Because the PDV Foundation is communications focused, we are in essence a not-for-profit advertising agency, applying strategic social marketing to advance prevention of suicide. Among the comprehensive services we offer are:

Our focus is on furthering the application of evidence-based practices in suicide prevention. That means we’re diligent about ensuring the content we create is well grounded, vetted by experts, or representative of best practices in the field of suicide prevention. Suicide is about life or death, and creating communications campaigns or materials that are not only “on the mark” but grounded in evidence is vital to advancing the field.
A philosophical cornerstone of our work is the concept of “perspective in communications.” We start any communications project by clearly identifying the intended outcome, and which stakeholders control this outcome. We then craft compelling programs that inspire people to adopt behaviors that create positive social change, and do so by addressing the values, needs and desires that motivate them.

Because the PDV Foundation is an integral member of the national suicide prevention arena, we understand the subtleties of communicating about subjects as difficult and stigmatized as mental illness and suicide. Since 2003 we’ve developed robust partnerships with field leaders that give us unprecedented access to the best minds working in suicide prevention today. We understand the barriers, red flags and land mines when it comes to communicating about suicide. We understand what is effective in reaching stakeholders, and what misses the mark. We’re not your ordinary advertising/PR agency that is just as content to pitch consumer goods as save lives; instead, we specialize in a highly specialized arena, and develop the expertise and alliances to strengthen the work we do on your behalf.