Thank you for your support of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). We know that this might be a difficult time, and we encourage you to visit our digital resource center for tips on managing your mental health during COVID-19.

Our top priority is the safety and health of our volunteers, donors, participants, and staff. Because of this, we are carefully monitoring the developments related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and will continue to do so. While our offices in Washington, DC and New York City are closed, our teams are continuing our life-saving work from the safety of our homes.

Some adjustments have been made to accommodate our current remote structure:

  • Due to limited access to our mail, we are experiencing delays in offline donation processing. We encourage you to donate online for immediate processing and an electronic receipt. If you have any questions about the status of a donation sent by mail, you can contact our Data Entry team at dataentry@afsp.org.
  • Just because we’re physically distancing doesn’t mean we can’t connect! Where possible, many of our spring events have gone virtual. Learn more by visiting your local chapter’s page.

Additionally, AFSP is responding to an enhanced need for mental health resources through public outreach and an aggressive push for legislative action:

  • Ramping-Up Legislative Support for Mental Health Resources: AFSP is advocating Congress for increases to crisis resources during this moment of acute public stress including the following: 
    • Working with our national organization partners to prioritize mental health in federal coronavirus responses. Asks to Congress include addressing Mental Health care coverage including Telehealth and improving crisis care and suicide prevention during COVID.  
    • Providing guidance for efforts led by Members of Congress to support mental health during the COVID crisis. 
    • Supporting Congressional efforts to increase funding for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by $10 million and supported charitable giving deductions in response to the crisis. 
  • Thought-Leadership and Public Engagement: AFSP is educating and engaging the public on mental health during COVID-19 through webinars, Facebook Live, and Instagram Live, led and moderated by our Executive Leadership.
  • Employee Resources for Workplaces: AFSP knows that employers are working hard to support and comfort their staff during this crisis. To aid in those efforts, AFSP is providing companies resources and materials on self-care strategies for resilience for employees 
  • Collaboration with leading public and private organizations: AFSP joined the COVID-19 Mental Health Resource Hub, a collaborative effort of the nation’s leading mental health advocacy groups, largest insurance companies, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to offer a free collection of videos and other digital assets developed to help individuals and providers address their mental health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We appreciate you for believing in AFSP and our mission, and for helping create a culture that is smart about mental health. We hope you will consider donating to AFSP during this unprecedented time of need. Your generosity makes our work possible and allows us to continue fighting, even in the toughest of times.

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If you have any questions or would like to further discuss ways to partner with AFSP, please contact development@afsp.org.