What Badge of Life does

Badge of Life is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Artesia, California, founded around 2010 by Dr. Daniel L. Gamez, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Sergeant. The organization is dedicated to addressing mental health, wellness, and suicide prevention among law enforcement officers, first responders, and their families. Its service portfolio spans crisis intervention (a 24/7 crisis hotline and text line), peer support teams, outpatient therapy referrals, memorial and community events (Blue Friday, End of Watch ceremonies), annual wellness summits, and standardized training programs approved by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), including Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety and related 40-hour curricula.

The organization operates a community-led program model rather than a technology platform. Its core "products" are human-delivered services: training workshops, peer support facilitation, chaplain services, and crisis call response, supplemented by an online resource library and a research think tank focused on law enforcement suicide and family wellness. Notable institutional partners include California Baptist University, which provides volunteers and chaplain support, and the California Police Youth Camp, which co-hosts community programming. The model is positioning Badge of Life as both a direct service provider and a policy/curriculum voice within the California public safety ecosystem.

Revenue is generated through donations, grants, and fundraising events consistent with its 501(c)(3) status. No commercial pricing, subscription, or contract structure is disclosed. The organization is small (11–50 employees) and relies heavily on volunteers, indicating a grant-dependent, community-funded operating model with limited revenue diversification and no evident technology-driven margin structure.

Name

Badge of Life

Legal name

Badge of Life

Website

https://badgeoflife.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Badge of Life is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers mental health training, crisis intervention, and peer support for law enforcement officers, first responders, and their families, primarily across California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

First Responder Mental Health and Wellness Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Leadership, Character Education & Values Development (EDAMAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Emotional Regulation Programs (EDAMAIAC)

Keywords

• First responder wellness
• Law enforcement training
• Suicide prevention
• Mental health training
• Crisis support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Streamwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization relies primarily on individual and corporate donations to fund its mission of supporting first responder wellness. Donations are solicited through the website, fundraising events, and community outreach.
2. Grant Funding: Badge of Life pursues grant funding through grant writing assistance programs. The organization has an intern program where research interns collaborate with grant writers to identify and write grant applications.
3. Volunteer Services: Volunteers provide essential support including fundraising event coordination, community outreach, marketing and promotional support, donor relations management, administrative support, and research assistance. Positions are unpaid, with college course credit available through university partnerships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Badge of Life is a national non-profit that delivers mental health and wellness training programs, workshops, and crisis resources to law enforcement officers and other first responders. The organization develops custom curricula that meet California STC, BSCC, and CA POST requirements, and provides peer support, physical health services, and community awareness programming targeting PTSD, suicide prevention, substance abuse, and burnout among first responders.

Product overview

Badge of Life operates as a non-profit platform offering a unified suite of first responder wellness services, combining wellness training courses, crisis resources, physical health services, community awareness programs, peer support for retirees, and a research think tank. The organization functions as a single integrated program rather than a modular platform, with training programs as the primary offering and resources/crisis support as complementary services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wellness Training Courses A comprehensive catalog of wellness and mental health training courses for law enforcement professionals covering topics including stress management, trauma recovery, suicide prevention, burnout, and resilience building. Includes custom curriculum development meeting BSCC and CA POST STC training requirements.
• Emergency Crisis Resources Directory A curated directory of emergency mental health resources including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, Copline, and Veterans Crisis Line providing 24/7 support for first responders.
• Physical Health & Wellness Services Programs designed to support the physical health and wellness of first responders, complementing psychological wellness initiatives.
• Peer Support for Retirees Nationwide Peer support services specifically designed for retired first responders, providing ongoing emotional and community support nationwide.
• Research Think Tank A research division collaborating with scholars on projects designed to advance Badge of Life's mission in first responder wellness. Research interns support the work through university partnerships.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Law Enforcement Agencies NationwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBadge of Life partners directly with law enforcement agencies nationwide to fulfill its mission of supporting first responder wellness. Partnerships involve training program delivery, workshop facilitation, and resource provision tailored to agency-specific needs.
• Universities and Educational InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with universities enable Badge of Life to engage research interns who work with Think Tank scholars on research projects advancing the organization's mission. The organization also provides course credit for students from partner schools.
• Multidisciplinary Healthcare SpecialistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBadge of Life partners with psychologists, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, medical doctors from multiple specialties, physician assistants, physical therapists, chiropractors, and public health doctors who are passionate about helping first responders and advancing first responder wellness.
• Local BusinessesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnerships with local businesses support community outreach initiatives and help secure sponsorships and donations for fundraising events and first responder support programs.
• California Baptist UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Dr. Ana M. Gamez serves as Program Director for the Forensic Psychology graduate program at California Baptist University, enabling academic integration and research collaboration.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• ResponderStrong: First responder-focused mental health, resilience, and peer support network with training and digital resources. Comparable as an adjacent mission-aligned organization building training and community resources for first responder wellness.

Direct peers

• National Police Suicide Foundation: Nonprofit dedicated to preventing law enforcement suicide through research, education, and survivor support. Directly comparable mission-aligned nonprofit in the same first responder mental health and suicide prevention space.
• Copline: 24/7 officer-to-officer crisis hotline staffed by trained law enforcement officers. Directly comparable as a peer crisis support and mental health resource for first responders, referenced by Badge of Life in its resource directory.
• International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF): Provides Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) training and certification for first responders, EAPs, and mental health professionals. Closely comparable as it offers training and certification in mental health response tailored to first responders, similar to Badge of Life's training programs.
• The Code Green Campaign: Initiative focused on raising awareness of mental health issues and peer support among first responders. Comparable as a peer awareness and education-driven nonprofit in the same first responder mental health space.
• First H.E.L.P. Nonprofit providing confidential mental health support, training, and crisis intervention for first responders and their families. Directly comparable as a peer nonprofit in first responder mental health training and support.
• Blue H.E.L.P. Nonprofit focused on law enforcement officer suicide awareness, prevention, and support for families. Directly comparable as a peer mission-driven nonprofit addressing the same first responder mental health and suicide prevention space as Badge of Life.
• Safe Call Now: 24/7 crisis hotline and confidential support specifically for first responders and their families. Directly comparable as a peer crisis support resource in the first responder mental health ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP): Major law enforcement leadership association that has prioritized officer mental health and wellness programming. Comparable as a large incumbent shaping standards and training for officer wellness across U.S. law enforcement.
• American Public Health Association - First Responder Mental Health Initiatives: Large professional association addressing public health workforce wellness including first responder mental health. Comparable as a broader institutional player publishing research and convening on first responder mental health.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Badge of Life