U.S. — The JED Foundation announced a partnership with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. as part of the JED Greek-Letter Organizations (GLO) programs. The collaboration aims to advance student mental health through culturally responsive strategies within Greek-letter communities.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. was founded in 1906 at Cornell University as the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established by African American men. The organization's pillars are Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love For All Mankind, and its motto is First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All. Alpha Phi Alpha is a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which represents nine historically Black Greek-letter organizations collectively known as the Divine Nine.

The JED Foundation's GLO program includes partnerships with more than 10 historically Black Greek-letter organizations. The program requires partner organizations to implement a two-year technical assistance plan that includes customized consulting, training, and policy reforms to address mental health risks like substance abuse and suicidal ideation.

A 2024 JED Foundation report found that 68% of fraternity members reported feeling unprepared to address mental health crises. Suicide rates among young Black men aged 20-24 increased by 7% between 2018 and 2024, surpassing rates for white peers for the first time in history, according to JED Foundation data. Black adults in the U.S. were 36 percent less likely to have received mental health treatment in the previous year compared to white adults. Black adults in the U.S. had similar or higher rates of anxiety and depression as white adults.

The JED Foundation was started by Phil and Donna Satow in 2000 after their youngest son Jed died by suicide in college in 1998. "The Jed Foundation recognizes that fraternities and sororities are powerful communities for connection, leadership, and identity development," Dr. ShirDonna Lawrence, senior manager of JED GLO, said in a statement. "This makes them essential partners in advancing student mental health and well-being on and off campus." Lawrence added that the collaboration is mutually beneficial. "It’s also a mutually beneficial relationship, which strengthens Alpha’s enduring mission and advances JED’s work in culturally responsive, community-centered mental health promotion," she said.