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Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
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If you’ve lost someone to suicide, you understand how it feels to forever be at the intersection of love and loss. It’s impossible to move on—but you can move forward, one step at a time.
988 suicide and crisis lifeline
24-hour, free and confidential
The First Step Fund helps loss survivors take the first step toward healing by offering
compassionate financial and emotional support.
If you are a loss survivor, you may be eligible for financial assistance.
You may apply to the First Step Fund if you are an immediate family member who lives in Ohio and lost someone to suicide or you’re a loss survivor whose immediate family member was an Ohio resident. Proof of financial hardship is not required, however, having a better understanding of need can help guide the Selection Committee in how best to help.
Approved grants must be used to cover or reimburse expenses incurred in Ohio related to the death of a loved one. Expenses may include funeral and memorial services, cremation, grave markings and urns, obituaries, death certificate copies, and bio-cleaning services.
The amount of financial assistance granted depends on availability of funds and the collective decision of our Selection Committee. Grants typically average around $500 but may be as much as $1,000. Only one grant can be made for the cumulative benefit of all family members of a lost loved one.
Eligible loss survivors must apply within 12 months of their loss or 12 months from the date listed on the death certificate.
Before completing the First Step Fund assistance application, you’ll need a copy of the death certificate listing the manner of death as suicide. You’ll also need receipts, invoices, or bank and credit card statements that show the services to be covered or reimbursed by the grant. Please remove/obscure/redact any other personal information, such as a Social Security or account numbers. When you’re ready, you may apply online here.
Within 15 days of approval, the First Step Fund will pay your service provider or your directly, depending on whether the grant is being used for outstanding expenses or reimbursement.
For the complete list of eligibility requirements and other important details, please see the “Guidelines for the Operation of The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation First Step Fund.”
Please submit a copy of the death certificate listing the manner of death as suicide. You’ll also need receipts, invoices, or bank and credit card statements that show the services to be covered or reimbursed by the grant. Please remove/obscure/redact any other personal information, such as a Social Security or account numbers. When you’re ready, you can email the documents to firststepfund@ohiospf.org.
“We were devastated by the loss of Samantha. In addition to coping with intense grief, we were facing the overwhelming burden behind every parent’s worst nightmare: having to pay for child’s funeral. It’s hard enough to ask for help from friends, family, and loved ones, so it was especially meaningful when we received a grant from the First Step Fund to help us honor the life and love we shared with our Sammie.”
— Chad, Marion, OH
We’re working to empower loss survivors by helping them take the first step toward healing.
The First Step Fund provides compassionate financial and emotional support to help survivors begin to move forward in rebuilding their lives after the devasting impact of suicide loss. The First Step Fund is under the direction of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF), a designated 501(c)(3) public charity.
Your donation of any amount helps support the mission of OSPF, including helping loss survivors in their darkest hours.