Welcome

Dear Friends,

As 2026 comes to close, we find ourselves reflecting on the impact AFSP has made this past year, as well as how far our organization has come since its founding in 1987. We believe that countless lives have been saved and that for decades AFSP has brought hope to those affected by suicide.

We know our research program has made a major impact, as much of what is known about suicide prevention has come from AFSP funded studies. As the largest private funder of suicide research, we invested $113 million over the past 39 years, supporting almost 900 grants. This year, we added 29 new studies, as we continue to advance the science upon which our work is based.

In 2026, we reached more people than ever before with our prevention and loss support programs through the work of our 73 chapters — most of which were formed over the last 18 years. We delivered our nationally recognized Talk Saves Lives program over a thousand times and our L.E.T.S. Save Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention for Black & African American Communities was added to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s Best Practices Registry. We launched Hard Hat Courage to address suicide in the construction industry, an occupation with one of the highest rates of suicide, and we held over 300 International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day events.

Today, AFSP is a leader in suicide prevention advocacy. (To think it was only 2010 when we added this work to our mission!) This year, our 57,000 Volunteer Advocates helped pass the Doctor Lorna Breen Act, to support the mental health of healthcare professionals, and acted quickly to protect SAMHSA grants, sending thousands of messages to Congress, which contributed to the decision to reverse grant cancellations. Our State advocacy expanded crisis services, insurance for behavioral health, bridge barriers, and more.

We helped people learn how to support each other through our public education efforts, including the Seize the Awkward campaign, in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Ad Council, which focuses on teens and young adults. Our new “Safe Storytelling Studio” provided guidance for journalists, the entertainment industry, and social media creators to ensure narratives are accurate and avoid posing a danger to those at-risk.

Our Out of the Darkness Walks continue to be held throughout the country, elevating awareness and raising funds for a cause that in the beginning many people thought no one would show up for. Since that first walk in 2002, 3.2 million people have walked.

While there is still much left to do, we are proud of the progress we’ve made thanks to our volunteers, staff, supporters, and partner companies and organizations. What began with a few researchers and families affected by loss has grown to become a national, grassroots movement.

As I, Robert, plan to retire in early 2027, there is one more milestone in our organization’s journey. AFSP and the JED Foundation have decided to join together to form the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing suicide across the lifespan.

AFSP has come a long way since 1987. And we are encouraged by a decrease in suicide in our country — for the second consecutive year, including a decrease in youth suicide. Our goal is to make an even greater impact in the years to come — and save many more lives.

Thank you for being a part of our journey.