A Call to Connection
This groundbreaking primer on the state of connection in our nation is now available. Combining scientific research, stories of impact, and recommended practices to help foster deeper connections in our lives, this new primer seeks to ignite a national conversation about why we need each other.
Welcome
There’s an active and committed ecosystem of actors — community organizers, educators, researchers, policy makers, thought leaders, cultural influencers, and funders — working hard to address America’s crisis of connection. Einhorn Collaborative created this hub to lift up their stories, insights, and reflections. We hope they serve you and the organizations you work in partnership with to bring the power and possibility of human connection into our everyday lives.
Reflections
Stories, insights, and reflections from our team, peers, and partners
Bridging Differences in Power and Perspective to Advance Community Change
The Project Manager for Pediatrics Supporting Parents shares insights from Durham Partners for Early Relational Health about co-designing collaborative efforts to transform health care systems, with all stakeholders having a seat at the table.
City Year & Cornell: Evaluating Impact Outcomes in Partnership
How the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement at Cornell University and City Year are working together to learn how their programs foster civic and community participation, collaboration, and career readiness.
Stretching towards Hope in 2022
2021 brought forth many of the same challenges we’d already been grappling with as a country, along with new ones. Social upheaval, political unrest, and the continued impact of the pandemic aggravate our existing fear, anxiety, and loneliness.
Leveraging Philanthropic Collaboration to Support Child Development
Meera Mani of The David & Lucile Packard Foundation reflects on five years of collaboration in philanthropy.
Reclaiming the Practice of Connection
A social impact and policy leader at Eventbrite reflects on the benefits of a more deeply connected culture in business and life.
Constructing a Call to Connection
The author of A Call to Connection reflects on the process of creating the document and the promise it holds
Bridging Differences in Power and Perspective to Advance Community Change
The Project Manager for Pediatrics Supporting Parents shares insights from Durham Partners for Early Relational Health about co-designing collaborative efforts to transform health care systems, with all stakeholders having a seat at the table.
Leveraging Philanthropic Collaboration to Support Child Development
Meera Mani of The David & Lucile Packard Foundation reflects on five years of collaboration in philanthropy.
Relationships Aren’t Just Good for Babies
Human relationships rooted in emotional connection build the tools of empathy, repair, and healing that are necessary for society to flourish.
How Emotional Expression Overcomes Distractions
Emotional expression by parents orients children and primes them both for autonomic emotional connection, even amidst distractions, stress, and trauma.
Fostering Social and Emotional Health through Pediatric Primary Care: Common Threads to Transform Everyday Practice and Systems
With support from the Pediatrics Supporting Parents (PSP) funder collaborative, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) studied ways that pediatric primary care could promote positive outcomes around social and emotional development, the parent-child relationship, and parents’ mental health. This report synthesizes 3 categories of action and 14 common practices as well as recommendations for systemic reform.
The Science of Relationships
Dr. Martha G. Welch, of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, explains that emotional connection between two people is not a mental process alone. It involves “gut brain” signaling cues from the body up to the brain. We learn how to relate starting in the womb, as the mother’s and baby’s bodies influence and regulate each other. Dr. Welch shares research on the neurobiological basis behind relationship formation.
City Year & Cornell: Evaluating Impact Outcomes in Partnership
How the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement at Cornell University and City Year are working together to learn how their programs foster civic and community participation, collaboration, and career readiness.
Relationships: What Young People Need to Thrive
The wellbeing of young people depends on their access to relationship-rich environments
Change Research Survey
During the Spring of 2021, Einhorn Collaborative commissioned a nationally representative study of 18-26-year-olds to understand their interest in various types of service and advocacy activities.
What I’ve Learned Along the Way
Karen Murphy, PhD, is the CEO of the Human Responsibility Accelerator, a new organization that is being launched by the High Resolves Group.
Foundations for Young Adult Success
This comprehensive report offers wide-ranging evidence to show what young people need to develop from preschool to young adulthood to succeed in college and career, have healthy relationships, be engaged citizens, and make wise choices. It concludes that rich experiences combining action and reflection supported by consistent, supportive relationships help children develop a set of critical skills, attitudes, and behaviors.
The Future of Community-Engaged Learning
Cornell University and Einhorn Collaborative mark a milestone of partnership in community-engaged learning.
Stretching towards Hope in 2022
2021 brought forth many of the same challenges we’d already been grappling with as a country, along with new ones. Social upheaval, political unrest, and the continued impact of the pandemic aggravate our existing fear, anxiety, and loneliness.
We Can Relate: A primer on why and how we should invest in connection
A Call to Connection weaves together science, ancient wisdom, vivid stories, and concrete practices.
The Hidden Tribes of America
This report from More In Common, published in 2018, explores the forces behind political polarization in the U.S. The report asserts that, rather than two overarching groups, Americans are split across seven distinct tribes based on what they believe. Four of these tribes make up the Exhausted Majority.
The Challenge of Caring for Others Across Difference
A Data-driven Look at the State of Caring in America
What Does January 6 Mean for Bridgebuilders?
A new bipartisan bill has infused energy into an emerging network of people working to bridge divides in a polarized nation.
Our Shared Humanity: What Is It and How Can We See It?
There are varied conceptions of shared humanity, yet research offers clear guidance on how we can better appreciate it.
Welcome to the Connection Hub
We're excited to share our new Connection Hub, filled with resources, tools, and reflections to more easily find what you need to advance our shared goal of fostering deeper human connection in America.
In the Season of Gratitude
A regular practice of gratitude reminds us of all we have to grateful for every day of the year.
What We Learn from Experience and Reflection
How experience and reflection together shape human learning and connection.
Bridging Our Divides Begins with Building Trust and Finding Common Ground with Each Other
We are in a moment of dramatic change and re-imagining, what my friend and futurist Ari Wallach calls “The Intertidal”: a significant shift in global human culture and narrative, where what has been gives way to what will be.
Finding Connection in a VUCA World
The power of togetherness and emotional connection during this time of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.
How Do You Find Your Pack?
How to find the allies you need as we emerge into a new normal.
May Resources
ENGAGE | StoryCorps' One Small Step Want to have a curious, open-hearted, bridging conversation with someone who has
Bridging Differences in Power and Perspective to Advance Community Change
The Project Manager for Pediatrics Supporting Parents shares insights from Durham Partners for Early Relational Health about co-designing collaborative efforts to transform health care systems, with all stakeholders having a seat at the table.
Releasing the Potential of Philanthropic Collaborations
Over the past decade, philanthropic collaboration has entered a new era of popularity and ambition. Driven by institutional and high-net-worth funders seeking greater impact by acting collectively and by leaders challenging traditional ways of working, the number of collaborative giving platforms has grown. With over $2 billion flowing annually to funder collaboratives working on a range of social, economic, and environmental issues—and that’s just from the funds who responded to the survey—The Bridgespan Group’s recent study sheds light on the changing landscape of these philanthropic partnerships.
April Resources
READ | The Relational Work of Systems Change Collective impact efforts must prioritize working together in more relational
Bridging Differences in Power and Perspective to Advance Community Change
The Project Manager for Pediatrics Supporting Parents shares insights from Durham Partners for Early Relational Health about co-designing collaborative efforts to transform health care systems, with all stakeholders having a seat at the table.
Leveraging Philanthropic Collaboration to Support Child Development
Meera Mani of The David & Lucile Packard Foundation reflects on five years of collaboration in philanthropy.
Relationships Aren’t Just Good for Babies
Human relationships rooted in emotional connection build the tools of empathy, repair, and healing that are necessary for society to flourish.
How Emotional Expression Overcomes Distractions
Emotional expression by parents orients children and primes them both for autonomic emotional connection, even amidst distractions, stress, and trauma.
Fostering Social and Emotional Health through Pediatric Primary Care: Common Threads to Transform Everyday Practice and Systems
With support from the Pediatrics Supporting Parents (PSP) funder collaborative, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) studied ways that pediatric primary care could promote positive outcomes around social and emotional development, the parent-child relationship, and parents’ mental health. This report synthesizes 3 categories of action and 14 common practices as well as recommendations for systemic reform.
The Science of Relationships
Dr. Martha G. Welch, of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, explains that emotional connection between two people is not a mental process alone. It involves “gut brain” signaling cues from the body up to the brain. We learn how to relate starting in the womb, as the mother’s and baby’s bodies influence and regulate each other. Dr. Welch shares research on the neurobiological basis behind relationship formation.
Stretching towards Hope in 2022
2021 brought forth many of the same challenges we’d already been grappling with as a country, along with new ones. Social upheaval, political unrest, and the continued impact of the pandemic aggravate our existing fear, anxiety, and loneliness.
We Can Relate: A primer on why and how we should invest in connection
A Call to Connection weaves together science, ancient wisdom, vivid stories, and concrete practices.
The Hidden Tribes of America
This report from More In Common, published in 2018, explores the forces behind political polarization in the U.S. The report asserts that, rather than two overarching groups, Americans are split across seven distinct tribes based on what they believe. Four of these tribes make up the Exhausted Majority.
City Year & Cornell: Evaluating Impact Outcomes in Partnership
How the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement at Cornell University and City Year are working together to learn how their programs foster civic and community participation, collaboration, and career readiness.
Relationships: What Young People Need to Thrive
The wellbeing of young people depends on their access to relationship-rich environments
Change Research Survey
During the Spring of 2021, Einhorn Collaborative commissioned a nationally representative study of 18-26-year-olds to understand their interest in various types of service and advocacy activities.
Welcome to the Connection Hub
We're excited to share our new Connection Hub, filled with resources, tools, and reflections to more easily find what you need to advance our shared goal of fostering deeper human connection in America.
In the Season of Gratitude
A regular practice of gratitude reminds us of all we have to grateful for every day of the year.
What We Learn from Experience and Reflection
How experience and reflection together shape human learning and connection.
Through the Prism
By asking human beings the same five questions, we remind ourselves that everyone has a powerful story that deserves to be heard.
Through the Prism with Uma Viswanathan
Uma Viswanathan is the Executive Director of the New Pluralists Collaborative, where she works with funders and field leaders to foster a culture of pluralism in America.
Through the Prism with Nanyamka Redmond
Nanyamka Redmond is a Research Scientist at the Search Institute where she develops and implements research-backed practical solutions that help young people become their best selves.
Research
The science behind how human connection shapes our lives
Releasing the Potential of Philanthropic Collaborations
Over the past decade, philanthropic collaboration has entered a new era of popularity and ambition. Driven by institutional and high-net-worth funders seeking greater impact by acting collectively and by leaders challenging traditional ways of working, the number of collaborative giving platforms has grown. With over $2 billion flowing annually to funder collaboratives working on a range of social, economic, and environmental issues—and that’s just from the funds who responded to the survey—The Bridgespan Group’s recent study sheds light on the changing landscape of these philanthropic partnerships.
Change Research Survey
During the Spring of 2021, Einhorn Collaborative commissioned a nationally representative study of 18-26-year-olds to understand their interest in various types of service and advocacy activities.
Good Medicine For Healthy Child Development: Nurturing Relationships
In the United States today, some 27,000 pediatricians provide care to 24 million children under the age of six. Many pediatric practitioners are overburdened
Watch Stories of Our Work
Tools
Here are some ways to put human connection into action
Solutions Story Tracker
The Solutions Story Tracker is a growing archive of journalism content that elevates rigorous solutions to social problems. Created by Solutions Journalism Network, the database is dynamic and searchable, with each story tagged by issue, location, journalist, and insights about what works.
Bridging – Towards a Society Built on Belonging
This animated explainer video offers an overview of bridging and breaking and of the fraught, uncertain context that’s stoking anxiety and othering. john a. powell describes how our social responses to the overlapping challenges at hand are shaped by our understanding of who we are and who belongs.
A Care Package for Uncertain Times
In the early days of the pandemic, On Being pulled together a collection of podcasts, poetry, meditations, and reflections to help people process the upheaval and uncertainty of the moment. This content is still as relevant today.
Getting Started with Community Engaged Learning
Community-engaged learning projects and programs can look very different, but they all share four important criteria. They: (1) Address a specific community interest, problem or public concern, (2) Include woring with and learning from a community partner, (3) Connect and integrate community-engaged experiences with educational content, and (4) include structured, doumented critical reflection.
Bridging Differences Playbook
The Playbook synthesizes practical, research-backed skills and strategies for bridging differences. Organized into intrapersonal, interpersonal, and intergroup skills, the Playbook offers flexible guidance on how to put these practices into action, insights on why they work, and caveats to keep in mind.
Nurture Science Program
Doing an activity together is not the same as feeling connected. The Nurture Science Program blog offers manageable ways to nurture whole-family health, by incorporating simple interaction that nurture emotional connection into the activities we do together every day, such as eating, sleeping, bathing, getting ready, going places, playing, and cleaning up.
Storycorps Connect
Developed in response to the pandemic, StoryCorps Connect is a platform that enables people to record StoryCorps video interviews remotely from the comfort of home. As with any StoryCorps conversation, the audio and a photo from these interviews gets archived at the Library of Congress.
Open Mind Platform – Difficult Conversations
These videos, articles, and research papers from OpenMind put forward practical, psychology-based techniques - e.g., listening, intellectual humility, empathy - for navigating difficult conversations and making them more productive. These resources are relevant in range of settings, from campuses to workplaces to civic organizations.
No matter who we are, how we live, or what we believe, we all share a deep need and capacity for human connection and belonging. It’s at the core of our shared humanity — and baked into every human’s DNA.
No matter who we are, how we live, or what we believe, we all share a deep need and capacity for human connection and belonging. It’s at the core of our shared humanity — and baked into every human’s DNA.
Einhorn Collaborative in the News
Cornell Plans to Expand Off-Campus Engagement
By Ariel Kaminer
"Through an initiative to be announced on Monday, Cornell University plans to transform its curriculum to make real-world experiences like these a defining aspect of the undergraduate experience. "
MacKenzie Scott Gave Away $6 Billion Last Year. It’s Not As Easy As It Sounds
By Belinda Luscombe
"Imagine for a moment being obscenely, outrageously rich. I know you’ve done it before. You probably have a list of priorities—college for the kids, new car, pay off debts. Forget that list. That list is puny."
Grant Maker Bolsters Human Connection as a Way to Take on Polarization
By Alex Daniels
"More than a year of lockdown has taught many Americans about the importance of social distancing and the effects of vaccines. But perhaps the biggest lessons are about people we’ve held close and those whose company we miss, says Jenn Hoos Rothberg, executive director of the Einhorn Collaborative."
Why We Must Prioritize Bridging Our Divides
By Jenn Hoos Rothberg
"When I tell people about our work at Einhorn Collaborative — a foundation dedicated to addressing America’s growing crisis of connection — I often receive this response."
Bridging Our Divides Begins with Building Trust and Finding Common Ground with Each Other
By Jenn Hoos Rothberg
"We are in a moment of dramatic change and re-imagining, what my friend and futurist Ari Wallach calls “The Intertidal”: a significant shift in global human culture and narrative, where what has been gives way to what will be."
Authors & Guest Contributors
Jonathan Gruber
Ira Hillman
Jenn Hoos Rothberg
Itai Dinour
Uma Vishwanathan
Meera Mani
Linsey Morrison
Casper ter Kulie
Mary Ellen Giess
Karen Murphy
Lucie Addison
David Einhorn
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