Samaritans

What Samaritans does

Samaritans, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit suicide prevention organization headquartered at 41 West Street, 4th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1974, it is the oldest suicide prevention organization in Massachusetts and operates a portfolio of crisis intervention, grief support, and community education services primarily across Massachusetts and the broader Northeast United States, with national reach through its integration into the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline network. All services are provided free of charge to end users.

The organization's core products include: a 24/7 Helpline available via phone (988) and text staffed by trained volunteers; Hey Sam, a peer-to-peer mental health textline for youth ages 14-24 launched in March 2022 (operational 9am-midnight ET); Suicide Grief Support Services delivered through virtual and in-person SafePlace meetings plus Survivor to Survivor visits; Suicide Prevention Workshops for schools, workplaces, and community organizations (206 workshops delivered in 2024); LOSS Teams (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) operating with seven Massachusetts police departments to provide immediate postvention support; and SOSA, an eight-week virtual support group for suicide attempt survivors based on the Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center model. The underlying technology stack is conventional communications infrastructure (phone, text, virtual meeting platforms, tele-interpreter services supporting 240+ languages), with no proprietary AI/ML components identified.

Samaritans operates a community-led, volunteer-driven model with 11-50 paid staff complemented by hundreds of trained volunteers (108 active Helpline volunteers in 2025). In 2025, the volunteer and staff team delivered 59,802 hours and answered 103,267 calls and texts. Revenue comes entirely from donations, including individual giving, foundation grants (Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Sanofi, Manton Foundation, Cummings Foundation, and others), corporate sponsorships (American Tower has contributed over $475,000; Bank of America is the official 2026 Boston Marathon charity partner; Boston Red Sox is a Flagship partner), government grants, and special events (Breakfast for Hope, 5K Run/Walk, Boston Marathon and NYC Marathon teams). In 2025, the organization reached its $26 million Every Conversation Counts fundraising campaign goal. Leadership is headed by CEO & President Kathy Marchi with a board of directors drawing from American Tower, Wellsense Health Plan, PwC, Microsoft, CBS Radio, ADL, and other institutional partners.

Name

Samaritans

Legal name

Samaritans, Inc.

Website

https://samaritanshope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Samaritans is a Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1974 that delivers free, volunteer-driven suicide prevention, crisis intervention, grief support, and youth mental health services across the Northeast and nationally via the 988 Lifeline network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Suicide Prevention Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAH

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYEDALAFAD

Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Services

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Student Health, Counseling & Wellness Services

SECONDARYHLAEAHAK

Behavioral Health Crisis Services Management (988/Hotlines/Mobile Crisis Coordination)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Health Insurance & Managed Care/Managed Behavioral Health (MBHO)

SECONDARYHLALAEAI

Crisis Support, Suicide Prevention & Acute Behavioral Triage Platforms

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Telehealth Platforms/Behavioral & Mental Health Teletherapy Platforms

Keywords

• Suicide prevention services
• Crisis helpline support
• Mental health textline
• Grief support groups
• Community education workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting suicide prevention mission, including one-time gifts, monthly giving programs, and tribute gifts in honor or memory of loved ones.
2. Corporate Giving & Sponsorships: Corporate donations, sponsorships, and workplace giving programs. Major sponsors include American Tower (over $475K contributed), Red Sox partnership, and event sponsors.
3. Foundation Grants: Funding from community foundations and grant-making organizations including Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Sanofi, Manton Foundation, LMI, Cummings Foundation, ACF, CFCT, George Harrington Trust, Parmenter Foundation, and various named trusts.
4. Special Events: Fundraising events including Breakfast for Hope annual event, 5K Run/Walk for Suicide Prevention, Boston Marathon team, and TCS New York City Marathon team.
5. Government Grants: State and federal support for suicide prevention services and crisis intervention programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Samaritans provides free, confidential 24/7 crisis support via phone and text on the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, plus the Hey Sam peer-to-peer textline for youth ages 14-24. It also operates suicide loss survivor grief support groups (SafePlace), the SOSA attempt-survivor program, LOSS Team postvention in partnership with first responders, and community suicide prevention education workshops.

Product overview

Samaritans is a nonprofit suicide prevention organization offering a portfolio of crisis intervention and support services. The core offerings include the 24/7 Helpline (phone/text crisis support), Hey Sam (youth peer-to-peer textline for ages 14-24), Suicide Grief Support Services (SafePlace meetings, Survivor to Survivor visits), Suicide Prevention Workshops (community education), LOSS Teams (immediate support for families after a suicide), and SOSA (Survivors of Suicide Attempts support group). All services are free, confidential, and nonjudgmental, primarily serving Massachusetts and surrounding regions. The organization relies heavily on trained volunteers to deliver these lifesaving services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hey Sam: A peer-to-peer mental health support textline for youth up to age 24, available 9am to 12am ET by texting 439-726. Launched in March 2022.

Products and services

• 24/7 Helpline A free, confidential, nonjudgmental crisis hotline available 24/7 via phone (988) and text for individuals feeling suicidal, lonely, or depressed. Calls are answered by trained volunteers and connected to the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline network.
• Hey Sam Youth Peer Textline Free, confidential text-based peer mental health support for youth ages 14-24, available 9am to midnight ET by texting 439-726. Staffed by trained young volunteers who provide peer-to-peer listening and resource navigation.
• Suicide Grief Support Services (SafePlace) Comprehensive grief support programs for suicide loss survivors including SafePlace peer support meetings (virtual and in-person), Survivor to Survivor one-on-one visits, grief support workshops, and an annual memorial. Includes specialized cohorts for parents, LGBTQ+ community, youth, spouses/partners, and general loss survivors.
• Suicide Prevention Workshops Free educational workshops delivered to schools, workplaces, elder care facilities, and community organizations covering suicide prevention strategies, warning sign recognition, and how to support individuals in crisis. Available in-person (within approximately 2 hours of Boston) or virtually.
• LOSS Teams (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) Collaboration between first responders and trained suicide loss survivor volunteers providing compassionate listening and timely resources to families immediately following a suicide. Currently serving communities including Braintree, Brookline, Canton, Norwood, Sharon, Westwood, and Walpole in Greater Boston.
• SOSA (Survivors of Suicide Attempts Support Group) An eight-week virtual support group for adults (18+) who have survived a suicide attempt. Facilitated by a licensed clinician and a peer with lived experience, with closed cohorts of 4-9 participants focused on building community and developing safety tools. Model licensed from Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center.

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and major.

• Boston Red SoxflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 September 2025Partnership for 'Changeup the Conversation' mental health initiative. Samaritans was honored at pre-game ceremonies during National Suicide Prevention Month. Red Sox players' public discussions about mental health (Jarren Duran) led to significant increases in outreach to Samaritans' services.
• DeeDee's CrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSamaritans is an advisory partner to DeeDee's Cry, supporting development of a LOSS Team for families in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan with funding from Boston Public Health Commission.
• Keolis Commuter ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide mental health and suicide prevention training to commuter rail frontline employees including engineers, train crews, and first responders.
• Bank of AmericacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSamaritans is an official charity partner of the 2026 Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program, receiving bibs to fundraise through Team Samaritans runners.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis LifelinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSamaritans answers calls and texts routed through the national 988 network, part of the crisis intervention infrastructure.
• Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSamaritans uses the SOSA (Survivors of Suicide Attempts) model developed by Didi Hirsch in Los Angeles, California.
• Massachusetts Police Departments (Braintree, Brookline, Canton, Norwood, Sharon, Westwood, Walpole)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local police departments to launch Samaritans LOSS Teams providing immediate support to families following suicides.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Crisis Text Line: National 24/7 text-based crisis support service. Highly comparable to Samaritans' Hey Sam offering and to the text/chat side of its 24/7 Helpline, serving similar at-risk populations via a volunteer-staffed text modality.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): Largest U.S. nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention, funding research, advocacy, and survivor support. Comparable mission, donor base, and survivor-program overlap with Samaritans' grief support and community education work.
• Samaritans (UK): Original UK-based Samaritans organization founded in 1953, the spiritual parent of Boston's Samaritans. Operates a 24/7 helpline and suicide prevention services using the same volunteer-led listening model.
• Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center: Los Angeles-based suicide prevention organization whose SOSA (Survivors of Suicide Attempts) model is licensed/used by Samaritans. Directly comparable in clinical model, attempt-survivor programming, and crisis-line operations.
• The Trevor Project: Provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth via phone, text, and chat. Directly comparable in mission and target population overlap with Samaritans' Hey Sam and LGBTQ+ SafePlace groups.

Broad incumbents

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: National federally backed crisis hotline network of which Samaritans is a partner/answering center. Operates the overarching infrastructure that Samaritans' 24/7 Helpline connects into, making it both a partner and a competitive gravitational force for funding and attention.

Regional players

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Massachusetts: Massachusetts chapter of the largest U.S. grassroots mental health organization, offering support groups, education, and advocacy. Comparable in regional focus, peer-support group model, and donor-base overlap within the same Massachusetts service area.

Others

• Massachusetts Department of Mental Health: State agency that funds and oversees public mental health services in Massachusetts. A government counterpart and partial funding source/partner for Samaritans' crisis intervention programming in its primary service geography.

Emerging players

• JED Foundation: National nonprofit focused on protecting emotional health and preventing suicide among teens and young adults, primarily through school and university programs. Comparable in youth mental health focus and educational workshop delivery model.
• Trans Lifeline: Peer-support phone hotline run by and for trans people. Comparable in volunteer-staffed crisis support model and in serving a high-acuity, underserved population that overlaps with Samaritans' LGBTQ+ segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/textheysam
• TikToktiktok.com/@textheysam
• Xx.com/SamaritansHope
• Facebookfacebook.com/Samaritansinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/exeter-samaritans

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Samaritans