The Turrell Fund is proud to highlight one of the 2025 Landon Award winners: Dad Guild!
What is Dad Guild?
Dad Guild, founded in 2019, is a Vermont-based nonprofit that provides fathers with a supportive network across the state.
Dad Guild’s network provides dads and masculine-identifying caregivers with resources to learn healthy strategies for parenting, self-care, and communication.
Over the past 6 years, Dad Guild has built Vermont’s largest fatherhood organization with a peer network of over 1,500 dads.
Its programs are unique and designed to inspire men to learn from their peers, as they build a supportive community.
Dad Guild’s Work
Dad Guild’s programs fall into 4 categories:
- Dads and Kids:
- Every month, there are multiple opportunities to foster the connection between dads and their kids while also connecting with other caregivers.
- Activities include:
- Playground playgroups
- Library playgroups
- Nature walks
- Sledding
- Sporting events
- Pizza dinners
- Fire station visits
- Rock climbing
- Every month, there are multiple opportunities to foster the connection between dads and their kids while also connecting with other caregivers.
- Fatherhood Peer Support Network:
- These programs provide dads with opportunities to connect with one another in different settings.
- Regular offerings include:
- A monthly peer support campfire
- Basketball
- Disc golf
- Board games
- Zoom check-ins
- A new dad cohort
- A Black Dad Hang
- A warmline
- These programs provide dads with opportunities to connect with one another in different settings.
- Parent Education:
- These programs provide dads with opportunities to deepen their understanding of topics related to caregiving through workshops, book groups, and ongoing support groups.
- Topics include:
- Potty training
- Social emotional development
- Gender equality
- How to talk to your kids about racism
- Dad Guild also has a monthly informative podcast, called the Dad Pod.
- These programs provide dads with opportunities to deepen their understanding of topics related to caregiving through workshops, book groups, and ongoing support groups.
- Whole Family Events:
- Dad Guild understands that some dads need the presence and support of their families to attend events, expanding access to the community.
- Events include:
- A winter concert series
- Weekly musical playgroups
- Bluey dance parties
- Dad Guild understands that some dads need the presence and support of their families to attend events, expanding access to the community.
How Dad Guild Supports Collaboration
Dad Guild’s programmatic work encourages fathers to connect with their peers, as well as with their families, to become the best caregivers they can be.
The organization’s mission is to ensure that its community engagement will help children experience the best outcomes while dads experience positive mental health benefits.
Dad Guild’s work also support moms as well, as helping dads become effective caregivers can work toward gender equality.
The Turrell Fund congratulates Dad Guild and supports its mission to provide dads with a connected network of peers. Thank you for all that you do!
