Finding the Right Tool

For this use case, the need for an online forum arises from the identified lack of a community or safe online space. An online forum, especially Discourse Forum, becomes the ideal solution for several reasons:

FOSS (Free and Open-Source Software): Discourse is free to use and open-source, allowing for customization and community-driven development.
Self-Hostable and Data Security: Being self-hostable gives organizations control over their data and security measures.
Seamless Browser and Email Integration: Discourse provides a user-friendly experience both in-browser and through email notifications, ensuring easy access and engagement.
Flexibility and Customizability: Discourse offers a high degree of flexibility, allowing organizations to tailor the forum to their specific needs and branding.
Great Moderation Features: Discourse provides powerful moderation tools to keep discussions respectful, safe, and on-topic.
Encourages Engagement: With features like likes, replies, and notifications, Discourse ~~fosters~~encourages active participation and community building.

There are alternative platforms also, such as:

Flarum
phpBB
Vanilla Forums
vBulletin