Survivors of Suicide Loss San Diego

What Survivors of Suicide Loss San Diego does

Survivors of Suicide Loss San Diego (SOSL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1981 in La Mesa, California, that provides peer-led support groups and related resources for individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide. Its core service is a recurring schedule of free, facilitated support groups delivered both online via Zoom and in-person at multiple sites across San Diego County (Vista, Cardiff by the Sea, La Mesa, Chula Vista), segmented by relationship to the deceased (child, spouse/partner, sibling, parent, friend) and by population (Veterans/First Responders, Spanish-speaking, second-degree loss). All group facilitators have personal lived experience with suicide loss, and the organization also operates a non-crisis support helpline (active since 1984, 10AM-6PM Pacific), a website with educational resources, a membership program with multiple tiers managed through Wild Apricot, and a Wild Apricot-powered online store selling grief literature and merchandise.

SOSL is funded through individual donations, event fundraising (the annual Walk in Remembrance with Hope at Balboa Park since 2007, Ride for Life motorcycle/car show, SOSL Day), and modest online store sales. Its technology stack is entirely off-the-shelf SaaS: Wild Apricot for membership and store, Zoom for virtual meetings, Rallybound for event registration, and Google/Microsoft/Apple SSO for member authentication. There is no proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, or developer-facing API. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the website, weekly Monday email broadcasts with group links, the helpline, and community referrals from the San Diego County Suicide Prevention Council (40+ organizations), law enforcement, first responders, clergy, and clinical partners.

The customer base is exclusively individual survivors and their support network; there are no enterprise customers or institutional contracts. Geographic service area for in-person groups is restricted to San Diego County, while online groups are accessible globally. SOSL operates with 1-10 employees, is governed by a Board of Directors (President Monica Sanchez, Secretary Kim Bozart, plus Ann Rockeman and Bertha Loaiza), and is led by Executive Director Lauren Cook (joined January 2021) and Postvention Director Deric Metzger (joined 2009). 100% of Walk proceeds remain in San Diego County for outreach, prevention, and survivor support.

Name

Survivors of Suicide Loss San Diego

Legal name

Survivors of Suicide Loss

Website

https://soslsd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Survivors of Suicide Loss San Diego is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 that provides free, peer-led support groups (in-person across San Diego County and via Zoom) for individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide, plus a helpline, annual Walk in Remembrance, and educational resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bereavement and Mental Health Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

Keywords

• Peer support groups
• Suicide loss support
• Grief counseling services
• Crisis bereavement support
• Nonprofit survivor services

Headquarters

HQ city

La Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting suicide loss survivors. SOSL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with Tax ID# 33-0138881.
2. Online Store Sales: Sale of merchandise including books on grief recovery. Currently selling 'Rebuilding a Life of Flourishing After a Suicide Loss' by Joyce Bruggeman for $20.00.
3. Event Fundraising: Fundraising through events including Walk in Remembrance with Hope and Ride for Life. Registration fees for events like Ride for Life ($35 single rider, $20 passenger, $10 lunch ticket).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Survivors of Suicide Loss San Diego provides free, ongoing peer-led support groups—both online via Zoom and in-person across San Diego County—for individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide. The organization supplements these groups with a telephone support line, an annual Walk in Remembrance with Hope and other fundraising events, a membership program for partner organizations and professionals, and an online store selling grief recovery resources and merchandise.

Product overview

Survivors of Suicide Loss San Diego (SOSL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing peer-led support services for suicide loss survivors. The organization operates a core offering of in-person and online peer-led support groups held multiple times weekly, supplemented by an annual Walk in Remembrance with Hope (since 2007), Ride for Life fundraiser, and SOSL Day events. Additional services include a helpline operational since 1984, an online store selling grief support resources and merchandise, a membership program with multiple tiers, and helpful resource materials with peer contacts organized by relationship to the deceased. The organization was founded in 1981 as a Traumatic Death support group and has been holding its annual walk since 2007.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peer-Led Support Groups Ongoing peer-led support groups for anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide. Groups meet both online (via Zoom) and in-person at multiple locations across San Diego County, CA, several times per week. All facilitators have lived experience with suicide loss. Specialty cohorts are available for Veterans/First Responders, loss of a child, loss of a spouse/partner, Spanish-speaking survivors, and Q&A sessions for second-degree loss survivors.
• Helpline / Support Line Telephone support line for survivors of suicide loss, available at (619) 482-0297 from 10AM to 6PM Pacific. Not intended for crisis calls; designed for survivors who want to talk about their loss.
• Walk in Remembrance with Hope Annual fundraising walk held at Balboa Park to remember loved ones lost to suicide and raise awareness for suicide prevention. The 19th Annual Walk was held September 14, 2025. Open to survivors, families, and community supporters.
• Ride for Life

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, historical and minor.

• San Diego County Suicide Prevention Council (SPC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007SOSL is a member of the San Diego County Suicide Prevention Council, which comprises representatives from over 40 organizations and agencies working together to implement the San Diego Action Plan for suicide prevention. SPC recognizes the post-intervention services SOSL provides to be an integral element for the San Diego Suicide Prevention Action Plan.
• Episcopal Community Services (Grief Center)historicalStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOSL evolved from a Traumatic Death support group started in February 1981 by the Grief Center of Episcopal Community Services. This origin led to the establishment of a suicide-specific group in March 1981.
• Coronado San Diego Bridge Collaborative for Suicide PreventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Bertha Loaiza serves on this collaborative working toward securing a safety barrier on the Coronado Bay Bridge to prevent suicides.
• PERT (Psychiatric Emergency Response Team)minorOthersBoard member Kim Bozart is Field Operations Supervisor with PERT, which provides psychiatric evaluations in the field to individuals in crisis.
• San Diego County Sheriff's DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard President Monica Sanchez volunteers with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and COPLINE, a public safety wellness phone line.
• COPLINEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonica Sanchez volunteers for COPLINE, a public safety wellness phone line supporting first responders.
• San Diego Regional Police Academy (Miramar College)minorOthersBoard member Kim Bozart is an adjunct professor teaching Persons with Disabilities and Mental Illness course for the San Diego Regional Police Academy.
• Meeting of the Minds Annual ConferenceminorOthersConference specific to San Diego, bridging the Mental Health community, substance abuse treatment community, individuals with lived experiences and support staff.
• San Diego HarleycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvent venue for Ride for Life 2025/2026 motorcycle ride and car show fundraiser. Located at 4645 Morena Blvd, San Diego, CA 92117.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Hope for the Day: Mental health awareness and suicide prevention nonprofit focused on proactive education and community outreach. Adjacent to SOSL in mission and community-event-driven fundraising model, though focused upstream on prevention education rather than postvention support.

Regional players

• NAMI San Diego County: Regional affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness serving San Diego County. Operates in the same geography as SOSL with overlapping mental health support programs and referral relationships, but addresses a broader mental health population rather than suicide loss specifically.

Direct peers

• The Dougy Center: Pioneer in peer-led grief support groups, providing model training and direct services to grieving children and families. Directly comparable to SOSL in its peer support group methodology and facilitator-training infrastructure, though serving a broader bereavement population.
• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS): Provides peer-based bereavement support to those who have lost a military loved one. Closely comparable to SOSL in its peer-led, lived-experience support model, volunteer-facilitator structure, and specialty subgroups, though focused on military loss rather than suicide loss specifically.
• Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors: Online community providing peer-led support for survivors of suicide loss. Operates a forum and resources for the same target population as SOSL, with an overlapping peer-support delivery model and similar specialization in suicide bereavement (vs. general mental health).

Broad incumbents

• Samaritans USA: Volunteer-driven emotional support and suicide prevention organization using a peer/listener model. Comparable to SOSL in its volunteer-led support ethos and 24/7-style availability, though serving a broader crisis support population.
• SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education): Suicide prevention and loss survivor support organization with educational programs, survivor support groups, and crisis line referrals. Overlaps with SOSL in suicide loss survivor services but operates with a broader awareness and education mandate.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): National nonprofit addressing suicide prevention, research, and loss survivor support through loss survivor programs and community walks. Overlaps with SOSL in survivor programming and community fundraising walks, but operates at national scale with a much broader mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soslsd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Survivors of Suicide Loss San Diego