Give An Hour

What Give An Hour does

Give an Hour is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 by clinical psychologist Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, headquartered in Clarksburg, Maryland, and led since 2025 by CEO Dr. Trina Clayeux. It provides free mental health services to individuals and communities impacted by human-made trauma through a hybrid delivery model combining pro bono clinical counseling from a national network of 4,000+ licensed volunteer providers with virtual, lived-experience peer support groups organized by population vertical. Its primary beneficiary base is military service members, veterans, and their families, supplemented by financial fraud survivors, justice-impacted individuals, rare disease caregivers, crime and violence victims in D.C., federal employees, and workplaces seeking trauma-informed wellness programming. Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropy: foundation and corporate grants, government contracts (D.C. Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants, National Guard Bureau, U.S. Army), individual donations, and tiered corporate sponsorships, with all services delivered at no cost to participants.

The underlying technology stack comprises a virtual peer support platform and a free learning management system called ResilienceU, which hosts on-demand curricula including the Check on Wellness course, the Trauma-Informed Peer Support (TIPS) certification, the Veteran MILE Gateway Training, and APA/NBCC-approved continuing education for mental health professionals. Proprietary frameworks include the Five Signs of Emotional Suffering (reaching 75 million people through the Campaign to Change Direction), the Customer-Informed Journey Mapping methodology (Listen, Lean In, Learn, Lead), and the TREND Community Rare Caregiver Journey Map. Distribution is omnichannel and community-led: a provider portal recruits and serves volunteer clinicians, self-serve peer support registration funnels consumers into vertical-specific groups, direct enterprise sales deliver Military MILE and Veteran MILE programs on bases, and a Wellness Ambassador community of 1,453+ advocates extends grassroots reach across all 50 U.S. states.

Since 2023 the organization has expanded into three new verticals (rare disease, financial fraud, federal employee support), formalized annual convenings through the Rare Mental Health Summit (next edition May 17-19, 2027), secured a three-year Montgomery County workforce re-entry grant (2024-2027), and integrated third-party scam-prevention technology via a 2026 RangersAI partnership. Cumulative impact metrics disclosed include 380,000+ donated service hours, 2.44 million people impacted, and a 95% participant satisfaction rate.

Name

Give An Hour

Legal name

Give an Hour

Website

https://giveanhour.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Give an Hour is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free mental health services, including pro bono clinical counseling and virtual peer support, to populations impacted by human-made trauma such as military members, veterans, financial fraud survivors, justice-impacted individuals, and rare disease caregivers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Mental Health Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grief, Trauma & PTSD-Focused Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAL), Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Services (EDALAFAD)

Keywords

• Free mental health services
• Trauma-informed counseling
• Peer support groups
• Pro bono therapy network
• Workforce mental wellness

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethesda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Primary funding from foundations (Alexion Charitable Foundation, Pedersen Foundation, Stand Together Foundation, etc.) and corporate sponsors for mental health programming
2. Government Contracts: Funding from government entities including District of Columbia Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants, National Guard Bureau, Veterans Affairs
3. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals through website, CFC (Combined Federal Campaign #65498), Facebook fundraisers, stock donations
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Supporter, and Community tier sponsorships from businesses supporting mental health mission

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Give an Hour provides free, no-cost mental health services to individuals impacted by human-made trauma through a national network of volunteer licensed mental health professionals and trained peer supporters. Its core offerings include one-on-one pro bono clinical counseling, virtual peer support groups tailored to specific trauma-affected populations (military/veterans, financial fraud survivors, justice-impacted individuals, interpersonal violence survivors, and rare disease caregivers), and a portfolio of training programs delivered through the ResilienceU learning platform.

Product overview

Give an Hour provides a multi-faceted mental health service portfolio combining clinical and peer-based support models. The core offerings include Peer Support Groups (virtual communities for shared lived experience) and Clinical Counseling (pro bono one-on-one therapy through a network of 4,000+ licensed providers). Supporting infrastructure includes ResilienceU, a free learning portal hosting the Check on Wellness and TIPS (Trauma-Informed Peer Support) training programs; the Wellness Ambassador Program for community-based mental health advocates; and the Mental Health Tools resource library. Workforce-oriented services include the Veteran MILE Gateway Training and organizational wellness programs. Continuing education is delivered through Financial Fraud Training Series and APA/NBCC-approved courses. The organization also hosts the annual Rare Mental Health Summit and maintains a national provider network. All services focus on populations impacted by human-made trauma.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Campaign to Change Direction: Public mental health campaign focused on raising awareness about the five signs of emotional suffering.
• Peer Support
• Rare Mental Health Summit
• ResilienceU
• Military Mile
• Veteran MILE
• Help the Helpers

Products and services

• Peer Support Groups
• Clinical Counseling
• Wellness Ambassador Program
• ResilienceU
• Trauma-Informed Peer Support (TIPS) Training
• Check on Wellness Training
• Veteran MILE Gateway Training
• Mental Health Tools and Resources
• Mental Health Professional Network
• Financial Fraud Training Series
• Rare Mental Health Summit
• Continuing Education Courses
• Workforce Transformation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 380,000+ hours of mental health services donated since 2005
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• RangersAI/ScamRangercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to support scam prevention and digital safety awareness. RangersAI's ScamRanger platform provides scam checking, risk analysis, education about manipulation tactics, and daily online safety tips to Give an Hour participants and peer communities. Combines technology with trauma-informed communication for scam prevention.
• FINRA Investor Education FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on fighting fraud through education and resources for financial fraud survivors. Supports Financial Fraud Training Series for Mental Health Professionals.
• District of Columbia Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants (OVSJG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership providing trauma-informed mental health services to crime victims in DC. Includes workforce wellness initiatives, Help the Helpers trainings, and continuing education opportunities.
• Global GenesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Global Advocacy Alliance for rare disease community. Collaborates on mental health support for rare caregivers and rare disease advocacy efforts.
• TANGO2 Research FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• Fanconi Cancer FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• Lipodystrophy UnitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• UCD FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization providing mental health resources for caregivers including crisis response journey mapping.
• IFOPAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• IgG4ward!minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• Cystinosis Research NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• CGDAAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• The Sumaira FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• Guthy Jackson Charitable FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• MGA(KC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• MGAWPAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• Conquer MGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• MG Holistic SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• Mission CureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• Vasculitis FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRare disease partner organization for mental health support services.
• Therapy4FedsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer mental health support for federal employees impacted by layoffs. Provides specialized support for government workers facing workforce disruptions.
• American Psychological AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association partner for mental health provider network and continuing education support.
• American Counseling AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association partner for mental health provider network support.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation: Hiring Our HeroesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeteran employment initiative partner supporting veteran workforce wellness.
• National Guard BureaumajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for military mental health programs and base outreach.
• United States Department of the ArmymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilitary partner for mental health services and Military Mile program on bases.
• Veterans of Foreign WarsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterans organization partner for veteran mental health services.
• BackgrounderminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScam protection and fraud verification partner providing security expertise for financial fraud prevention.
• FightCyberCrime.orgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCybersecurity nonprofit partner for scam and fraud prevention resources.
• Booz Allen HamiltonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic consulting partner supporting organizational initiatives.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): One of the largest US mental health nonprofits; offers peer-led support groups, public education, and advocacy across all 50 states. Closely comparable to Give an Hour in serving free, community-based mental health support with a national footprint.
• Mental Health America (MHA): Long-standing mental health nonprofit providing screening, education, peer support, and advocacy. Shares Give an Hour's free nationwide service model and policy/awareness orientation.
• Cohen Veterans Network: Provides free, confidential mental health care to post-9/11 veterans and their families through a network of clinical centers. Direct overlap with Give an Hour's original military-and-veteran clinical counseling mission and donor-funded delivery model.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Major veteran-serving nonprofit offering mental health, peer support, and wellness programs at no cost to veterans. Comparable in donor-funded, free-service orientation and target population overlap with GAH's military segments.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): National nonprofit funding research, education, advocacy, and survivor support for suicide prevention. Directly comparable in mental-health-foundation model, awareness-campaign orientation, and use of volunteers and peer communities.
• Crisis Text Line: Free, 24/7 crisis support delivered via text by trained volunteer crisis counselors. Directly comparable in volunteer-powered, free, virtual mental health service delivery for crisis populations.
• Psych Hub: Mental health education platform offering free evidence-based training videos and resource hubs. Comparable to Give an Hour's ResilienceU learning management system and free Five Signs public awareness content.
• The Steve Fund: Nonprofit focused on mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color, with crisis-response and partner networks. Directly comparable cohort-specific, trauma-aware peer/community support orientation.
• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS): National nonprofit providing peer-based emotional support and resources to those grieving the loss of a military loved one. Closely comparable peer-led, free, trauma-focused support model for military families.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Mental Health Services: Federal government provider of mental health services for veterans, including PTSD treatment and suicide prevention. Broader incumbent in the same trauma-focused mental health category, with full clinical staff rather than a volunteer model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/giveanhour
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/nonprofitgiveanhour
• Facebookfacebook.com/GiveanHour
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/giveanhour
• Instagraminstagram.com/giveanhour
• TikToktiktok.com/@giveanhour

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Give An Hour