Statements

Mission

The Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI) is dedicated to the prevention of the "Silent Epidemic" of youth suicide through educational and awareness programs that equip young people, educators / youth workers and parents with the tools and resources to help identify and assist at-risk youth.

Background

The Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI) was founded on October 1, 1997 as a 501 (c)(3) incorporated in Tennessee. Birthed from a tragedy, JFI was created after 16-year-old Jason Flatt became a victim to the national health problem of youth suicide on July 16, 1997. Jason's family and a small group of passionate volunteers started the non-profit around a kitchen table in the breakroom of an insurance agency. JFI's initial program was a presentation tailored to educate parents regarding the warning signs that indicate suicidal ideation in youth. Participants of these early presentations implored JFI to expand offerings to educators and students alike. Since our inception, The Jason Foundation has never charged a school, family, or community for the use of any of our programs. This ensures that cost is never a prohibitive factor when it comes to who can utilize these possibly life-saving programs and materials. Since our founding, JFI has become a national leader in youth and young adult suicide awareness and prevention with 189 locations in 37 states. We service all 50 states and several foreign countries, all without charging for any of our materials. As we have grown, JFI now provides programs to a wide array of groups that come into contact with youth on a regular basis including parents, youth, faith based organizations, youth workers, and more.

Impact

Youth suicide still remains as one of the leading causes of PREVENTABLE death in our nation today. In fact, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for our youth ages 10-24, taking an average of 135 young people each and every day. But, the good news is that suicide is PREVENTABLE! JFI works aggressively to provide educational programs for students, educators/youth workers, and parents providing information, tools, and resources to help identify and help at-risk youth. The JFI National Network consists of offices across the nation providing our programs and services to millions of individuals throughout the nation. A summary of our programs and lives impacted are listed below: 1. Professional Development / In-Service Training for Teachers. Providing training for teachers that will better enable them to be equipped to recognize "warning signs" and understand "elevated risk factors" associated with youth suicide is a major goal for The Jason Foundation. As the leading provider of Professional Development programs in the area of suicide prevention for teachers, JFI provided 192,421 trainings in 2022. 2. The Jason Flatt Act: Now enacted in 21 states, The Jason Flatt Act (named after our founder's son) requires that teachers receive one to two hours of training in youth suicide. 3. A Promise for Tomorrow: JFI offers a student curriculum designed for utilization within a school's current Health and Wellness class. It is a 2 classroom presentation that teaches suicide prevention to students using a third person concept - How can I help my friend? Last year, we added 605 new schools those schools already using the programs. This impacted 274,520 new students who had not yet received the training. 4. College Programs: With suicide being the second leading cause of death for our college aged youth, this is an important group to reach. In 2022, JFI did 52 event presentations with 1,459 students impacted.5. Faith Based Program: Created as a shortened version of our school-based program and is used in the faith-based community. It also addresses the topic of 'What does my faith say about suicide?' This program took over two years of development and involved representatives of various faiths. In 2022, 78 presentations were done impacting 863 young people. 6. Public Relations and Social Media Outreach Programs: These programs are utilized for educating the public and our website also hosts our teacher trainings and other materials. The total outreach for these programs in 2022 was over 53.9+ million. 7. A Friend Asks: A smartphone app which provides information, tools and resources for young people and adults. Warning signs, elevated risk factors, how to help a friend as well as instant connectivity functionality make this a life-saving app.

Needs

The Jason Foundation seeks support for general operating expenses while we enhance existing platforms and develop additional programs. Funding received supports The Jason Foundation's Triangle of Prevention program model. This prevention model was designed to reach all main areas of influence on a young person's life. We currently offer educational curriculum and peer support programs for youth and informational seminars for parents, and educators. In addition, we maintain various awareness initiatives for all ages. All programs, materials, and services are available to the public at no cost. Since our inception in 1997, we have never charged a school, family, or community for anything that we offer. Support to The Jason Foundation aids program development and distribution, which accounts for over 97% of our budget. Less than 3 cents of every dollar donated or awarded to The Jason Foundation is allocated for overheard.

CEO Statement

Youth suicide claims more lives annually for teenagers and young adults than all natural causes combined. In recent years, it has escalated to the 2nd leading cause of death for our youth ages 10-24 in our nation claiming more than an average of 135 lives each week. Despite its national impact, suicide largely remains a "Silent Epidemic" due to a lack of awareness, communication and education for our communities. The Jason Foundation's mission is to break this "Silence" by providing the information, tools and resources that empower students, educators / youth workers and parents / communities to better recognize and assist at-risk youth. Since 1997, JFI has never charged to provide any programs or resources. We are proud that The Jason Foundation is recognized nationally as a leader in the awareness and prevention of youth suicide.

Board Chair Statement

The Jason Foundation has grown from a small hometown organization to a National Network of offices located throughout the nation. Even though JFI has grown substantially, the management and staff have stayed grounded and true to its mission. The board is charged with overseeing the fiscal responsibilities of JFI, and I am proud to say that they have consistently maintained a high level of integrity and an excellent business model while always putting mission first. Most importantly, the board is proud that over $.97 cents of each dollar raised goes directly to program support.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Education  - Secondary & High Schools
Secondary Category:	Mental Health & Crisis Intervention  - Mental Health & Crisis Intervention NEC
Tertiary Category:	Education  - Parent & Teacher Groups

Areas Served

JFI is nationally recognized as a leader in youth suicide awareness and prevention programs. JFI is one of the nation's leading clinically-based non-profit organizations for the awareness and prevention of youth suicide. JFI programs are now in use in every state and several foreign countries, with 186 locations physically located in 37 states.

National