irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $12.39MCRISIS TEXT LINE'S MISSION RELIES ON INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT THE 24/7 TEXTING AND CHAT MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS INTERVENTION PLATFORM. THE TECHNOLOGY TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CODING, REFINING, AND SUPPORTING THE CRISIS TEXT LINE TEXTING AND CHAT PLATFORM AS WELL AS MAINTAINING AND UPDATING A LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AS PART OF THE PLATFORM. THE TEAM'S ROLE INCLUDES ENGINEERING, PRODUCT, DESIGN, DATA, AND ANALYTICS.CRISIS TEXT LINE CONTINUES TO DEVELOP ENHANCED ARCHITECTURE DESIGNS FOR THE PLATFORM AS WELL AS TESTING AND DEVELOPING A GENERATIVE AI CONVERSATION SIMULATOR TO IMPROVE TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS. CRISIS TEXT LINE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT CREATES AND SUPPORTS CUSTOMIZED AND INTEGRATED PLATFORM SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL 988 SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS.
- #2 $2.08MCRISIS TEXT LINE HAS A DEDICATED TEAM OF RESEARCH SCIENTISTS THAT LEAD RIGOROUS MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH SCIENCE EFFORTS TO EVIDENCE AND AMPLIFY CRISIS TEXT LINE IMPACT FOR TEXTERS, VOLUNTEERS, AND COMMUNITIES. CRISIS TEXT LINE RESEARCH AND IMPACT STUDIES AIM TO STRENGTHEN MENTAL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND SYSTEMS IN THE BROADER FIELD NATIONALLY AND GLOBALLY. IN 2025, CRISIS TEXT LINE RELEASED SEVERAL IMPORTANT REPORTS, INCLUDING A LARGE-SCALE STUDY ON VOLUNTEER IMPACT, EVIDENCING BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING AS A CRISIS COUNSELOR THAT GO FAR BEYOND THE POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE LIVES OF OUR TEXTERS TO BENEFIT VOLUNTEERS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Bilingual Support Program
Provides mental health support in Spanish and English for Spanish-speaking individuals in crisis
Student Learning Practicum Program
Offers social work and mental health students supervised practicum experience in crisis intervention via text, in partnership with universities across the U.S.
Volunteer Crisis Counselor Program
Trains and deploys remote volunteers to provide text-based crisis intervention through active listening, collaborative problem-solving, and safety planning
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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24/7 Crisis and Warmline Support Services 2 activities
- 24/7 Text-Based Crisis CounselingProvides free, confidential, 24/7 crisis counseling via text message to individuals in the United States and Puerto Rico experiencing mental health challenges such as anxiety, loneliness, bullying, substance use, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. Services are delivered by trained volunteer Crisis Counselors, with connections typically made within five minutes and conversations lasting 15–45 minutes.
- Web and WhatsApp Crisis SupportOffers live, 24/7 web chat and WhatsApp-based crisis intervention in English and Spanish, providing free and confidential mental health support as part of its digital crisis counseling platform.
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Biomedical Research and Innovation 1 activity
- Mental Health Research and Data CollaborationConducts and collaborates on mental health research using one of the largest behavioral health datasets in the world, including partnerships with Appalachian State University, N.C. State, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to improve detection of suicidal ideation in veterans and inform best practices for media reporting.
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Mental Health Education and Awareness 1 activity
- Student and Campus Mental Health EngagementOffers a practicum program for English-speaking and bilingual students and previously operated a Campus Advocates Program to engage college students in promoting mental health support and crisis resources nationwide.
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Volunteer and Professional Training Programs 1 activity
- Volunteer Crisis Counselor Training ProgramProvides a 15-hour, self-paced, online mental health training program that builds skills in active listening, emotional regulation, and crisis support for volunteer counselors, who are required to complete 200 hours of text-based conversations with individuals in crisis.
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Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
- Volunteer Engagement for Crisis ServicesRecruits and engages individuals as donor and volunteer crisis counselors to support the delivery of mental health services, forming the core operational workforce for its crisis intervention programs.
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Recognition and Awards Programs 1 activity
- Volunteer Recognition and Advocacy AmplificationOperates the Mental Health Changemakers series to honor volunteer contributions and amplify advocacy voices in mental health, including presenting the annual Mental Health Changemaker of the Year Award.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Accreditation and Emergency Response RecognitionFirst online-only emotional support service accredited by the American Association of Suicidology and recognized as an emergency response preparedness organization by the Department of Homeland Security after vetting by HHS and DHS in 2019.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$38.49M
Contributions & grants$34.12M89%
Program service revenue$3.43M9%
Investment income$929K2%
Other revenue$8K
expenses
Total expenses$38.61M
Program expenses80%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising7%
Salaries & benefits$32.27M
Grants paid out$98K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$31.97M
Cash$6.62M
Investments$19.58M
Liabilities$5.53M
Net assets$26.44M
Liquid reserves8.2 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -15.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 9
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DENA TRUJILLO | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 50 | $420K |
| MATTHEW VANDERZEE | CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER | 50 | $418K |
| DANIELLE ADEST | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 50 | $367K |
| RUPESH SHAH | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 50 | $348K |
| SHAIRI TURNER-DAVIS | CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER | 50 | $346K |
| MARGARET MEAGHER | CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER | 50 | $337K |
| SHAWN RODRIGUEZ | SECRETARY & GENERAL COUNSEL | 50 | $298K |
| MISHKA PITTER-ARMAND | CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER (UNTIL 10/25) | 50 | $288K |
| CLAIRE ZICK | VP PRODUCT | 50 | $273K |
board members · 9
- DR ANDREA HORVATH MARQUES — DIRECTOR
- DR ANDRES MONROY-HERNANDEZ — DIRECTOR
- HARRY BRANDLER — DIRECTOR
- KIM VU — DIRECTOR
- LISA FETTERMAN — PRESIDENT
- POOJA SHAW — DIRECTOR (SINCE FEB 2025)
- RAMY SHWEIKY — DIRECTOR
- ROB STAVIS — TREASURER
- STEVEN MORVAY — DIRECTOR (SINCE OCT 2025)
relationships · 55
Who they work with
- American Association of Suicidology Government — Accredited Crisis Text Line as a crisis intervention service meeting national standards.
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Partner — Partnership enables connection of thousands of people in emotional distress to free, confidential crisis counseling via text.
- Appalachian State University Partner — Collaborated on research about responsible media coverage of suicide in 2019.
- Baylor University – Diana R. Garland School of Social Work Partner — Partnered academic institution in the Student Learning Practicum program.
- Canada Partner — Provides international mental health support through an affiliate partner in Canada
- Columbia University – School of Social Work Partner — Partnered academic institution in the Student Learning Practicum program.
- Department of Health & Human Services Government — Vetted Crisis Text Line for emergency response preparedness recognition.
- Department of Homeland Security Government — Recognized Crisis Text Line as an emergency response preparedness organization in 2019.
- Dr. Sujana Reddy Partner — Honoree of the 2024 Mental Health Changemaker of the Year Award
- Eastern Washington University – School of Social Work Partner — Partnered academic institution in the Student Learning Practicum program.
- Hawaii Pacific University – College of Health and Society - Social Work and Public Health Partner — Partnered academic institution in the Student Learning Practicum program.
- Helen Keller Services for the Blind Partner — Partnered organization in the Student Learning Practicum program.
- Ireland Partner — Provides international mental health support through an affiliate partner in Ireland
- Kids Help Phone Partner — International affiliate providing 24/7, multilingual text-based mental health support to youth across Canada.
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Partner — Collaborating on research to predict and detect suicidal ideation in veterans and military families.
- Loyola University Chicago – School of Social Work Partner — Partnered academic institution in the Student Learning Practicum program.
- Metropolitan State University of Denver – Department of Social Work Partner — Partnered academic institution in the Student Learning Practicum program.
- Mountwest Community & Technical College – AAS in Alcohol and Drug Counseling Partner — Partnered academic institution in the Student Learning Practicum program.
- N.C. State University Partner — Collaborated on research about responsible media coverage of suicide in 2019.
- NGOs Partner — Partners with NGOs to scale impact globally.
- National Emergency Number Association Suicide Prevention Working Group Coalition — Member group updating 9-1-1 suicide prevention standards and developing a new Suicide/Crisis Line Interoperability Standard.
- National Hotline Consortium Network — Member organization collaborating to model and innovate best practices in the hotline space globally.
- New Mexico Highlands University – Facundo Valdez School of Social Work Partner — Partnered academic institution in the Student Learning Practicum program.
- New York University – Silver School of Social Work Partner — Partnered academic institution in the Student Learning Practicum program.
- Nicholas Kristof Partner — Highlighted Crisis Text Line's work, contributing to public recognition and outreach.
- North Carolina Central University – Department of Social Work Partner — Partnered academic institution in the Student Learning Practicum program.
- Our Lady of the Lake University – School of Professional Studies - Worden School of Social Services Partner — Partnered academic institution in the Student Learning Practicum program.
- Our Lady of the Lake University – Worden School of Social Service Partner — Recipient of the Outstanding Community Partner Award for 2021-22 and 2022-23.
- Rutgers University – School of Social Work & Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology Partner — Partnered academic institution in the Student Learning Practicum program.
- Salisbury University / University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) – Department of Social Work Partner — Partnered academic institutions in the Student Learning Practicum program.
+ 25 more
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community Storytelling to Reduce Isolationmethodology: peer_storytellingBy sharing lived-experience stories through public platforms, Crisis Text Line fosters connection and reduces stigma because seeing one’s struggle reflected in others’ narratives builds hope, normalizes help-seeking, and strengthens community resilience.
- Strengths-Based Crisis Counselingmethodology: strengths_based_supportBy helping individuals in crisis identify and use their own strengths and coping skills, rather than offering direct advice, Crisis Text Line fosters empowerment and self-efficacy, which supports sustainable emotional de-escalation and resilience because it centers the individual's agency in the recovery process.
- Text-Based Crisis Intervention for Accessibility and Comfortmethodology: text-based_crisis_interventionBy meeting people in crisis where they are most comfortable—via text—Crisis Text Line increases access and engagement because asynchronous, written communication reduces social pressure, supports emotional regulation, and accommodates diverse communication preferences, especially among youth and marginalized populations.
- Volunteer-Powered Empathetic Listening Modelmethodology: volunteer-powered crisis counselingBy training volunteers in empathy, active listening, and collaborative problem solving, Crisis Text Line delivers scalable, human-centered crisis support because peer-like, non-clinical connection reduces barriers to disclosure and increases engagement in moments of acute distress.