BOARD GAME BUDDIES NFP

Board Game Buddies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Niles, IL that uses structured, volunteer-led board game programming to reduce social isolation and build genuine human connection for people facing life's toughest moments. We partner with recovery programs, veterans groups, hospitals, youth organizations, and court-supervised mental health programs across Chicagoland — deploying trained volunteers and a library of 180+ games directly to the people and facilities that need community most. Every session is designed with purpose: to spark conversation, build trust between participants, create moments where hardship takes a back seat, and give people a reason to show up and engage. For many of our participants — individuals in substance use recovery, justice-involved adults, veterans navigating transition, and youth facing adversity — a board game night isn't a luxury. It's a lifeline to the kind of peer connection that supports long-term wellbeing. Our programming is active across Cook County and expanding. Current partners include Recovery Connection, a Maine Township substance use recovery program serving 30–50 participants monthly, and Cook County Mental Health Court, where BGB delivers court-approved structured sessions focused on team building and social skills under judicial supervision. We are actively building relationships with hospitals, veterans organizations, and youth-serving agencies throughout the Chicagoland area. Board Game Buddies is volunteer-powered, community-rooted, and built on a simple belief: that sitting down together over a game can change someone's day — and over time, their life.