About
The Jed Foundation (JED) is a New York City-based nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide among teens and young adults. Founded in 2000 by Donna and Phil Satow after they lost their youngest son, Jed, to suicide in 1998, JED works nationwide with high schools, colleges, and universities to strengthen mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programming, while equipping young people and the adults around them to recognize struggle and seek help.
Mission
JED protects emotional health and prevents suicide for the nation's teens and young adults by building resiliency, promoting connectedness, and encouraging help-seeking behaviors through its programs and partnerships.
What they do
- JED Campus: a signature program in which over 500 colleges, representing over 6 million students, work with JED to assess and improve their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programming.
- Seize the Awkward: a national campaign encouraging young people to have conversations with friends about mental health struggles; its videos have been played over 65 million times.
- Mental Health Resource Center: digital resources on mental health for young people and those who support them, visited by more than 250,000 people each month.
- Professional education: JED has educated over 70,000 college, high school, and other mental health professionals.
History
The Jed Foundation was established in 2000 by Donna and Phil Satow following the death of their youngest son, Jed, by suicide in 1998. The IRS recognized the organization as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in March 2001, and it has since grown into a leading national voice in youth mental health and suicide prevention.
Scale and impact
According to the organization, more than 9,000 high schools, colleges, and universities have strengthened their mental health and suicide prevention safety nets through JED's work. More than 250,000 people visit the JED Mental Health Resource Center each month, nearly 100,000 people follow JED's social media, and the Seize the Awkward campaign has generated over 65 million video views.
Financials
According to IRS Form 990 data on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer for the fiscal year ending December 2023, The Jed Foundation reported total revenue of $20,673,662, total expenses of $25,788,488, and total assets of $36,768,101.
Governance
Donna and Phil Satow founded the organization and are credited as its founders. The Jed Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in New York, NY.