What Concern Hotline does

Concern Hotline, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Virginia in 1979 and headquartered at 301 N Cameron St, Ste 102, Winchester, VA, providing 24/7/365 crisis intervention and suicide prevention services across the Northern Shenandoah Valley. Founded in 1968 by Winchester residents including Dr. Kic Kiczales, Judge Henry Whiting, Patricia Whiting, and Bettie Johnston in response to Winchester's historically high suicide rate, the organization fields a network of more than 40 trained volunteer listeners across four regional hotline numbers covering Winchester/Frederick/Clarke, Warren, Shenandoah, and Page counties, and answered over 3,000 calls from individuals in despair in 2024. Its primary served demographic is adults age 55 and older — particularly males over 65 facing isolation or life transitions — alongside a growing share of younger adults experiencing loneliness and emotional distress.

The core product is a phone-based crisis hotline staffed by volunteers trained in active listening rather than scripted clinical therapy; volunteers complete a minimum 20-hour training program coordinated by a Shenandoah University professor of Clinical Helping Skills and can take shifts from a physical call center or remotely via personal cell phones. Complementary offerings include structured safety-planning support for callers in crisis and the Broken Silence Suicide Loss Support Group, a monthly peer support group for suicide-loss survivors assumed from Blue Ridge Care in January 2026. In July 2025, Concern Hotline achieved International Council of Helplines (ICH) certification after a two-year application, placing it among only ~100 certified hotlines in the United States.

The organization has no paying end-users — all hotline, safety-planning, and support-group services are completely free and confidential — and is funded entirely through a diversified stack of individual donations, corporate partnerships, community foundation grants (Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley), United Way support, and signature fundraising events including the 27th Annual Fish Fry, 6th Annual Boo Kees Memorial Golf Tournament (cumulatively over $100,000 raised in five years), A Taste of Winchester, Full Contact Ping Pong tournaments, Soup-er Bowl events, and holiday fundraisers. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on a 25+ year iHeartMedia radio partnership, regional media relationships, academic ties to Shenandoah University, and reciprocal referral flows with Valley Health, Blue Ridge Care, Northwestern Community Services Board, and Strength in Peers. Paid staff is in the 1–10 range, led by Executive Director Rusty Holland and Program Coordinator Tara Crawford.

Name

Concern Hotline

Legal name

Concern Hotline, Inc.

Website

https://concernhotline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Concern Hotline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline serving the Northern Shenandoah Valley from Winchester, Virginia. Over 40 trained volunteer listeners fielded 3,000+ calls in 2024 across four regional numbers, funded by donations and community fundraisers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Social Assistance (624), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Crisis Support, Suicide Prevention & Acute Behavioral Triage Platforms (HLALAEAI), Behavioral Health Crisis Services Management (988/Hotlines/Mobile Crisis Coordination) (HLAEAHAK), Emergency, After-Hours & Hotline Contact Centers (BPAAAAAK)

Keywords

• Crisis intervention
• Suicide prevention
• Emotional support hotline
• Volunteer listener training
• Suicide loss support

Headquarters

HQ city

Winchester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Concern Hotline relies entirely on donations to fund operations. All gifts are tax-deductible as the organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization incorporated in Virginia. Donors include individuals, corporate partners, and community supporters.
2. Fundraising Events: The organization generates revenue through annual signature events including the 27th Annual Fish Fry, 6th Annual Boo Kees Memorial Golf Tournament, A Taste of Winchester, Full Contact Ping Pong tournaments, Soup-er Bowl events, Tacky Sweater Parties, and holiday fundraisers.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Local businesses and employers in the Northern Shenandoah Valley serve as corporate partners and sponsors for events and ongoing operational support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Concern Hotline operates a 24/7/365 telephone-based crisis intervention and suicide prevention service staffed by more than 40 trained volunteer Active Listeners serving the Northern Shenandoah Valley. Callers receive confidential, non-judgmental listening, safety planning, and resource referrals across four regional hotline numbers. The organization also runs a structured 20-hour Listener Training Program and the Broken Silence suicide loss support group.

Product overview

Concern Hotline operates as a single-service nonprofit organization offering a unified crisis hotline product. The core offering is a 24-hour telephone crisis line staffed by trained volunteer listeners, supplemented by listener training programs and the Broken Silence suicide loss support group. The organization does not operate a multi-product platform; all services converge around the hotline as the central mechanism for delivering compassionate listening, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and resource connection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Broken Silence: A suicide loss support group for individuals who have experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide, meeting on the first Tuesday of each month.

Products and services

• 24-Hour Crisis Hotline Round-the-clock confidential telephone crisis intervention, suicide prevention, compassionate listening, and resource referrals for individuals in emotional distress across four regional numbers covering Winchester/Frederick/Clarke, Warren, Shenandoah, and Page counties.
• Listener Training Program A minimum 20-hour training program that prepares community volunteers and Shenandoah University students as Active Listeners, covering active listening skills, hotline topics, local community resources, and crisis response techniques.
• Broken Silence Suicide Loss Support Group A monthly peer support group meeting on the first Tuesday of each month for individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide, offering shared stories, quiet presence, and understanding in a safe environment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000+ calls answered annually from people in despair
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

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 and minor.

• iHeartMediacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 July 202525+ year partnership with iHeartMedia for promoting mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and Concern Hotline's annual Fish Fry fundraiser. Featured in the 2025 iHeartMedia Impact Report.
• Blue Ridge CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership for suicide loss support. Concern Hotline assumed facilitation of the Broken Silence Suicide Loss Support Group from Blue Ridge Care in early 2026. Blue Ridge Care continues to provide individual grief counseling.
• Shenandoah UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership where university professor coordinates listener training. Students from Clinical Helping Skills course (nursing, occupational therapy, music therapy) volunteer as listeners. Approximately 45% of students continue volunteering after course completion.
• Valley HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system partnership for crisis intervention and mental health services. Valley Health provides behavioral health services including crisis and inpatient services.
• Winchester Non-Profit CollaborativeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with other Winchester-area nonprofits for community resource coordination and referral.
• Northwestern Community Services BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-run community services board providing mental health and substance use services across the region. Key referral partner for callers needing clinical services.
• Strength in PeersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal mental health organization partnership for community resource coordination.
• 99.3 The Fox Rocks RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal radio station partner for community outreach and mental health awareness promotion.
• Glory Days GrillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal restaurant corporate partner supporting community events.
• Virginia Eagle DistributingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage distribution partner for community events.
• Rock Harbor Golf CourseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner hosting the annual Boo Kees Memorial Golf Tournament. Hospitality provided by Denny Perry, Curt Corey, Beau Rudiger, and Rock Harbor team.
• Winchester Brew WorksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrewery venue partner for Soup-er Bowl events and community fundraisers.
• Escutcheon Brewing Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrewery venue partner for Full Contact Ping Pong VI tournament.
• Fox Meadow BarnminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent venue partner for A Taste of Winchester fundraiser.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Trevor Project: National nonprofit providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ young people via phone, text, and chat. Comparable in crisis hotline mission and volunteer/staff model, but specialized by population and larger scale.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Federally funded national crisis line providing 24/7 suicide prevention and mental health crisis support via call, text, and chat. Directly comparable in mission (suicide prevention crisis intervention) and primary delivery mechanism (phone hotline), but operates at national scale with government backing that Concern Hotline lacks.

Direct peers

• CONTACT USA: National network of local crisis helplines and listening lines using trained community volunteers — effectively the umbrella community that Concern Hotline's model aligns with. Highly comparable as a regional volunteer-led crisis hotline in mission, training approach, and service mix.
• IMAlive: Online crisis chat network providing real-time text-based crisis intervention by trained volunteers. Direct peer in volunteer-driven crisis intervention, differentiated by online chat channel versus Concern Hotline's voice-only model.
• Veterans Crisis Line: 24/7 crisis line for veterans, service members, and their families reachable by phone, text, and chat. Comparable as a federally partnered 24/7 crisis intervention hotline, but specialized to military-affiliated callers and government-funded.
• Crisis Text Line: National nonprofit providing 24/7 crisis support via text message, staffed by trained volunteer crisis counselors. Most direct peer in mission and volunteer-driven model, but differentiated by text-first delivery channel that Concern Hotline does not offer.
• Trans Lifeline: Peer-run crisis hotline staffed by volunteer operators providing direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis. Comparable in volunteer-led, peer-staffed hotline model and mission of supporting marginalized populations in distress.
• Boys Town National Hotline: Nationally available 24/7 hotline offering crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and resource referral staffed by trained counselors. Closely comparable as a phone-based crisis hotline for youth, families, and adults in distress.

Others

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Largest US grassroots mental health organization providing education, support groups, advocacy, and a helpline (NAMI HelpLine). Comparable in mission of supporting people in mental health crisis, but complementary rather than directly competitive — Concern Hotline refers to NAMI-style clinical resources.
• Mental Health America (MHA): National nonprofit focused on mental health education, screening, advocacy, and peer support. Complementary to Concern Hotline's mission of crisis intervention, but operates at national policy and screening layer rather than direct crisis hotline delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/concern-hotline

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 Concern Hotline