I’ll admit that more years than not, I’ve overlooked Father’s Day. While mine is not a family of big spenders on either holiday, Mother’s Day is anticipated with reminders from my dad, but Father’s Day receives no such early attention. 

Treating Father’s Day like an afterthought isn’t unique to my family; it’s just one of 365 days a year when fathers’ contributions are overlooked, with notable consequences to men’s mental health – and the mental health of their children. “The importance of a father's mental health hasn't always been emphasized by researchers or society in general,” said Dr. Sheehan Fisher, an associate professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, in the American Heart Association article “Why protecting fathers' mental health is so important.”

He further believes that what little research there is shows “fathers' depression can be linked to negative behaviors in their offspring from infancy through early childhood. Later in a child's life, paternal depression has been shown to affect the likelihood of a child developing depression or anxiety in adolescence and into early adulthood.”

Unfortunately, fathers are not set up for success. While maternity leave policies in the United States are far from perfect, men receive even less support in the early days of fatherhood. There is no U.S. national paternity leave policy. “As fathers, our job is not done the minute the child is born. It’s just beginning. And if fathers do take parental leave when a child is born, we are often asked why,” wrote Shannon Carpenter for CNN in 2023. 

“What’s more, men in today’s society may view deep relationships as not masculine, thus further isolating themselves,” Carpenter explained. “Only 48% of men reported feeling satisfied with friendships, according to a May 2021 survey by the Survey Center on American Life…. And 1 in 5 men said they had gotten emotional support from a friend in the past week, compared with 4 in 10 women.” 

The lack of a roadmap for the modern father – one more likely to step into caretaking roles than their fathers – and an underemphasis on men’s mental health coping skills have led to men feeling the strain of their expanded role, exacerbated by an epidemic of isolation and loneliness as historical sources of community for men, like religious institutions and workplace friendships, have declined. 

“Women have made tremendous strides in equality over the past 50 years… This is a victory for both men and women as it truly gives everyone more choice and more freedom. Women are no longer beholden to husbands because of financial restraints. However, men have not kept up with the changing world and as a result, as our connections have deteriorated, we have become alone in a world of people,” Carpenter continued. 

Of course, change never happens overnight. Men are typically conditioned not to seek mental health support and face few choices if they do. As society evolves and more is asked of fathers, community support and mental health resources for them need to evolve too.

That evolution has begun. Nonprofit organizations like the three Give Lively members showcased below have started helping men develop mental health coping skills and providing crucial social support systems and community for fathers.

The Nonprofits

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Audubon Fathers Association

This nonprofit brings men together to make a difference in their town through community service projects and rallying support for youth and educational programs. The Audubon Fathers’ Association has been active in Audubon, New Jersey, since 1926 and organizes four popular events: Comedy Night; Mother/Son Ice Cream Social; Daddy/Daughter Dance; and the Audubon Family Crab and Pork Fest. 

The Audubon Fathers’ Association used a Give Lively-powered Campaign Page for the 2023 “Light Up The Night!! Daddy Daughter Dance” and the 2024 “Comedy Night.”

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Dads MOVE

​This organization’s goal is to strengthen the father's role in raising children with behavioral health needs through education, peer support and advocacy. Dads MOVE believes the general lack of father-specific parenting resources, tailored support services and awareness about mental health issues specifically affecting fathers hinder their ability to seek assistance. Community education on navigating support systems during children's challenges and locating necessary resources is crucial. To combat these issues, Dads MOVE funds essential programs like father-specific trainings, parenting skills trainings and systems navigation trainings in communities throughout Aberdeen, Spokane, Tacoma, Seattle and Omak in Washington state. 

At the time of writing, Dads MOVE is using a Give Lively-powered Branded Donation Widget (of its “Help Dads MOVE Move Into 2024. Let's reach more Fathers and Families together” Campaign Page) to collect donations on its homepage.

Miscarriage Matters, Inc. 

The goal of Miscarriage Matters is to assist people who seek comfort in the aftermath of miscarriage. Run by parents who have suffered loss during pregnancy and/or early infancy, Miscarriage Matters aims to ensure that no one is alone in their grief, including fathers, by offering love, support and encouragement by a community that has experienced miscarriage. Miscarriage, stillbirth and early infant loss don't only touch mothers. All too aware of this fact, Miscarriage Matters is proud to support fathers through the program “Miscarriage Matters 2 Men.”

Miscarriage Matters, Inc. uses a Simple Donation Widget to collect donations on its website, and urges use of Text-to-Donate with the text code MISCARRIAGEM.