American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

What American Foundation for Suicide Prevention does

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1987 and headquartered in New York City, operating as the largest private funder of suicide prevention research globally with $87.68 million invested in 809 studies since inception. AFSP delivers an integrated mission across four pillars — research funding, public education, policy advocacy, and survivor support — through a nationwide network of 73 community-based chapters spanning all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. Core programs include Talk Saves Lives (flagship one-hour suicide prevention education, recognized by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center's Best Practices Registry), Out of the Darkness Walks (flagship fundraising vehicle in community, campus, and overnight formats), Healing Conversations (peer-to-peer support for loss survivors), International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day (309 event sites across 50 states and 24 countries), and the Hard Hat Courage initiative (construction industry focus). Vertically specialized programs include CAPS training for healthcare professionals, Pride Pathways for LGBTQ+ communities, Talk Saves Lives: Supporting Our Veterans, L.E.T.S. Save Lives for Black and African American communities, and the Safe Storytelling Studio for media professionals. AFSP's revenue model relies on individual donations, fundraising walks ($1.7M+ from community walks in 2025; nearly $3.1M from a single NYC Overnight Walk), corporate grants (Milwaukee Tool, MITER Foundation, Moxie Pest Control, LifeStance Health Foundation, Johnson & Johnson), planned giving and bequests, and merchandise sales through the AFSP Store. In April 2026, AFSP announced a merger as equals with The Jed Foundation (JED), pending New York Attorney General approval, to form AFSP/JED with an expected combined operating budget of approximately $75 million and net assets of roughly $140 million, with JED CEO John MacPhee slated to lead the combined organization.

Name

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Legal name

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Website

https://afsp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1987 and the largest private funder of suicide prevention research globally, delivering evidence-based education, peer support, advocacy, and survivor programs through 73 chapters across all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Suicide Prevention Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Suicide Prevention, Self-Harm Prevention & Threat Assessment Programs (EDAKAMAI), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Suicide prevention programs
• Mental health education
• Loss survivor support
• Suicide prevention research
• Public health advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Fundraising Walks: Primary revenue stream from individual donors and participant fundraising through Out of the Darkness Walks (community, campus, and overnight formats). In 2025, walks raised more than $1.7 million. The 2025 Overnight Walk in NYC raised nearly $3.1 million.
2. Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: Bequest gifts from wills or trusts, gifts of retirement plan assets, life insurance gifts, charitable lead trusts, and charitable remainder trusts. Includes Legacy of Hope Society for planned giving donors.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Grants: Corporate grants from foundations including MITER Foundation ($75,000 annually), Moxie Pest Control ($200,000 over 2 years), LifeStance Health Foundation ($100,000), and event sponsorships. Workplace giving programs with corporate partners.
4. Merchandise and Store Sales: AFSP Store sells apparel, resources, films, and branded merchandise including the Talk Away the Dark collection.
5. Memorial and Tribute Gifts: Memorial funds honoring loved ones lost to suicide and tribute gifts celebrating special occasions or individuals.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

AFSP delivers suicide prevention through four integrated program streams: research funding ($32M active portfolio, 809 studies since 1987), public and workplace education (Talk Saves Lives and population-specific variants), peer and community support for suicide loss survivors (Healing Conversations, Survivor Day), and state and federal policy advocacy supported by a 55,000-volunteer network. The organization also operates the Out of the Darkness Walks as its flagship fundraising and awareness platform and runs targeted initiatives for high-risk populations including construction workers, LGBTQ+ individuals, Black/African American communities, veterans, and healthcare professionals.

Product overview

AFSP offers a comprehensive suite of suicide prevention programs organized as a unified mission with interconnected components. Core programs include Talk Saves Lives (flagship education curriculum available in multiple community-specific versions including veterans, construction, and Black/African American communities), Out of the Darkness Walks (primary fundraising vehicle in community, campus, and overnight formats), and Healing Conversations (peer support for loss survivors). Specialized initiatives include Hard Hat Courage for construction workers, Pride Pathways for LGBTQ+ communities, and CAPS training for healthcare professionals. The organization operates the Safe Storytelling Studio for media guidance, conducts annual Advocacy Forums and Action Days for policy change, and runs International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day events. Project 2025 is the strategic initiative targeting a 20% reduction in the suicide rate by 2025, while Talk Away the Dark is the public awareness PSA campaign. The organization also maintains an e-commerce store, planned giving programs, and produces educational resources and films.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Talk Saves Lives: AFSP's flagship suicide prevention education program
• Out of the Darkness Walks
• Project 2025
• Talk Away the Dark
• Safe Storytelling Studio
• Pride Pathways
• Hard Hat Courage

Products and services

• Talk Saves Lives AFSP's flagship one-hour community education presentation covering the scope of suicide, risk and protective factors, warning signs, and how to intervene; delivered over 1,800 times with 74% of participants reporting they learned at least three new concepts.
• Out of the Darkness Walks AFSP's primary fundraising and awareness events held in Community, Campus, and Overnight Walk formats, drawing nearly 250,000 participants annually nationwide.
• Healing Conversations Volunteer-led peer support program that connects suicide loss survivors with trained volunteers who have experienced similar loss, offering phone, virtual, or in-person support.
• International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day Annual event held each November bringing together suicide loss survivors at hundreds of sites across the U.S. and internationally for connection, understanding, and hope.
• Hard Hat Courage Suicide prevention education and awareness initiative for the construction industry, including training sessions, jobsite stand-downs, and industry partnership activations.
• Pride Pathways Suicide prevention program providing presentations and resources tailored for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies to foster supportive environments and reduce suicide risk.
• L.E.T.S. Save Lives Culturally responsive suicide prevention education designed specifically for Black and African American communities.
• Clinical Approach to Preventing Suicide (CAPS) Training program designed to educate primary care and emergency healthcare professionals on identifying at-risk patients, conducting brief interventions, and creating safety plans.
• Safe Storytelling Studio Digital content hub providing evidence-based guidelines, training modules, and resources for journalists, entertainment professionals, and social media creators on responsible suicide reporting.
• Advocacy Forum and Action Days Annual advocacy events bringing volunteer advocates to Washington, D.C. and state capitals to meet with elected officials and push for suicide prevention legislation.
• Talk Saves Lives: Supporting Our Veterans Free one-hour presentation educating civilians on recognizing veteran-specific suicide warning signs, risk factors, and intervention steps.
• The Upright

Quantifiable outcome

• Talk Saves Lives participants report learning at least 3 new concepts (74% of participants)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles9 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Milwaukee ToolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026Milwaukee Tool partnered with AFSP to deliver mental health awareness and suicide prevention training during Construction Safety Week (May 4-8, 2026). Reached 100,000+ workers through 500+ training sessions led by 200+ employees. Part of Milwaukee Tool's annual $10 million investment in safety education.
• The Jed Foundation (JED)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026AFSP and JED announced plans to merge as equals, pending New York State Attorney General approval, to form AFSP/JED — the nation's largest nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention across the lifespan. Combined annual operating budget of approximately $75 million and net assets of roughly $140 million. JED CEO John MacPhee will lead the combined organization.
• CONEXPO-CON/AGG and The Utility ExpocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Partnership to raise awareness and funds for mental health and suicide prevention in the construction industry. CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 raised over $112,000 for AFSP's programs on research and outreach. Included educational sessions, engagement activities, and a wellness space.
• National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer partnership through Project 2025 initiative to provide suicide prevention education to firearms retailers, shooting ranges, and gun owners. The joint initiative was secretly shut down in May 2023, about 18 months before its 2025 deadline.
• NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFSP established new or expanded partnerships with construction industry organizations including NCCER to integrate suicide prevention resources into industry training programs as part of the Hard Hat Courage initiative.
• Construction Suicide Prevention WeekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Construction Suicide Prevention Week as part of the Hard Hat Courage initiative. Coalition hosted stand-downs across 1,222 jobsites during the 2025 Construction Suicide Prevention Week (Sept. 8-12, 2025).
• APM (Association of ppm)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with APM as part of the Hard Hat Courage initiative to expand suicide prevention education in the construction industry through industry training programs.
• Bechtel CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBechtel participated in AFSP's Hard Hat Courage initiative, with project teams in Nevada uniting for global stand-downs highlighting mental health and suicide prevention during Construction Suicide Prevention Week.
• Ad CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFSP partners with Ad Council and NAMI on the 'Seize the Awkward' campaign encouraging teens and young adults to check in with friends who may be struggling. Since 2018, campaign drove 8.7M website visits and $148M in donated media support.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFSP partners with NAMI and Ad Council on the 'Seize the Awkward' campaign for teen and young adult mental health awareness.
• ProtoStar FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtoStar Foundation's Annual Matt Stevenson Junior Tennis Tournament includes mental health awareness theme with materials distributed by AFSP. Tournament proceeds benefit junior tennis programs.
• Papa RoachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-platinum rock band Papa Roach raised $230,000 for AFSP through their 25th Anniversary Rise of the Roach Tour U.S. leg. AFSP CEO Bob Gebbia participated in tour activities.
• Voodoo DoughnutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoodoo Doughnut continued its partnership with AFSP, announcing the 'Blueberry Lemon Fritter' to support suicide prevention. Partnership includes fundraising products and community engagement.
• American Academy of PediatricscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFSP collaborated with American Academy of Pediatrics to develop Blueprint for Youth Suicide and Project Echo to implement recommendations and equip providers to care for patients with suicidality.
• Institute for Healthcare ImprovementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFSP collaborated with Institute for Healthcare Improvement on a three-year initiative to identify key levers of change required in the healthcare industry to save lives through suicide prevention.
• American College of Emergency PhysicianscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFSP worked with American College of Emergency Physicians to develop ICare2 tool for Emergency Physicians, a free tool available for use in emergency rooms across the country for suicide risk identification.
• Droga5minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDroga5 created Seize the Awkward PSAs pro bono for AFSP, Ad Council, and NAMI campaign. New PSAs feature original music from Lil Silva and Sampha depicting informal moments between friends.
• International Academy for Suicide ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFSP partnered with International Academy for Suicide Research to co-host bi-annual International Summit for Suicide Research, including 2024 event in Barcelona, Spain with 550+ researchers.
• Culture HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFSP partnered with Culture House, a Black, Brown, women-owned production company, to produce the 2023 documentary 'Healing Together: Culture, Community and Suicide Loss'.
• LinkedIn LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFSP's 'Living with Suicide Loss' video library featuring suicide loss survivors is now featured on LinkedIn Learning platform, reaching 430K views.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Jed Foundation (JED): The Jed Foundation is a direct peer in youth and young adult mental health and suicide prevention, focused on emotional health and suicide prevention in teens and young adults. AFSP and JED announced plans to merge as equals in April 2026, creating the nation's largest suicide prevention nonprofit.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization, providing advocacy, education, support groups, and public awareness. AFSP and NAMI co-partner on the "Seize the Awkward" campaign with Ad Council, and both serve overlapping populations affected by mental illness and suicide.
• Mental Health America (MHA): MHA is a community-based nonprofit focused on mental health advocacy, education, screening, and policy reform. Like AFSP, it operates nationally with affiliates, conducts public awareness campaigns, and advocates for mental health legislation, making it directly comparable in mission and model.
• The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit for LGBTQ+ young people, operating the TrevorLifeline, TrevorChat, and TrevorText. It overlaps directly with AFSP's Pride Pathways program in addressing LGBTQ+ suicide risk.
• Crisis Text Line: Crisis Text Line provides 24/7 crisis support via text messaging and is a key peer in the suicide prevention support ecosystem alongside AFSP's Healing Conversations and the broader 988 Lifeline network.
• Active Minds: Active Minds is a nonprofit focused on mental health awareness and education for young adults, with a strong campus presence. It overlaps with AFSP's Campus Walks and school-based programming, addressing similar populations through peer-to-peer engagement.
• SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education): SAVE is a longstanding suicide prevention nonprofit providing education, awareness, and survivor support. It is a direct peer in the suicide prevention nonprofit category, though smaller in scale than AFSP.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's peer — Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center: Didi Hirsch operates one of the nation's first Suicide Prevention Centers, providing crisis services, education, and training. It is a direct peer in suicide prevention service delivery, particularly strong in Southern California.

Broad incumbents

• American Psychological Association (APA): The APA is a broader professional organization representing psychologists, with overlapping interest in mental health and suicide prevention research and policy. It is a broader incumbent in mental health rather than a focused suicide prevention peer.
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing: The National Council is a membership organization for mental health and substance use treatment providers, focusing on policy, advocacy, and quality standards. It is a broad incumbent with overlap on mental health policy advocacy and provider training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/afspnational
• YouTubeyoutube.com/AFSPNational
• Facebookfacebook.com/afspnational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-foundation-for-suicide-prevention
• Instagraminstagram.com/afspnational

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about American Foundation for Suicide Prevention