Impact

Measuring Impact: Counting on Each Other

At AFSP, every number we measure represents people — friends, neighbors, and loved ones — whose lives matter. Looking out for each other means ensuring our work reaches real people in meaningful ways. That is why we go beyond counting event attendance or social media impressions. We focus on understanding how our programs and initiatives touch lives, spark hope, inspire action, and help communities feel supported. By listening to what the data tells us, we learn about people’s stories and experiences. With these insights, we can continually improve, making sure every action we take is another step toward a world without suicide.

Our Approach

We know from decades of research that the most effective way to address suicide is through connected, community-wide efforts that move people and communities from a sense of awareness to taking action to save lives. Guided by this understanding, AFSP’s approach is multi-faceted: we build knowledge, shift attitudes, and inspire behavior change, empowering people to care for themselves and support one another.

Our Continuum of Impact helps us stay focused on what matters most: people. Whether it’s through a community presentation, a public awareness campaign, an advocacy win, or an Out of the Darkness Walk, we use rigorous and systematic methods to measure how our work makes a difference in the people’s lives every day.

To measure impact, we start by developing each program with its specific intended purpose and audience in mind. We then gather feedback from communities through needs assessments and public opinion polling, design culturally responsive tools to capture experiences and impact, and carefully evaluate the outcomes of our programs and initiatives. This process shows us not only the scope of our reach but the depth of our impact. Every insight helps us refine and expand our efforts so that, together, we can reach more people, offer more hope, and keep looking out for each other.