JED Foundation

JED Foundation
Name	JED Foundation
Formation	2000
Founders	Phil Arena; Donna Deegan
Type	Nonprofit organization
Purpose	Adolescent and young adult mental health, suicide prevention
Headquarters	New York City
Region served	United States

JED Foundation The JED Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on adolescent and young adult mental health and suicide prevention, working with secondary schools, colleges, healthcare systems, philanthropic organizations, and public agencies. It supports assessment, policy development, training, and research designed to strengthen mental health services and reduce suicide risk among students and young adults. The foundation collaborates with universities, hospitals, government agencies, and private foundations to scale evidence-based practices.

History and founding

The organization was established in 2000 by Phil Arena and Donna Deegan after the deaths of two friends, drawing early attention from academic centers such as Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, Princeton University, and Stanford University. Initial initiatives connected with student affairs offices at institutions like University of Pennsylvania, University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, Cornell University, and New York University. Early partnerships included nonprofit and advocacy groups such as American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Task Force for Child Survival, Children's Defense Fund, Save the Children, and The Trevor Project. The foundation’s formative years saw engagement with federal bodies including National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as collaborations with state education departments like New York State Education Department and California Department of Education.

Mission and programs

The foundation’s mission emphasizes prevention and early intervention through curricular, clinical, and campus-wide strategies used by institutions such as University of California, Los Angeles, Boston University, Duke University, Georgetown University, and Johns Hopkins University. Signature programs include comprehensive campus assessments, gatekeeper training involving staff from The Ohio State University, Penn State University, University of Texas at Austin, Michigan State University, and University of Florida. Program elements draw on clinical practices from Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, Mount Sinai Health System, and Kaiser Permanente. Initiatives often integrate with student services at Columbia University, Brown University, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Emory University.

Research and impact

Research collaborations have linked the foundation to investigators and centers at Harvard School of Public Health, Yale School of Medicine, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and University of California, San Francisco. Impact evaluations reference studies from journals associated with American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, National Academy of Medicine, and researchers connected to Stanford Graduate School of Education. The foundation’s work has influenced guidelines and practice at organizations such as American College Health Association, Association of American Universities, Council of Chief State School Officers, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, and Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Outcome metrics and program evaluations have been presented at conferences hosted by AcademyHealth, American Public Health Association, Society for Research in Child Development, International Association for Suicide Prevention, and World Health Organization partner meetings.

Partnerships and funding

The foundation receives support and partners with philanthropic entities including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Kellogg Foundation, and Open Society Foundations. Corporate and nonprofit collaborations have included Google, Facebook (Meta Platforms, Inc.), Bloomberg Philanthropies, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Government grants and cooperative agreements have been pursued with U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, State of New York Office of Mental Health, and local public health departments such as Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. International linkages have involved institutions like World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund, Pan American Health Organization, Global Partnership for Education, and OECD.

Advocacy and public outreach

Public campaigns and media engagement have positioned the foundation alongside advocacy groups such as Active Minds, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, The Jed Foundation (do not link), Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and Zero Suicide Institute. Outreach channels include collaborations with news organizations and broadcasters including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, CNN, and BBC News. Educational resources and toolkits have been distributed to secondary schools and colleges cited by U.S. News & World Report, promoted at events like SXSW EDU, TEDx, Aspen Ideas Festival, Clinton Global Initiative, and presented at legislative briefings in United States Congress, New York State Legislature, and state capitols. Social media and digital strategy partners have included platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

Governance and organization

The organization’s governance structure features a board of directors drawn from leaders in health, academia, philanthropy, and business, including trustees and advisers with affiliations to Columbia University Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Yale School of Medicine, Stanford Medicine, and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Executive leadership works with advisory councils composed of representatives from American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, National Association of Social Workers, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Administrative functions coordinate with legal and compliance firms, auditors, and consultants including names such as KPMG, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, McKinsey & Company, and Boston Consulting Group. The foundation maintains offices and staff in major U.S. cities proximate to academic hubs like New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Chicago.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States