DeafLEAD
DeafLEAD is a Deaf-led nonprofit operating six crisis lines plus statewide victim services, advocacy, case management, mental health, and interpreting services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Late-Deafened individuals. Funded by grants and donations, it employs 200+ staff across 29 states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersColumbia, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What DeafLEAD does
DeafLEAD is a Deaf-led, Columbia, Missouri-headquartered nonprofit organization founded in 1995 (originally as Youth L.E.A.D. Foundation in 1994) that provides crisis intervention, victim services, advocacy, case management, mental health services, and interpreting services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Late-Deafened individuals and their families. Under founder and CEO Dr. Stephanie Logan since 1997, the organization has scaled to 200+ employees across 29 states operating as a fully remote, Deaf-centric workplace.
The core product is a 24/7 multilingual crisis-intervention platform delivered across six crisis lines, anchored by three flagship services: the Deaf Crisis Line (videophone, 2017), the Disaster Distress Helpline videophone (the first national disaster videophone hotline, 2020), and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (Missouri statewide provider and national backup center, 2022). Service delivery spans videophone, TTY, chat/text, and in-person modalities. The technology stack is built on standard third-party tools—Zoom, Vimeo, Jotform, ASL Now, and CSD Access—rather than proprietary systems; the competitive differentiation lies in human clinical and linguistic capability, not software. In 2018, DeafLEAD became the first organization to achieve American Association of Suicidology (AAS) accreditation under a "for Deaf, by Deaf" model, and in 2020 it was selected as the National Chat and Text Center for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Adjacent offerings include Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY), a workforce training program, and a national internship program.
The revenue model is grant-dependent and non-commercial. Services are provided free of charge to end users, with operating funding drawn from federal and state government grants—primarily SAMHSA-backed programs (NSPL, DDH, 988) and the Missouri Department of Mental Health—supplemented by private donations. Geographic reach is bifurcated: national scope through crisis-line partnerships and statewide (Missouri) direct service delivery for victim services, advocacy, and case management. There is no private equity, venture, or commercial equity participation, consistent with its nonprofit status.
DeafLEAD firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DeafLEAD
- Legal name
- Deaf Lead
- Website
- https://deaflead.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- DeafLEAD is a Deaf-led nonprofit operating six crisis lines plus statewide victim services, advocacy, case management, mental health, and interpreting services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Late-Deafened individuals. Funded by grants and donations, it employs 200+ staff across 29 states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DeafLEAD industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Crisis Intervention and Victim Advocacy Services
- NAICS
- Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Assistive Hearing & Communication Access (Captioning, Hearing Support, Transcription) (EDAFAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD), Sign Language Learning Programs (ASL/BSL, etc.) (EDAMAFAM)
Keywords
Where DeafLEAD is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DeafLEAD business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: Individual donations from the public to support life-saving services for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Donations go towards general services fund or specific causes as specified by donors.
- Government Grants: State and federal grants funding direct services for the Deaf community, including crisis intervention, victim services, and suicide prevention programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | All services are free to Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Late-Deafened victims of crime and their families |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
DeafLEAD product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DeafLEAD is a Deaf-led nonprofit that provides 24/7 crisis intervention, victim advocacy, case management, mental health counseling, and ASL interpreting services to Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Late-Deafened individuals who are victims of crime. It operates the Deaf Crisis Line videophone, 988 chat/text for Missouri, the Disaster Distress Helpline videophone, and supports victim service providers with co-advocacy and training. All direct services to individuals are provided free of charge, funded by donations and government grants.
Product overview
DeafLEAD is a Deaf-centric nonprofit organization providing a comprehensive suite of crisis intervention and victim services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Late-Deafened individuals. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected services centered around its 24/7 crisis hotlines (Deaf Crisis Line and 988 services), victim services (advocacy, case management, mental health), and specialized programs (interpreting, TCTSY yoga, Teen Institute, ASL resources). DeafLEAD functions as a statewide service provider in Missouri with national reach through its crisis chat/text centers and disaster relief helpline. All direct services to individuals are free, supported by donations and grants.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Crisis Intervention Services 24/7 crisis intervention services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind individuals, including the Deaf Crisis Line videophone, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline chat/text/videophone, and emotional support for individuals facing various challenges.
- DeafLEAD Victim Services Comprehensive victim services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Late-Deafened victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and other crimes, including advocacy, counseling, case management, and crisis intervention.
- Advocacy Services Legal, medical, and personal advocacy services to help Deaf individuals access communication and services in shelters, medical facilities, legal proceedings, and social services, including trauma-informed support and cultural competency training.
- Mental Health Services Free mental health services including crisis intervention support, emotional support through the Deaf Crisis Line, counseling services, and trauma-informed sessions for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, Late-Deafened victims and their families.
- Interpreting Services Free crisis interpreting services for Deaf individuals in crisis, including trauma-sensitive interpreting where signs may be adjusted to be more neutral, plus training for providers on working with interpreters.
- Teen Institute
Quantifiable outcome
- Free services to all served individuals regardless of location
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use DeafLEAD
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
DeafLEAD technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature3 records
DeafLEAD partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline / SAMHSAcoreDeafLEAD is the state center for Missouri and national backup center for 988 chat and text services. The organization provides ASL-accessible crisis support as part of the national 988 network, having helped launch ASL services nationwide in September 2023.
- Disaster Distress Helpline (SAMHSA)coreDeafLEAD established the first national disaster-related videophone hotline (DDH-VP) for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Late-Deafened community members affected by disasters.
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now 988)coreContracted for TTY services and later expanded to provide ASL-accessible crisis support as part of the national suicide prevention network.
- Victim Service Providers NationwidecoreDeafLEAD collaborates with shelters, law enforcement, legal professionals, medical facilities, and social service agencies across the country to provide crisis interpreting, co-advocacy, and training services for Deaf survivors.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves17 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DeafLEAD competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sorenson Communications: Sorenson is a leading provider of video relay services (VRS) and accessibility products for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. It overlaps with DeafLEAD in delivering videophone-based Deaf communication services, though it operates at much larger commercial scale.
- The Trevor Project: Trevor Project operates national crisis intervention (chat/text/phone) for a specialized population, similar to how DeafLEAD serves Deaf/HoH individuals. Both are accredited crisis-line operators with national reach and remote workforces.
- Crisis Text Line: Crisis Text Line operates a national 24/7 text-based crisis intervention service—the same delivery modality as a major DeafLEAD program. Both function as backend crisis-line infrastructure providers within the U.S. crisis response system.
- Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD): CSD is the largest Deaf-serving communications nonprofit in the U.S. and operates the ASL Now / CSD Access videophone platform that DeafLEAD uses to route Deaf Crisis Line calls. Both organizations serve the same population with overlapping videophone, interpreting, and accessibility services.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: The Hotline provides 24/7 crisis intervention and resources for domestic violence victims—the same primary use case DeafLEAD serves through DeafLEAD Victim Services. Both function as federally supported crisis-line backbones for victim-survivor populations.
Emerging players
- National Association of the Deaf (NAD): NAD is a long-standing civil rights advocacy organization for the Deaf community. It does not run crisis hotlines but represents the broader community DeafLEAD serves and occasionally engages as a stakeholder in DeafLEAD's federal and legislative conversations.
Others
- Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI): TDI is the industry association advocating for accessible telecommunications for the Deaf/HoH community. It does not deliver crisis services directly but shapes policy and standards that govern DeafLEAD's videophone and relay-service delivery environment.
Broad incumbents
- Vibrant Emotional Health (988 Lifeline Administrator): Vibrant is the national administrator of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline network, of which DeafLEAD is both a state center (Missouri) and the national chat/text backup center for ASL services. Vibrant is the parent program DeafLEAD plugs into across the broader, non-Deaf-specialized crisis-line system.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
DeafLEAD social profiles
Digital presenceDeafLEAD compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
DeafLEAD financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DeafLEAD leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
DeafLEAD funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DeafLEAD M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DeafLEAD
What does DeafLEAD do?
DeafLEAD is a Deaf-led nonprofit that provides 24/7 crisis intervention, victim advocacy, case management, mental health counseling, and ASL interpreting services to Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Late-Deafened individuals who are victims of crime. It operates the Deaf Crisis Line videophone, 988 chat/text for Missouri, the Disaster Distress Helpline videophone, and supports victim service providers with co-advocacy and training. All direct services to individuals are provided free of charge, funded by donations and government grants.
Is DeafLEAD a public or private company?
DeafLEAD is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was DeafLEAD founded?
DeafLEAD was founded in 1995.
Where is DeafLEAD based?
DeafLEAD is headquartered in Columbia, United States, in the North America region.
How does DeafLEAD make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are government Grants.
Who are DeafLEAD's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sorenson Communications, The Trevor Project, Crisis Text Line, Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) and National Domestic Violence Hotline. National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is listed as an emerging player. Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI) is listed as an others. Vibrant Emotional Health (988 Lifeline Administrator) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does DeafLEAD have an API?
No public API is recorded for DeafLEAD.
What industry is DeafLEAD in?
DeafLEAD's product category is Crisis Intervention and Victim Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAKAC, Assistive Hearing & Communication Access (Captioning, Hearing Support, Transcription), with a secondary code of EDALAGAD, Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services. Its NAICS code is 624190 and its SIC code is 8300.