Foundation for Social Connection launches New York social connection cohort

By AI, Created 1:50 PM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – The Foundation for Social Connection has selected eight New York community organizations for its inaugural Action Guide cohort, a 2026 technical assistance program aimed at strengthening local partnerships and improving well-being. The effort spans urban, suburban and rural communities and is designed to turn social connection into measurable public health and resilience gains.

Why it matters: - Social connection is being treated as a public health strategy, not just a community benefit. - The New York cohort is meant to help local leaders build partnerships, coordinate action and measure outcomes. - The program could produce shared evidence that informs statewide practice across very different communities.

What happened: - The Foundation for Social Connection selected eight community organizations for its inaugural New York Action Guide for Building Socially Connected Communities cohort. - The announcement expands the foundation’s technical assistance program. - The cohort runs throughout 2026. - New York is the first state-specific cohort highlighted in this expansion.

The details: - The selected organizations are The Opportunity Hub in Brooklyn; Urban Health Plan in the Bronx; Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus in Albany; Common Ground Health in Rochester; Center for Justice Innovation in Syracuse; Clinton County Health Department in Plattsburgh and Clinton County; Oswego County Opportunities in Oswego County; and YMCA of the Twin Tiers in Olean. - The Opportunity Hub works from Spring Creek Towers/Starrett City and focuses on BIPOC and justice-involved residents through co-designed programming. - Urban Health Plan operates 11 health centers and 11 school-based practices across Hunts Point and Longwood and leads a 20-plus-member community coalition. - Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus serves more than 350 English learners, 77 youth and 240 jobseekers each year and convenes biweekly roundtables in the Capital Region. - Common Ground Health convenes more than 12 community coalitions across Monroe County and hosts health coalitions focused on African American, Latino, Indigenous and senior residents. - The Center for Justice Innovation leads the Take Back the Streets Coalition, which includes more than 30 agencies, and runs Kitchen Table Talks community dinners. - The Clinton County Health Department serves nearly 79,000 residents and leads the 40-plus-member Action for Health Consortium. - Oswego County Opportunities serves about 118,000 residents through the Rural Health Network of Oswego County and works with more than 50 partners. - The YMCA of the Twin Tiers serves about 77,000 residents in Cattaraugus County, including the Seneca Nation Allegany and Cattaraugus Territories. - F4SC says the Action Guide helps local leaders assess connectedness, analyze local data, engage residents and partners, build coordinated action plans and measure outcomes. - Each organization will get tailored technical assistance, hands-on coaching, investment to implement strategies and peer-learning opportunities. - F4SC said New York offers a useful testing ground because the state includes dense urban areas, mid-sized cities and rural communities within one policy ecosystem. - New York created a loneliness ambassador in 2023, underscoring the state’s focus on social connection.

Between the lines: - The cohort mixes public health, housing, justice, immigrant services and youth-serving organizations, signaling that social connection is being framed as an issue that cuts across sectors. - The program’s emphasis on local data and shared evidence suggests F4SC wants more than isolated pilots. - The inclusion of rural counties and major cities reflects a bet that the same framework can be adapted to very different community conditions.

What’s next: - Cohort participants will spend 2026 using the Action Guide and working through structured technical assistance. - F4SC expects to share progress updates and outcomes as the cohort advances. - The foundation will use the cohort’s work to build practical examples of what socially connected communities can look like in New York.

The bottom line: - F4SC is turning social connection into an organized, measurable community-building effort, starting with eight New York organizations.