New York, New York — The Jed Foundation (JED), the leading national nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults, announced today that it is among the first recipients of a three-year, unrestricted $1.5 million grant from The Goodness Web (TGW). From this, $500,000 will be distributed annually to grow JED’s programming, partnerships, and people in order to help more high schools, colleges, universities, and communities strengthen their approaches to supporting teen and young adult mental health.

As teens transition into adulthood, they experience significant change and intense challenges. Three out of 10 young adults experienced a mental illness in 2020, a 42% increase since 2011, and more than half did not receive care. Additionally, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that a quarter of young adults have seriously contemplated suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is vital to equip teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves, and each other, by encouraging community awareness, understanding and action for mental health at home, in the community and importantly, at school.

JED Campus comprises 380 colleges and universities with 4.5M students, or about 22% of all college students in the United States. JED High School, after launching in 2021, has grown to 77 high schools and districts in 12 states. Through these programs, JED helps schools assess and enhance their programs, policies and systems for promoting mental health and reducing risks for suicide. 

“We are extremely grateful to receive The Goodness Web’s inaugural grant that fortifies and expands our ability to increase our programming to support youth mental health and suicide prevention nationwide,” said JED CEO John MacPhee. “Our goal is to partner with more than half of the country’s colleges and universities and more than 1,000 high schools to implement a mental health culture of caring that imroves well-being and reduces risks for suicide for their more than 13.2 million students.”

“Reducing the negative impact of mental health challenges through early identification, prevention, and intervention changes the trajectory of mental illness,” said Rob Swartz, Co-Founder of The Goodness Web. “The Jed Foundation has proven that its comprehensive, evidence-based approach on campuses has resulted in real change for students.”

The Goodness Web (TGW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. TGW connects a diverse community of result-oriented donors and partners who pool their resources and expertise to accelerate the most promising mental health initiatives to improve the lives of youth and those who care for them.

About The Goodness Web (TGW) 

The Goodness Web (TGW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2019 by the Swartz & Verdi families. The Goodness Web connects a diverse community of result-oriented donors and partners who pool their resources and expertise to accelerate the most promising mental health initiatives to improve lives. TGW activates its extensive network–the “Web”–to surface the most promising opportunities for investment, share learnings, and facilitate lasting connections. TGW is creating a new alternative to traditional philanthropy to radically change the trajectory, timeline, and impact in the mental health arena with an initial focus on youth. 

Backed by a data-driven strategy, TGW’s differentiated business model reflects a private equity-like approach by pooling donations from families who are passionate about this cause to scale proven interventions, accelerate innovation, and expand mental health support. The founding team leverages their skill sets and resources to invest in strategies that work, help enterprises build capacity, and create a sustainable mental health movement. 

Learn more at https://www.thegoodnessweb.org 

About The Jed Foundation (JED)

JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.

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Media Contact
Justin Barbo
Director, Public Relations, The Jed Foundation
justin@jedfoundation.org
914-844-4611