Red Star Foundation

What Red Star Foundation does

Red Star Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded on August 7, 2024 and headquartered in Clearwater, Florida. It is dedicated to suicide prevention and postvention support for the families of current military members, veterans, and first responders who have died by suicide. The foundation operates a portfolio of programs including the Red Star Banner and Red Star Service Pin (national recognition symbols provided free to qualifying next of kin), a Peer-to-Peer Support Network, Red Star Voices (a storytelling platform), Red Star Pledge (an advocacy commitment), Code Red (a proactive community engagement initiative), and the Red Star Cities municipal partnership program (Clearwater and Dunedin, FL designated to date). It also runs event-based programming such as the inaugural Red Star Gala (February 2026, Tampa, FL) and the Defender 5K ruck march.

The organization's business model is donation-based: it accepts tax-deductible contributions from individuals and corporations through the Zeffy donation platform, sells tiered sponsorship packages for the Red Star Gala and other events, and generates ticket revenue from foundation events. Distribution occurs directly through the foundation's website, board and ambassador outreach, municipal partnerships with designated Red Star Cities, and coalition membership (Face the Fight Coalition, America 250). The foundation has secured notable external validations including the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency (2024), formal recognition in the U.S. Congressional Record by Rep. Jack Bergman (January 2025), and pending federal legislation H.R. 7815 (introduced March 2026) to establish the Red Star Service Banner in Title 36 of the U.S. Code.

The foundation is led by co-founders Jerry Shaffer (CEO) and Gene Overstreet (12th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Co-Chairman), with an executive bench including EVP Matthew Mahoney (formerly of Tunnel to Towers Foundation), and an expanding advisory board that includes John Hamre (Wounded Warrior Project alumnus), Dr. Kent Corso (suicidologist, PROSPER model founder), and Kristen Christy (988 Lifeline co-creator) as Red Star Families Ambassador. As of mid-2026 the organization operates with 1-10 employees and has built momentum through coalition partnerships and federal-level advocacy rather than headcount scale.

Name

Red Star Foundation

Legal name

Red Star Foundation

Website

https://redstarfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Red Star Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides suicide prevention programs and bereavement support to families of military, veterans, and first responders lost to suicide. It operates the Red Star Banner recognition symbol, peer-to-peer support networks, and the Red Star Cities municipal initiative across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Suicide Prevention and Bereavement Support Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Suicide prevention programs
• Veteran family support
• First responder mental health
• Peer support networks
• Nonprofit advocacy initiatives

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, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and corporate donations accepted through the organization's website via Zeffy donation platform. Tax-deductible contributions as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Sponsorship Packages: Corporate sponsorship opportunities for the Red Star Gala and other foundation events. Includes founding sponsor packages and event-specific sponsorships.
3. Event Tickets: Revenue from the annual Red Star Gala, with individual tickets and various sponsorship tiers available for the February 28, 2026 event in Tampa, FL.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Red Star Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports families of current military members, veterans, and first responders who have lost a loved one to suicide. It delivers services through the Red Star Banner and Service Pin recognition symbols, a Peer-to-Peer support network, Red Star Voices storytelling platform, suicide prevention education, advocacy campaigns, and the Red Star City municipal partnership program. Programs are provided free of charge to qualifying next of kin, funded by donations and event sponsorships.

Product overview

Red Star Foundation is a nonprofit organization that offers a portfolio of programs and services focused on suicide prevention and family support for military, veterans, and first responders. The core offerings include the Red Star Banner and Service Pin as symbolic recognition items for families of those lost to suicide, the Peer-to-Peer Network for peer support, Red Star Voices for storytelling, and Red Star Pledge for advocacy. Additional initiatives include the Red Star City municipal partnership program, Code Red community engagement, Governors Challenge, Red Star Ruckers event team, and the Red Star Gala fundraising event. The organization also provides sub-branded communities for specific family members including Red Star Wives and Red Star Moms. The portfolio is tied together through a quarterly newsletter and the website as a comprehensive resource hub.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Red Star Families: A community and identity for families of military, veterans, and first responders who have lost a loved one to suicide.
• Red Star Banner
• Red Star Service Pin
• Red Star Voices
• Red Star Pledge
• Red Star Ruckers

Products and services

• Red Star Banner A national emblem of remembrance, connection, and healing for families of military personnel, veterans, and first responders who have lost a loved one to suicide; provided free of charge to next of kin.
• Red Star Service Pin A companion recognition pin to the Red Star Banner, honoring the service of those lost to suicide and the enduring strength of their families; provided free of charge to next of kin.
• Peer-to-Peer Network A nationwide support network connecting families affected by military, veteran, and first responder suicide with peer support, resources, and community engagement.
• Red Star Voices A storytelling platform where surviving family and friends share their stories, heart, and grief about losing a loved one, reflecting on approaches to grief and healing.
• Red Star Pledge An advocacy initiative empowering individuals to take a formal commitment to support suicide awareness and stand against the stigma surrounding military, veteran, and first responder suicide.
• Red Star City Initiative A municipal partnership program designating cities as Red Star Cities committed to recognizing families affected by suicide, promoting awareness, prevention, and hosting events of remembrance and healing.
• Code Red A proactive community-based engagement initiative for suicide prevention and family support within the foundation's community programs.
• Honoring the Forgotten Families An initiative addressing the over 2 million family members impacted by veteran suicides, providing recognition, support, and community for those navigating loss.
• Governors Challenge

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 Red Star Cities designated (Clearwater, FL and Dunedin, FL) with more expected to follow
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• America 250majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026America250, the national nonpartisan organization charged by Congress to lead the commemoration of America's 250th anniversary (Semiquincentennial), announced a national partnership with Red Star Foundation. The partnership will support efforts to honor those who have served the nation while addressing suicide prevention. Red Star Foundation will contribute through storytelling, program integration, and community engagement initiatives that highlight resilience, service, and the human cost of protecting the nation. The collaboration will help drive awareness around mental health resources and reinforce collective responsibility in supporting those who serve.
• Face the Fight CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2025Red Star Foundation was accepted as an official Face the Fight Coalition Partner, joining a powerful national alliance committed to reducing veteran suicide through meaningful action, cross-sector collaboration, and unwavering dedication. Face the Fight is a coalition of corporations, foundations, nonprofits, and veteran-focused organizations united by a shared mission to confront the veteran suicide crisis. The partnership validates Red Star's work through programs like peer-to-peer networks, suicide prevention education, family support initiatives, and national awareness efforts.
• Sgt. Anthony Patrick Muhlstadt FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2025The Red Star Foundation partnered with the Sgt. Anthony Patrick Muhlstadt Foundation for the Defender 5K event, a community event dedicated to raising awareness and support for military and veteran suicide prevention. The event included a 2.2-mile ruck march to honor those who carried the burden of service and are no longer with us.
• Operation Stand Down TennesseeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2025Red Star Foundation participated in 'The Over, Never Out' conference hosted by Operation Stand Down Tennessee in Nashville, where the foundation presented Red Star Service Banners and Pins to four local Red Star Families. The conference brought together approximately 30 organizations dedicated to preventing veteran suicide.
• The Flag CompanyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 28 January 2025The Flag Company in Clearwater, Florida was selected as the initial manufacturer of the Red Star Service Banners. The company produces the official recognition banners that are provided free of charge to qualifying families.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cohen Veterans Network: National network of mental health clinics serving post-9/11 veterans and military families at no cost, including suicide prevention. Comparable in veteran mental-health mission but operates clinical infrastructure rather than peer support, advocacy, and recognition like Red Star Foundation.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Largest U.S. nonprofit serving post-9/11 veterans with direct-response fundraising at multibillion-dollar scale. Red Star Foundation Board Member John Hamre spent 20+ years there. Both organizations serve the military/veteran community, but Wounded Warrior Project's scope is far broader (mental health, employment, physical rehab) versus Red Star's suicide-loss-family focus.

Direct peers

• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS): Premier nonprofit providing peer support, grief counseling, and casework to families of America's fallen military heroes. Comparable peer-support infrastructure and bereavement service model to Red Star Foundation's Peer-to-Peer Network, though TAPS focuses on all-cause military death rather than suicide specifically.
• America's Warrior Partnership: Nonprofit connecting veterans and their families to community resources, with programs targeting suicide prevention and post-service transition. Comparable community-based veteran support model and similar peer-to-peer service approach as Red Star Foundation.
• Stop Soldier Suicide: National nonprofit focused exclusively on preventing veteran and active-duty suicide through outreach, clinical referrals, and awareness. Directly comparable mission to Red Star Foundation's Code Red and prevention programs, though Stop Soldier Suicide focuses on at-risk service members themselves rather than bereaved families.
• Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation: Major nonprofit honoring fallen first responders and military service members through smart-home building for catastrophically injured veterans and families of fallen. Most directly comparable: Red Star Foundation's EVP Matthew Mahoney was previously EVP at Tunnel to Towers and scaled revenue 639% to $725M raised. Both organizations share the fallen-service-member family mission, though Tunnel to Towers focuses on line-of-duty deaths.

Emerging players

• Headstrong Project: Nonprofit providing free, confidential mental health treatment to post-9/11 veterans and their families. Comparable mental-health focus for veteran/military families but emphasizes direct clinical treatment over Red Star Foundation's peer-support, recognition, and advocacy model.
• Military Veterans Health Foundation: Smaller foundation focused on veteran mental health and suicide prevention research and programs. Comparable niche mission around military suicide but with greater emphasis on research/clinical intervention versus Red Star's family-bereavement and recognition focus.

Others

• Veterans Crisis Line (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline): Government-operated crisis intervention service for veterans, in service members, and their families. Kristen Christy, Red Star Families Ambassador, co-created the 988 Lifeline. Adjacent enabling infrastructure for the suicide-prevention ecosystem in which Red Star Foundation operates its peer-support and prevention programs.
• Gold Star Families (congressionally chartered Gold Star Wives of America): Established organization representing families of military members who died in combat. Red Star Foundation explicitly positions the Red Star Banner as the suicide-loss equivalent of the Gold Star Banner, making this the closest symbolic/missionary analog and a natural beneficiary-partner cohort.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/redstarfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Red Star Foundation