First Contact

What First Contact does

First Contact (legal entity 211 Tampa Bay Cares, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 in Clearwater, Florida, originally as Pinellas Cares and rebranded to First Contact in 2024. The organization operates a portfolio of crisis-intervention and information-and-referral helplines anchored by the federally designated 211 community-resource line and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. These core entry points are complemented by a set of specialty 24/7 helplines targeting veterans (Florida Veterans Support Line, SSVF housing), first responders (Hero Helpline), survivors of sexual assault, individuals experiencing homelessness, and disaster-affected residents. In parallel, First Contact administers direct financial-assistance programs — the Adult Emergency Financial Assistance Program (AEFAP), Hope Fund, and Pinellas Rapid Re-Housing Collaborative — that disburse rental, utility, and deposit support to prevent eviction and disconnection.

The underlying technology stack is purpose-built but largely conventional: legacy telephony for 211/988, an SMS shortcode (898211) for text-based access, a county-level searchable online resource database, and the 211 Counts data platform that tracks community needs in real time by zip code, county, congressional district, and region. First Contact is accredited by Inform USA, the International Council for Helplines, and the American Association of Suicidology, and was awarded GuideStar Gold Transparency 2024. The technology layer is therefore primarily a distribution and reporting asset rather than a productized IP base.

First Contact operates on a non-commercial revenue model: all services are provided free of charge, and funding is assembled from four streams — individual and corporate donations, government grants and contracts (notably Pinellas County Human Services and the Florida Department of Children and Families), workplace-giving campaigns (Federal Combined Campaign #25524 and matching-gift programs), and partnership funding routed through United Way Suncoast, the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, and similar intermediaries. Geographic reach now spans ten Florida counties across the Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida regions, and the organization employs approximately 69 people. Distribution runs through phone, text, online, and on-site disaster recovery centers, with the website localized into eight languages to broaden access among immigrant and limited-English-proficiency populations.

Name

First Contact

Legal name

211 Tampa Bay Cares, Inc.

Website

https://firstcontact.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

First Contact (legal name 211 Tampa Bay Cares, Inc.) is a Clearwater, Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the 211 community-resource helpline, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, specialty crisis lines for veterans, first responders, and survivors, and direct financial-assistance and rapid-re-housing programs across ten Florida counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crisis Intervention and Community Information Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Dispatch, Call Center Monitoring & Response Services (HSAHAHAG), Crisis Intervention & Emergency Planning/Response Coordination (HSABAIAN)

Keywords

• Crisis intervention services
• Suicide prevention helpline
• Community resource referrals
• Disaster recovery support
• Emergency financial assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Clearwater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations supporting the organization's mission
2. Government Grants and Contracts: Funding from federal, state, and local government agencies including Pinellas County Human Services, Florida Department of Children and Families
3. Workplace Giving Programs: Federal Combined Campaign (CFC) #25524, workplace giving campaigns, and matching gift programs
4. Partnership Funding: Collaborative funding arrangements with partner organizations including United Way Suncoast and Central Florida Behavioral Health Network

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

First Contact operates 24/7 crisis intervention and information-and-referral helplines (including the 211 Community Resource Connections and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) connecting individuals to local health and human services. It also runs specialty helplines for sexual assault survivors, first responders, veterans, and homeless individuals, provides emergency financial assistance for housing and utilities, and maintains a real-time community-needs data platform (211 Counts). All services are delivered free of charge to residents of the Tampa Bay region and surrounding Florida counties.

Product overview

First Contact (formerly 211 Tampa Bay Cares) is a nonprofit crisis intervention and community information organization offering a portfolio of interconnected helpline and social service programs. The core offerings include the 211 Community Resource Connections (a 24/7 information and referral service) and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which serve as the primary entry points for individuals seeking help. These are complemented by specialty helplines including Sexual Assault Services, First Responder Hero Helpline, Veteran Services, Homeless Helpline, and Disaster Services. Financial assistance programs include the Adult Emergency Financial Assistance Program (AEFAP) and Hope Fund for housing and utility support. The Pinellas Rapid Re-Housing Collaborative provides rental and utility deposit assistance, while the Suicide Prevention & Training program offers education across populations. Additionally, the 211 Counts data platform provides real-time community needs analytics. Together, these services form a coordinated crisis response and social services ecosystem serving the Tampa Bay region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 211 Community Resource Connections A 24/7 helpline and information/referral service connecting individuals and families in the Tampa Bay region to local community resources, government services, and charitable programs, accessed by calling 211 or texting a zip code to 898211.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• Sexual Assault Services Hotline
• First Responder Hero Helpline
• Veteran Services
• Homeless Helpline
• Disaster Services
• Pinellas Rapid Re-Housing Collaborative
• Suicide Prevention & Training
• Adult Emergency Financial Assistance Program (AEFAP)
• Hope Fund
• 211 Counts

Quantifiable outcome

• Free, confidential crisis support available 24/7 to anyone in need

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Central Florida Behavioral Health NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey strategic partner in behavioral health services coordination across Central Florida region
• Pinellas County Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner providing funding and oversight for community services including Adult Emergency Financial Assistance Program (AEFAP) and Rapid Re-Housing Collaborative
• United Way SuncoastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partner in community resource connection and funding support
• Duke EnergysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing support for community programs
• SAMHSAsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerFederal agency partner for substance abuse and mental health services coordination
• Vibrant Emotional HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner for 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline network operations
• Society of St. Vincent de PaulcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Rapid Re-Housing case management services and SSVF veteran housing programs
• United Way of Hernando CountysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional partner for Hernando County community resource connections
• Suncoast Center, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Sexual Assault Services Hotline providing crisis intervention and advocacy
• Florida Department of Children and FamiliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government partner for child welfare and family services coordination
• Pinellas Community FoundationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPhilanthropic partner supporting community programs
• Rays Baseball FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity sports partner for outreach and engagement
• Pinellas County Sheriff's OfficesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLaw enforcement partner for first responder services and community safety
• Homeless Leadership AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for Homeless Helpline and Pinellas County housing prioritization system

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vibrant Emotional Health: Administers the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline network and is First Contact's named 988 partner; both operate accredited crisis call-center services with similar 24/7 routing and quality standards.
• United Way Suncoast: Longstanding funding and operational partner that historically ran the information-and-referral line that merged into First Contact; United Way affiliates in other regions operate 211 hotlines with comparable resource-database and referral models.
• Crisis Text Line: National, text-based crisis intervention service competing for the same callers, donors, and accredited-crisis-center status; overlaps with First Contact's text-to-898211 service on modality and target population.
• Suncoast Center, Inc. Partner agency that operates the Sexual Assault Services Hotline routed through First Contact; a regional behavioral-health provider with overlapping crisis-intervention services and shared clientele in the Tampa Bay area.
• Veterans Crisis Line (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs): Federal 24/7 crisis line for veterans, military service members, and their families; First Contact's Veteran Services (FVSL/SSVF) and First Responder Hero Helpline operate in the same specialty-crisis category and compete for the same veteran-focused federal funding pools.
• Heart of Florida United Way (211): Operates the 211 service in adjacent Central Florida counties with the same resource-database, referral, and crisis-routing model as First Contact; competes for state funding and partner mindshare within Florida.

Broad incumbents

• SAMHSA National Helpline: Federal substance-use and mental-health treatment referral helpline; a broad-incumbent funder/partner with overlapping mission scope, serving as both a referral destination and a competing public-facing crisis resource.

Emerging players

• The Trevor Project: National crisis intervention and suicide prevention organization focused on LGBTQ+ youth, with accredited crisis services; competes for the same federal grants, donor dollars, and accreditation ecosystem as First Contact, albeit with a narrower population focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/firstcontactfl
• Xx.com/211tampabay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/firstcontacttampabay

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 First Contact