Many of us are quietly working in our neighborhoods and towns to weave deep connections and lead with love. The Weave community is for those of us who believe deep relationships can transform communities, our lives, and our nation.

What is the Weave Project?

Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute is a backbone organization supporting and strengthening the grassroots trust brokers whom we call weavers. Weave aims to solve the problem of broken social trust that has left Americans divided along many lines, isolated and unable to address our common needs. Without trust, we cannot ensure individual happiness and equity, strengthen our communities, or sustain our democracy.

Weave works in three ways:

• We support the people (“weavers”) who are spreading trust and tackling important issues in their neighborhoods by providing them with resources and connection to a community of other weavers
• We lift up these often under-appreciated trust brokers to be seen as resources and leaders in the field of community change
• We inspire new generations of people to become weavers of their communities

Learn more and read stories of weavers at WeAreWeavers.org

Who are Weavers?

Weavers are the people who show up for others and care. Weavers see the dignity in all people, spread trust, and work locally to solve shared needs. They focus on strengths, make commitments, invest in relationships, and work to make their communities stronger. They are all different – some work at a suicide hotline, a mentoring program or in schools. Others run a coffee shop where everybody feels at home. Still others gather neighbors to talk or stop to listen when they see someone distraught. Day after day, they lead with love. Offering words and actions that say, “We’ve got you,” they transform their communities and their own lives.

What is Weaving?

Weaving is when we create broad and deep connections with others, starting where we live. Weaving builds trust by creating caring relationships, affirming the dignity in everyone, offering a sense of belonging and meeting a community’s shared needs. Weaving is equitable, inclusive and local.

Why have a Weave Community?

Weaving starts where we live, so it may seem strange to gather weavers from all walks of life and many places into a virtual community. Weave created the online community so weavers could benefit from mutual support and learning. Weaving is often hard in a culture that puts individual achievement over community success. So we gather here to trade experience, knowledge, resources, encouragement and more, as well as form partnerships, all so we can become stronger weavers of our local communities.

Our Values

• We believe that broad and deep relationships are at the center of a purposeful and fulfilling life.
• We welcome everyone regardless of where they come from, how they look, how they pray or do not pray at all, or whom they love.
• We trust that weavers can heal and strengthen our communities, ultimately mend our nation's frayed social fabric, and create greater impact than any of us working alone.
• We assume positive intent in our interactions with others and freely offer trust.
• We believe that everyone has value.
• We make space for people to change, knowing we’re all always evolving.
• We believe everyone has a role to play in community if they are welcomed, encouraged, and accepted to do so.
• We respect differences of personal style and opinions.
• We encourage asking about other’s experiences, fears and strengths, and questioning our own beliefs and understanding.
• We support each other and all those who want to see others fully, show up fully for others, and lead with love.