis facing modern men.
simonsinek.com →Leading friendship expert and author of three books on how relationships shape health, happiness, and work.
shastanelson.com →Social scientist advocating for "social health" as a recognized dimension of public health, alongside physical and mental health.
The Art and Science of Connection
kasleykillam.com →Professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University. Her research found that lacking social connection carries a health risk comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
julianneholtlunstad.com →Stanford psychology professor and director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. Researches empathy, connection, and why kindness is harder than it should be.
Hope for Cynics & The War for Kindness
jamil-zaki.com →Professor at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School. 13-book author on happiness, meaning, and the social conditions that sustain them.
The Happiness Files (2025)
arthurbrooks.com →Co-founder of Modern Elder Academy. Author and lecturer on making midlife and later life meaningful — and the social connections that make it possible.
Learning to Love Mid-Life (2024)
chipconley.com →Founder and Chair of the Longevity Project, which fosters public conversation and research on the impact of longer lives on civil society.
Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Lead To Long Lives
longevity-project.com →Founder and CEO of the US Chamber of Connection, dedicated to rebuilding the social fabric of American communities through civic infrastructure.
chamberofconnection.org →Contemporary titles and foundational texts on loneliness, friendship, and human connection.