Well, I've never done AA, but what does AA provide that would be beneficial more broadly? Community? Acceptance of high power? Repentance? Peer-commitments? Shared-experiences?

So maybe organized, community-oriented religion is the right suggestion? Or some secular organization devoted to community betterment?

Yes. The 12 steps are a self directed self paced investigation of self and/in society. The community is welcoming, with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Humility, sharing of suffering and joy, laughter. YMMV

I'm somewhat familiar with the 12 steps. As far as I can tell the core premise is to give in to a "higher power." This feels very similar to a cult to me, in the sense that it's learned helplessness and that the only way you can ever have value is by giving in to the group/god/whatever. I am not saying 12 steps is a cult because it exists to help/cure addiction and it does so with mixed results. But the history of the program is very obviously centered around religion.

If you aren't already in such dire straits as to require this kind of help, it really seems like a form of self-harm to me. I've met many people who've gone through 12 steps. Some advocate for it, some protest it. I'm genuinely happy for people to get the help they need wherever they can find it. But I absolutely would not recommend it to someone that isn't already so desperate that they're willing to give up their autonomy because they don't know what else to do.