Weave: The Social Fabric Project

Weave: The Social Fabric Project tackles the problem of broken social trust that has left Americans divided, lonely, and in social gridlock. Weave connects, supports, and invests in local leaders stepping up to weave a new, inclusive social fabric where they live. The project was founded by New York Times columnist and author David Brooks at the Aspen Institute.

The US is living through a crisis of connection. Suicide rates have risen dramatically, especially among youth. The opioid epidemic has devastated communities. 58% of Americans say they are lonely. Violence, hatred, and political gridlock have become normal. Yet there is a way out.

In communities throughout the country, in ways big and small, people are showing up for each other and building connection and trust. You probably know some of them. They are the people neighbors count on. They value everyone no matter our differences, make us feel we belong, and act to bring people together to address shared needs. We call them weavers. You may be one of them.

Weavers are people who create deep relationships with others where they live or work, while tackling shared needs and building social trust.

Weave connects and invests in the people weaving our communities together. We work to inspire all Americans to weave. And we make it easy to take the first steps into weaving.

The Weave Newsletter

Weave’s newsletter is a weekly dose of weaver stories, resources to fuel weaving, and reflections from many perspectives on what it means to invest in relationships and weave a strong, inclusive social fabric from the ground up.

The Weave Community

Weave Community is an online home where weavers gather for peer support, learning, and collaboration. They share resources, discuss challenges, offer mentorship, and celebrate successes.

The Weave Learning Center

Weave Learning Center is a place to gain or strengthen your community-building skills at your own pace or with other weavers. The offerings range from community organizing to public speaking to facilitating groups. 

The Weaver Network

The Weaver Network of volunteer opportunities is a search engine to find and join organizations that are weaving near where you live. 

Weaver Awards

The Weaver Awards unleash the power of philanthropy for neighborhoods. The Awards are a community-led model that enable foundations and corporations to find and invest through microgrants directly in the people weaving trust locally.

The Weave Speakers Bureau

Weave Speakers Bureau trains and places weavers on stages large and small across the US to inspire others and create a nation of weavers. You can request a Weave Speaker to come to your community.

The Social Trust Index

When it comes to building social trust, three things matter: trusting behavior, trusting intentions, and trusting spaces. We’ve analyzed which of these are strongest for every neighborhood in the US.