Men — it’s time again to grow a mustache for your fellow man’s health: Movember 2024 has arrived!

City Dads Group and Fathering Together are joining forces with two other fatherhood organizations in November 2024 to form a “No Dad Alone” team to participate in Movember, a fund- and awareness-raising campaign to spark conversations about men’s physical and mental health issues.

Movember challenges dudes every November to grow a mustache that will serve as a living awareness ribbon and talking point for the cause. The funds raised during the campaign go for research into and public education on issues such as testicular cancer, prostate cancer, mental health and suicide.

The event is annually run by The Movember Foundation, a leading global organization that brings awareness to serious health concerns for men. It has raised hundreds of millions of dollars since its founding in 2003 to help fund hundreds of health projects globally, according to its website. The organization’s work hopes to counter some of these frightening statistics regarding men’s health:

• Testicular cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men ages 18 to 39.
• Men, on average, die five years earlier than women in the United States.
• One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lives.
• Four of every five suicides are men.

* Join our Movember 2024 #NoDadsAlone team! *

Movember 2024 finds City Dads and its partner, Fathering Together, teaming with The National At-Home Dad Network and Fathers Eve. In June, the groups agreed to join forces as part of a “No Dad Alone” campaign to amplify each other’s messages to help fathers recognize they have help and support in their parenting work.

City Dads has teamed with fatherhood organizations for Movember since 2011, helping to raise more than $135,000 for the cause.

You can help our Movember 2024 team and the cause in several ways:

• Join our Movember City Dads/Fathering Together team. Sign up at our fundraising page. You’ll get a personal fundraising page to link others to.
• Grow a mustache. Shave your face on Oct. 31 and then don’t cut the fuzz off your upper lip for 31 days. Show it off to all, in person and on social media, and tell them why you are growing it. Don’t forget to ask for a donation to help the cause and link to your fundraising page.
• Move rather than mo. Sometimes you can’t grow a mustache. Maybe it’s genetics, maybe it’s because it would jeopardize your marriage. You can still help by committing to walk or run 60 miles in November — one mile for each of the 60 men lost worldwide every hour to suicide. Again, use your personal Movember Dads page for fundraising.
• Host a Mo-ment. Get with your Movember supporters — in person or virtually — for a game night, a sporting event or maybe an initial “shave off” to get the ball rolling and draw attention to the cause.
• Donate. At the least, you can always simply give to the cause. Donate to an individual or our Movember #NoDadsAlone team as a whole.

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This blog post is part of the #NoDadAlone campaign. Fathering Together/City Dads Group, the National At-Home Dad Network, and Fathers Eve are joining forces to amplify messages that help dads recognize we are not alone! Follow #NoDadAlone on Instagram, and learn more at NoDadAlone.com.

Three leading fatherhood organizations are undertaking a yearlong “No Dad Alone” campaign to help more fathers find support and an understanding community.

Fathering Together, of which City Dads Group is a part, The National At-Home Dad Network and Fathers Eve will cross-promote each other’s work to amplify information, resources and events available to dads through each entity. The groups plan to use their organizations’ platforms, including social media, newsletters, blogs and podcasts. The three organizations combined have more than 180,000 followers on various popular social media channels.

“The No Dad Alone campaign aims to address the ever-growing stats surrounding men’s health, specifically, the negative stigmas and untrue portrayals of fathers in the home and beyond,” said Cordan James, executive director of Fathering Together. “The web of resources this collaborative provides will instantly increase the positive impacts of fathers. It will also give people language to address, engage and support fathers in need and elevate the spirit of fatherhood.”

No Dad Alone arose, in part, from increasing U.S. media attention to male loneliness, particularly among fathers. Societal pressures about maintaining traditional masculinity (for example, remaining strong, stoic and independent in difficult times) and fewer resources and attention devoted to helping dads as opposed to moms contribute to these issues.

“Fathers are often isolated and they are not always sure what to do or how to alleviate it,” said John Francis, a co-organizer of the Twin Cities Dad Group and founder of Fathers Eve. “I think this campaign brings awareness to an important issue many guys have trouble with.”

Keith Nagel, president of The National At-Home Dad Network, said, “By highlighting and showcasing each of our organizations’ great work, we can create and build a much larger network of support for all our dads than we could individually. We hope to make other dads aware of our support offerings while connecting our members with ones we don’t provide.”

The ambitious campaign, using the social media hashtag #NoDadAlone, starts Father’s Day weekend 2024 to the following one in 2025. A key kickoff and celebratory ending point will be the annual Fathers Eve celebrations those weekends.

“From my work in the fatherhood area for the last dozen or so years, I see lots of people and groups doing good things to try to help their audience or their local market, but I don’t see a lot of connectivity,” Francis said. “They’re great guys all doing good work. When we work together I know we will make a much larger impact on this important issue.”

About the No Dad Alone organizers

Each organization involved in No Dad Alone has embarked on similar, though separate, missions to provide support and community to dads. At various times, each has worked with the other on a campaign or event.

The National At-Home Dad Network was established in 2003, initially under the name Daddyshome Inc. The first national nonprofit for at-home dads, it focuses on advocacy, education and support for families with fathers as primary caregivers. The network offers a variety of online communities, webinars and virtual opportunities to connect throughout the year. Its annual conference for at-home fathers, HomeDadCon, marks its 28th year this October with a three-day event in St. Louis.

Since 2012, Fathers Eve has gathered groups of dads — formally or informally in public or private spaces — the night before Father’s Day to celebrate each other and the joys and challenges of fatherhood. The event, held in dozens of U.S. towns and cities, lets dads offer support to each other and help foster a positive fathering environment. It culminates in a toast, in person and online, at 8 p.m. local time in each U.S. time zone.

Fathering Together started with the “Dads with Daughters” Facebook group in 2018. It quickly grew to have more than 125,000 followers supporting each other’s efforts to be great fathers. In 2020, the founders created the current nonprofit. It offers Facebook communities, a podcast, and a variety of webinars and resources supporting dads.

City Dads Group began in 2008 as a playgroup for at-home dads and their children in New York City. It now consists of groups of fathers who meet, with and without their kids, in 40 cities across the United States and one in Canada. City Dads Group merged with Fathering Together in 2023.

Two leading fatherhood support networks will soon unite as a single organization dedicated to championing fathers and helping them succeed at being actively engaged parents.

City Dads Group and Fathering Together will operate as one, creating a stronger and more comprehensive platform to help provide vital resources and connections to fathers in and through local communities across the globe.

City Dads Group is a diverse community of fathers dedicated to being actively involved in their children’s lives. Founded in 2008, City Dads Group has chapters in 41 cities across the United States and Canada. The chapters focus on holding in-person gatherings of fathers, with or without their children present, where bonding, commiseration and support can take place.

Fathering Together is a nonprofit global network of more than 125,000 fathers and allies around the world dedicated to promoting active fatherhood and providing support, resources, advocacy and education for dads. Established in 2018, Fathering Together started years earlier as a Facebook group “Dads with Daughters” which quickly blossomed to include tens of thousands of fathers sharing stories, seeking advice and offering wisdom.

The new organization, to be headed by Fathering Together’s current leadership team, is a strategic partnership that will result in a broader online and in-person network, enhanced programming, and a more significant impact on the lives of fathers, families and communities.

“We are thrilled to join with Fathering Together to strengthen, sustain and expand our communities,” said Matt Schneider, co-founder of City Dads Group. “We have a real opportunity to positively impact the way we view and value fathers as a society.”

Lance Somerfeld, co-founder of City Dads Group, added, “Since the pandemic, we’ve been trying to figure out the best path forward for our communities of dads to evolve, grow and thrive. We felt that the most authentic, seamless, and strategic partner to fulfill that goal was joining forces with Fathering Together.”

Key benefits of the partnership include:

1. Expanded Reach: The new organization will reach over 150,000 dads across the globe with in-person groups in Canada, Kenya, Malawi, and the United States.

2. Innovative Programming: The entity will offer more robust programs including school-based “social emotional learning” for dads, online panels, and in-person meetups to empower dads to be advocates for change.

3. Inclusive Community: As members define fatherhood for themselves, regardless of background or identity, all will be welcome to share their story, and grow together in their journey.

Brian Anderson, co-founder and board president of Fathering Together, said, “We are honored that City Dads Group places their faith in us to continue advocating for fathers worldwide. We look forward to bringing the City Dads Group community into ours so we might empower dads to be emotionally courageous, connected, and committed to their families.”

Read the official press announcement.

Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash

A new parenting book for dads uses a successful business philosophy as the basis for creating more engaged and loving fathers and partners.

Fathering Together: Living a Connected Dad Life, written by Brian Anderson, a co-founder of the Fathering Together nonprofit organization, preaches a new narrative for fatherhood based on “servant leadership.” Based on the writings of Robert Greenleaf, servant leadership espouses that corporate leaders should put the needs of employees ahead of all else. By helping employees grow and develop, they (and the company) perform better and thrive. In turn, the employees want to serve others even as they grow into leadership roles themselves.

DISCLOSURE: City Dads Group has previously teamed with Fathering Together on various projects.

Anderson’s book — available in e-format and print — captures the stories of dozens of dads who are striving for healthier and stronger relationships. For it, he interviewed scores of the more than 125,000 followers of his organization’s Facebook groups and found many dads use servant-leadership teachings in their parenting without even realizing it.

In the book, Anderson provides personal stories and practical skills weaved into the main tenants of servant-leadership to provide dads with a new pathway. He challenges all fathers to create a dad-first mindset. Anderson encourages them to be present, express their emotions, cultivate lifelong learning, and advocate for social change among many other things. He refers to the book as ” a love letter to my fellow dads because I believe in our capacity to change and our capacity to build,” Anderson wrote in the introduction.

Brian Anderson, who serves as the executive director of Fathering Together, is raising two elementary-school-aged daughters in his marriage of more than a decade. An ordained minister, he has also been a farmer, social worker, community organizer, university chaplain, interfaith leadership consultant and certified spiritual director.

First came Father’s Day. Then Fathers Eve. Now comes “Father’s Friday,” an educational event aiming to spark a movement that raises dear old dad’s status in the parenting and working worlds.

Backed by two fatherhood nonprofits and a thriving Facebook community, Father’s Friday is a six-hour, pre-recorded streaming event on June 18. It will feature panels and diverse dad speakers discussing strategies for fathers. Planned topics include creating individual plans for fatherhood and family life, pushing for increased gender parity and more family-friendly working conditions for parents, such as paid family leave, and translating work skills to home life skills.

The online event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, June 18. It can be viewed on YouTube and Facebook. The organizers are:

• Fathering Together, a nonprofit that builds virtual communities of support for dads.
• The Black Fathers Foundation, a nonprofit that offers resources to help Black men effectively raise children and strengthen families.
• Soy Super Papa, a Facebook community with a mission of empowering fathers, especially Spanish speakers, that focuses on highlighting their roles in society and within the family.

(DISCLOSURE: City Dads Group is supporting collaborator for Father’s Friday.)

The organizers want to play against the stereotypical gift to dads on Father’s Day, using the social media rallying cry of #MoreThanANecktie. They want fathers to use social media to post stories about how they are “present and engaged” with their children and “not only a breadwinner, but active in the care and management of your home.” They also ask dads to submit short videos of such statements.

The aim is to drive a narrative that fatherhood comes in many colors, shapes and styles beyond the tropes we’ve seen in media, marketing and entertainment, according to material provided by the organizers. The goal is to “elevate stories of positive and engaged fathers” and to “provide strategies and support for fathers who aren’t sure how to be [more than a marginalized stereotype] for their families, according to the organizers.

Throughout the day, members of the organizing communities will offer reflections on fatherhood.

Featured speakers will include:

• Ted Bunch, chief development officer of A Call to Men, a movement to promote healthy, respectful manhood. Bunch has been internationally recognized for his efforts to prevent violence against women. 
• Josh Levs, a former journalist turned workplace equality advocate focused on fathers. He wrote the book, All In: How Our Work-First Culture Fails Dads, Families, and Businesses Alike – And How We Can Fix It Together.
• Ben Killoy, a U.S. Marine veteran, speaker, coach and podcaster. He recently wrote a Memorial Day column for City Dads Group.

Dad necktie photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash