We're dads. Our brand is "getting sh*t done."

Announcing the launch of Dads for All, a positive, powerful force to support things that make communities stronger.

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Feb 18, 2025

Last fall, I was standing on a front porch in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, talking with a dad and mom, both in their 40s. Mom was planning to vote for the Democratic ticket in November, dad supported the Republicans. The most striking thing about the conversation was how much they agreed, on almost everything important to them: the health and safety of their kids, the strength of the community, and ensuring that the future could be brighter than the past.

What divided them, more than anything, was deciding which candidate would make their lives easier. “It felt like we had a little extra money to go around when Trump was president before,” the dad said, “It’s that simple for me.”

I had hundreds of conversations like this. This sentiment was the biggest lesson we took out of organizing in 2024: Americans are responsive to leaders and ideas that prioritize their families’ needs. Message matters. A lot.

We learned another critical lesson while pounding the pavement: Dads are awesome messengers. Along with a group of like-minded guys, many of whom I’d never met before this summer, we started a national network of Dads+ who knocked on close to 100,000 doors around this country.

This shouldn’t be surprising. Look at us. We’re dads. Our brand is “Getting shit done.” Our core competency is competence. A mom who came to one of our events called me after and said, “Wow, it was so cool to see a bunch of dads, working together, doing what they do, in the service of the community.”

That’s why we’re launching Dads for All, a positive force to support things that strengthen communities. Our first step is meeting our country’s dads where they are. That’s why we’re driving past the shenanigans in Washington, and instead of trying to make sense of the worsening dumpster fire, we’re going to build, with you.

That’s because of the second thing we learned, which complicates the first: dads are lonely! We’re dealing with heavy stuff. All the time. We’ve got our shared responsibility for work and earning money (which isn’t new). We’re dealing with family and household labor (which is kind of new this century, if we’re being honest). Oh, and by the way, we’re also enduring two generations of the absolute destruction of the institutions that used to be the backbone of our wellbeing. This hollowing-out has left us even more isolated, which is wild, because just about everyone is dealing with the same BS.

At the same time, social norms tell dads that we’re supposed to play the role of “provider” and “protector.” The shifts I talked about above have made that work harder, and less connected to the effort we put in. In almost every family in this country, both mom and dad have to work, more hours than they did last century, for less money, while the cost of basic stuff has become insanely high.

That’s what I heard, over and over, at doors and kitchen tables, including the one in Monroe County. And nobody is wrong. I sat down in December and looked at every expense our family made last year. After paying our mortgage, healthcare, food, and childcare, there was nothing left. And we’re one of the lucky families not dealing with chronic debt.

This isn’t a good look for our society. We’re lonelier and lonelier. We have no money for anything but the basics. And when we need help or answers, we often go online, which has the potential to make us even angrier and more isolated.

That’s why dads are at a crossroads. We could give in to the isolation and despair … but that’s what the people hoarding all the money want, because that means they can just keep more of it.

Or, we can choose to fight back — which means we’ve gotta get ourselves together.

Dads for All is starting with a simple question: What does it take to rally dads in your community? Maybe it’s a trivia night at a bar, or a group outing to a game. It could be an axe throwing contest, or a service project to build a playground.

That’s just the beginning, though. When we follow the lead of dads, moms, and communities around this country, we can do more than just address the pain. We can find inventive, local solutions that…

lower out of control costs
offer quality, affordable education
make public safety work for everyone
protect the things most important to us

Because say what you will about dads, we have range. When we unite, we are powerful. In 2025, that’s how we’ll get things underway: gather dads; build with each other; and start to get shit done.

If you’re a dad, or know someone who is, we want to hear from you. What are dads getting done in your community? And what do you think could take that work to the next level? Let us know in the comments.

We're dads. Our brand is "getting sh*t done."

Announcing the launch of Dads for All, a positive, powerful force to support things that make communities stronger.

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