Annual Report
2023 Annual Report
Michelle McDaniel
Chief Executive Officer
a note from our CEO
On February 27th, 2024, we celebrated Crisis Connections’ 60th anniversary helping lives on the line!
With that in mind, I am pleased to share our 2023 annual report and a few reflections on the incredible impact our staff and volunteers have created for individuals in crisis across Washington State.
I believe the best way to honor our history is to express gratitude to the thousands of staff, volunteers, funders, and donors who have turned Crisis Connections’ mission into action. Together, we have provided a safe place where people can count on receiving compassionate and empathic support.
Dear Friends of Crisis Connections,
On February 27th, 2024, we celebrated Crisis Connections’ 60th anniversary helping lives on the line!
With that in mind, I am pleased to share our 2023 annual report and a few reflections on the incredible impact our staff and volunteers have created for individuals in crisis across Washington State.
In a time where immediate compassionate and skilled care is not always available, Crisis Connections stepped up in a big way. We launched or expanded several programs in 2022, including the 988 Crisis & Suicide Lifeline serving King County. 988 serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where you live in the United States, you can reach trained crisis specialists who can help. Launched in July, our new 988 team has exceeded all expectations with their level of care and positive impact on our community.
I believe the best way to honor our history is to express gratitude to the thousands of staff, volunteers, funders, and donors who have turned Crisis Connections’ mission into action. Together, we have provided a safe place where people can count on receiving compassionate and empathic support.
Since 1964, our staff and volunteers have been aiding people along their journey. Together, we offer a way to break through isolation and the feelings of overwhelm, hopelessness, and fear that so many experience.
Whatever people are going through, whatever challenges they face, Crisis Connections is there 24/7/365.
In recent years, Crisis Connections has experienced rapid growth as the needs of our community have increased. Since 2021, we have expanded from approximately 75 employees to more than 280 and from 260 volunteers to more than 530. Our budget has doubled, and more importantly, we have increased our impact twofold from 2021 with over 600,000 requests for help in 2023.
Despite the uncertainty after the pandemic—and all we have been through over the last few years—Crisis Connections’ staff and volunteers have kept our programs ready to respond.
Alongside our mission to foster resilience and well-being is our commitment to ensuring accessible and compassionate support for all. For us, this means learning from those with lived experience and building partnerships with communities that have been underserved, marginalized, and, frankly, traumatized by systems intended to help.
I am proud to say that over the last two years, we have embarked on a journey toward furthering diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) in everything we do at Crisis Connections.
DEIB is not a project you take on to check a box. It is not a fad. It is an opportunity to listen, grow, and change behavior, attitudes, and culture for the better. Here are just a few reasons why that matters:
- In recent years, suicide rates have increased significantly among Black, American Indian and Alaska Native people.
- Food insecurity is rising, with Black and Hispanic households twice as likely to experience food insecurity as white households.
- Research* has shown that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) groups are:
- less likely to have access to mental health services
- less likely to seek out treatment
- more likely to receive low or poor-quality care
- and more likely to end services early.
We must take bold steps to change these realities. Together, we can meet the challenges ahead as one.
Contact me directly if you have questions or comments. You can reach me at mmcdaniel@crisisconnections.org.
With gratitude,
Michelle McDaniel
Chief Executive Officer
Crisis Connections
*Source: Jefferson Center
Who We Are
“I wish I had reached out sooner for help after my brother died by suicide. It was not until six years later when I found this community and felt a sense of connection and safety not found elsewhere. Surviving a loss from suicide can only truly be understood by someone who has also experienced a loss this way. WASAS continues to provide a safe space where I can talk openly about my loss, where I am supported and heard, where I can provide support and understanding to others and where I feel part of an important service-centered community.”
“I never thought I'd call a crisis line. When I did, it was the most important call I ever made.”
“Some days are harder than others. I am just paralyzed in bed with depression. On those days, I call you. It is the hope I need.”
" Having been a suicide survivor going on 16 years, loss being our son Jonathon at 19 years old. I would have to say that doing support and advocacy for Crisis Cares has provided me a community that might not be seen but is felt immensely. The hardest thing is the feeling of loneliness, isolation and being misunderstood in one's grief. Losing a loved one to Cancer, heart disease or a car accident has a different timbre to the navigation of your pining. Very different from losing to suicide. And no one knows this better than a survivor who's dug out of the trenches to tell the tale of surviving. So when doing this work for 9 years I can honestly say that being the provision to the listener provides me just as much healing if not more. I know from whence I came."
“I called not knowing what to expect, but the compassion I received gave me strength to face my problems.”
"I've had so much anxiety the past few days about my light bill. I feel so much better now, knowing that there is potential help out there and that I was able to talk to a live human to get things going."
“I didn't know how to deal with the grief after losing my sister. Some days I still don’t. But you’ve helped guide me towards healing.”
“It's a comfort to talk to someone who understands what it’s like to live with a mental illness. The Warm Line is an anchor for me.”
“When I was overwhelmed trying to find resources for my aging parents, the 211 operator not only found me support but also offered kindness.”
"Thanks to the resources provided by 211, I was able to avoid [utility] shut-off and get my balance taken care of. Thank you for the resources! I certainly feel better today than I did when I called last week."
“My sister's addiction was tearing our family apart. Your Recovery Help Line helped us understand and find a way to support her.”
“Teen Link is a resource we recommend almost every day. It empowers teens to take the first step towards help.”
"211 helped me when I got illegally evicted. I was able to get housing because of 211."
“I called in my darkest moment, feeling so alone. The person on the other end became my lifeline, guiding me back to hope.”
“During my transition, I had questions I couldn't ask anyone. Teen Link helped me without judgment.”
“My teen was bullied, and I felt helpless. Teen Link gave them a place to speak freely and safely. Thank you.”
“Finding someone who listened and understood my struggle with addiction was a ray of hope.”
2023 By the Numbers
At-A-Glance
632,154
Total calls, emails, chats, training participants, and database uses
416,959
Unique referrals made by our Peer and Essential Service programs
92,433
People helped by the Recovery Help Line
393,265
Times our Crisis, Peer, and Professional Service programs were called upon
175,581
Uses of Crisis Connections' print and online resource directories
11,120
Youth impacted by Teen Link programs and services
238,889
Interactions with our Essential Services programs
94,259
First responders and behavioral health partners supported
Contributors
Thank you to our contributors. Each person and organization plays a vital part in helping us ensure no one faces a crisis alone.
Help bring better mental health to our community
Your lived experience, compassion and care can save lives.
Keep hope, help and healing on the line
Every contribution, no matter how big or small, makes an impact.
Financials
Total Revenue $19.89m
Government Grants 80%
Other Contracts & Grants 16%
Contributions 4%
Program Services Fees <1%
Interest/Rewards Income <1%
Total Expenses $19.34m
Program 84%
Administration 14%
Fundraising 2%
Crisis Connections is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Our federal tax ID number is 91-0773187.
If you prefer, you can donate online or by sending a check to:
Crisis Connections
PO Box 19612
Seattle, WA 98109
For questions, please contact us at fundraising@crisisconnections.org
Crisis Connections in the News
Seattle public schools sue social media companies, claiming responsibility for an increase in teenage mental health issues
Matter of Fact Soledad O'Brien, February 2023
Read More
Seattle region to vote on $1.2 billion tax increase for mental health system
The Wall Street Journal, April 2023
Read More
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