US Chamber of Connection

What US Chamber of Connection does

The US Chamber of Connection is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2024 by Aaron Hurst (previously founder of Taproot Foundation and Imperative) and headquartered at 92 Lenora St #218 in Seattle, WA. The organization positions itself as the nation's first civic institution dedicated to rebuilding social connection infrastructure, analogizing its role to the historical Chamber of Commerce but applied to community bonds rather than business interests. Its core intellectual property is the "Six Points of Connection" framework — a research-backed taxonomy of six connection behaviors (neighborhood emergency contact, identity-based community, regular one-on-one relationships, third places, activity-based community, and community service/volunteering) — and the proprietary Social Connection Index (SCI), a survey instrument that segments U.S. adults into Thriving, Healthy, Vulnerable, and At-Risk bands and underpins the annual State of Connection report.

The organization operates a hub-and-spoke delivery model in which independent local Chambers of Connection (currently active in Seattle, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, SF Bay Area, and San Diego, with organizing in 80+ additional cities) license the national framework, measurement tools, branding, and programs for a $12,500 annual membership. Each chapter convenes a cross-sector Connection Council and runs programs including the Welcome Committee volunteer network, Welcome Week annual mobilization, Community Builder Network peer-learning circles, and the Connected Cities Summit. Supporting products include the Welcoming Newcomers Playbook, a three-question impact-measurement framework, and the SF Bay Area Connection Marketplace. Revenue is generated from chapter membership fees, individual donations ($100–$1,000 tiers plus employer matching and DAF grants), and philanthropic grants — including from Allen Family Philanthropies and Workday Foundation — channeled primarily through the Connection as a Cause coalition of 15+ backbone organizations.

Distribution and research credibility are amplified through national partnerships with UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center (15M annual reach), Murmuration Research Institute, Heylo (20,000 community builders), Goodera (500+ companies, 50K+ nonprofits), the RSA, and the Foundation for Social Connection. The team comprises approximately 6 staff led by Hurst as Founder & CEO, with Charlotte Massey as Co-founder/Executive Director of the Seattle chapter, Jacob Simons as Chief Hugging Officer, and directors of Strategic Partnerships and Welcome Committee, supported by a board chaired by Nancy Murphy with members including former PwC and T. Rowe Price Foundation executives.

Name

US Chamber of Connection

Legal name

Chamber of Connection

Website

https://chamberofconnection.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The US Chamber of Connection is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2024 that operates as a national civic backbone for rebuilding social connection, licensing its Six Points of Connection framework and Social Connection Index to local Chambers in five U.S. cities and serving civic leaders, employers, and volunteer community builders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic & Social Connection Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Professional Organizations (81392), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Interest-Based Communities & Forums (BPAMABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Government & Public Sector Conferences (MPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Social connection infrastructure
• Civic engagement services
• Community membership programs
• Nonprofit research frameworks
• Local chapter networks

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Chapter Membership Fees: Local Chambers of Connection pay an annual membership fee of $12,500 to the US Chamber of Connection. This includes annual research studies, branding, measurement tools, learning community access, annual conference attendance, national partnerships, and national programs (Welcome Committee, Welcome Week, Community Builder Program, Best Day Ever).
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The nonprofit accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals. Standard donation amounts offered are $100, $250, $500, and $1,000, with custom amounts available. The organization also accepts Employer Matching contributions and Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) grants. EIN: 33-1431780.
3. Founding Funder Investments: The organization seeks investment from funders for launching local chapters, particularly for the 3-year operational foundation required to fund core team, signature programs, and events. Founding funders are recognized as architects of new civic infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

US Chamber of Connection is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates as the civic backbone for social connection in the United States. It sells annual chapter memberships (at $12,500/year) and provides member organizations with proprietary frameworks (Six Points of Connection), standardized measurement tools (Social Connection Index), and an annual research report (State of Connection) that allow civic leaders, employers, and community builders to coordinate and scale local social-connection programming nationally.

Product overview

The US Chamber of Connection is a nonprofit organization founded in 2024 that serves as the national civic backbone for building social connection infrastructure across America. It operates a hub-and-spoke model with local Chambers of Connection (in Seattle, SF Bay Area, San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore) using the Six Points of Connection framework—a research-based approach addressing neighborhood emergency contacts, identity-based communities, one-on-one relationships, third places, activity-based communities, and community service. The organization offers programs including the Welcome Committee volunteer network, Welcome Week annual mobilization, Community Builder Network peer learning circles, and the Connected Cities Summit annual conference. Supporting resources include the State of Connection annual report, Welcoming Newcomers Playbook, and a three-question Social Impact measurement framework. Local chapters are independent nonprofit organizations that form Connection Councils to coordinate cross-sector action and conduct annual state of connection studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Welcome Committee: A national volunteer movement of neighbors who welcome newcomers, host gatherings, and help rebuild connection in their communities.
• Welcome Week
• Community Builder Network
• Connected Cities Summit
• How We Connected Podcast
• Six Points of Connection
• Best Day Ever
• Connection Council
• Connection Marketplace (SF)

Products and services

• Chapter Membership Annual paid membership for local civic and community-building organizations to operate as US Chamber of Connection chapters in their city, granting access to the Six Points of Connection framework, Social Connection Index (SCI) measurement tool, State of Connection report, peer chapter network, and national brand.
• Six Points of Connection Framework Proprietary framework provided to member chapters and partners that defines six standardized points of social connection used to design, structure, and evaluate local social connection programming.
• Social Connection Index (SCI) Standardized measurement tool provided through chamber membership that benchmarks and tracks social connection across communities, enabling chapter members and partners to evidence impact and compare results nationally.
• State of Connection Report Annual research report published by US Chamber of Connection that aggregates Social Connection Index data and presents the state of social connection across the United States, distributed to chapter members, partners, and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 in 2 Americans navigated a major life transition in the last year and experience changes in social support systems
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and important.

• UC Berkeley Greater Good Science CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC Berkeley's center for studying and supporting well-being reaches over 15 million people per year. Together with the Chamber of Connection, they are building awareness about the Six Points of Connection and navigating Life Transitions.
• Murmuration Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMurmuration Research Institute builds products that help communities build and activate power to transform America. They are the research partner for local chapters, capturing the state of connection each year to guide the work.
• HeylocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeylo's platform supports a network of 20,000 community builders. Together they are building IRL peer support groups for community builder leaders. Heylo is the sponsor of How We Connected, the leading podcast on community building.
• GooderaimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerWith a network of 50K+ nonprofits and helping 500+ companies run engaging volunteering programs, Goodera works with the Chamber to optimize service for connection and build new forms of service where connection is the cause.
• RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce)importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe RSA convenes Fellows and the public to build social capital, improve wellbeing, and enhance community resilience. They work together to seed local Chambers of Connection.
• Foundation for Social ConnectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation for Social Connection advances social connection, rooted in research. Together with the Chamber, they convene leaders to develop the infrastructure our cities need to support social connection.
• Seattle Parks and RecreationimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeattle Parks and Recreation is led by AP Diaz, who serves on the Board of Directors of the US Chamber of Connection. The partnership supports local community-building initiatives.
• Connection as a Cause Coalition MembersimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerA coalition of 15+ backbone leaders across philanthropy and volunteering working to name, define, and mobilize investment in social connection. Members include: Idealist, Exponentia, Purpose Unlimited, Pollination, Social Change, Common Impact, Catchafire, and other organizations.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Idealist: A long-running mission-driven platform connecting people to volunteering, jobs, and events — and a member of the Chamber's Connection as a Cause coalition. Comparable as both a peer and an ecosystem participant.
• Common Impact: National nonprofit partnering with companies to design skills-based volunteering programs. Overlaps with the Chamber's employer partnership and Welcome Committee employer activation motion.
• VolunteerMatch: A long-established volunteer matching platform connecting individuals and corporate programs with nonprofits. Comparable as a digital infrastructure layer for volunteer engagement — a core adjacency to the Chamber's Welcome Committee.
• Foundation for Social Connection: A national partner advancing social connection rooted in research; convenes leaders and develops infrastructure for cities to support connection. Highly comparable mission and overlapping partner ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Taproot Foundation: Founded by the same founder (Aaron Hurst), Taproot catalyzed the pro bono service market and shares the Chamber's civic-infrastructure and connection-building orientation. Directly comparable as both a peer organization and a predecessor venture.
• RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce): A direct national partner convening Fellows to build social capital, improve wellbeing, and enhance community resilience. Comparable mission around social capital and place-based connection.
• Aspen Institute: A major civic-leadership organization convening leaders across sectors and producing policy-relevant research on social wellbeing. Comparable as a thought-leadership and convening institution addressing the same civic and wellbeing themes.
• Points of Light: The largest US volunteer and civic engagement nonprofit, operating a national footprint with programs, convenings, and corporate volunteering services that directly overlap with the Chamber's Welcome Committee and Connected Cities Summit activities.

Emerging players

• Catchafire: A skills-based volunteering platform connecting professionals with nonprofits, increasingly focused on outcomes. Comparable as a digital layer enabling volunteer mobilization and connection outcomes.
• Generation Citizen: Civic engagement nonprofit focused on youth-led action and democratic participation. Comparable as a civic-infrastructure builder with a measurement- and curriculum-driven model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/us-chamber-of-connection

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about US Chamber of Connection