The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is a voluntary health organization that advocates for research and education around suicide, based in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, with a public policy office based in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
The organization's stated mission is to "save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide."
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History
The organization was founded in 1987.
[ Gebbia, Robert; Moutier, Christine (2021]
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
''Oxford Textbook of Suicidology and Suicide Prevention 2 edn 93: 781-784''. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
According to a
Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator is a charity assessment organization that evaluates more than 230,000 charitable organizations based in the United States, operating as a 501(c)(3) organization. It provides insights into a nonprofit's financial stability, adh ...
rating published in 2023, more than 81% of the organization's finances went towards program expenses (based on financial data from fiscal year 2022), which, according to Charity Navigator, received a "perfect rating for accountability and transparency." AFSP also partners with
Aetna
Aetna Inc. ( ) is an American managed health care company that sells traditional and consumer directed health care insurance and related services, such as medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, long-term care, and disability plans, ...
.
For 2018, AFSP received $37 million in financial contributions from 700,000 new and returning donors.
Programs
Through an alliance with
OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA; ) is a regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. The United States Congress established ...
, AFSP "provides local
orkplacecommunities with support services for survivors of suicide loss."
Programs designed to educate the larger public about suicide and prevention best practices, such as Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention, are offered by AFSP under the umbrella of prevention education and provide a general understanding of suicide, including its scope and what can be done to prevent it.
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day (also known as "Survivor Day") is an event occasionally co-sponsored by AFSP. Originally introduced as "National Survivors of Suicide Loss Day" in 1999, when United States
Sen. Harry Reid—himself a survivor of suicide loss—formally introduced a resolution to the Senate, the day is officially observed annually on the Saturday before
American Thanksgiving.
The Interactive Screening Program, or ISP, is an online tool offered by AFSP first piloted at
Emory University
Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...
, and has since been implemented in colleges, police departments, workplaces and the NFL Players Union.
Criticism
In August 2016, AFSP formed a partnership with the
National Shooting Sports Foundation
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is an American national trade association for the firearms industry that is based in Newtown, Connecticut. Formed in 1961, the organization has more than 8,000 members:
The NSSF helps write safety a ...
, a gun industry trade association. In December 2017, ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' released an opinion piece written by Erin Dunkerly, a volunteer whose father died by suicide using a firearm. The piece cites that there is a high risk of suicide from keeping firearms in the home, but claims that local AFSP staff told volunteers not to discuss the topic of gun control. The piece goes on to say that AFSP excluded from its walks violence prevention groups that promoted gun control, and that AFSP excludes the
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
Brady: United Against Gun Violence (formerly “Handgun Control, Inc”., the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence) is an American nonprofit organization that advocates for gun control and against ...
from donating or participating. According to a post published on digital health community The Mighty, similar accounts of gun safety groups have been reported in Wisconsin by Khary Penebaker, in San Diego by Wendy Wheatcroft, and in Maine by Judi Richardson.
References
External links
*
International Survivors of Suicide Loss DaySeize the AwkwardProject 2025Unitedvolunteer.org
{{Authority control
Organizations established in 1987
Non-profit organizations based in New York City
Suicide prevention