TRAGEDY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR SURVIVORS
Caring for the Families of America's Fallen Heroes Since 1994
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Grief is a normal response to death and loss. Complicated grief was recognized in the 1990s as a prolonging of the normal grief process that impairs the mental and physical health of its sufferers. Those who experience the sudden, unexpected or traumatic death of a spouse or child are at higher risk for complicated grief, as are women and children in general. While the prevalence of complicated grief in the military community and their families is unknown, the risks are substantial. For so many grieving the death of a military loved one, another risk military survivors face is the loss of their community following the death of their service member. Military communities have strong social ties and provide support to each other. Those who grieve the death of their service member often find themselves struggling with isolation and loneliness. TAPS was founded to provide peer-based emotional support to all grieving the death of a military loved one with comfort, care, community, and hope.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Peer-Based Emotional Support
TAPS brings all who grieve the death of a military loved one regardless of the duty status at the time of death or their relationship to the deceased. TAPS provides grieving military loved ones a national community of support where survivors help survivors to heal. TAPS connects survivors in the comfort of their home via phone and online and in person right in their community, their region and nationally with seminars, retreats, camps and expeditions. Through these connections, survivors demonstrate in increase in hope, social connectedness, sense of belonging, and coping tools to establish a healthy foundation for life after loss.
Casework Assistance
TAPS offers case work assistance by providing compassionate support for the needs a military survivor may have, including access to pro bono legal assistance, emergency financial resources, information on state and federal survivor benefits, and connections to private social services.
Community Based Care
TAPS provides community based grief support by connecting families with care in their local community. These connections include access to clinical grief counseling, trauma resources, and local area support groups. TAPS researches each support service, then provides a warm connection for each survivor which has been customized to meet their needs.
24/7 National Military Survivor Helpline
The National Military Survivor Helpline is a 24/7 live answer immediate connection to a credentialed TAPS staff. Since 1994, all callers have been welcomed with comfort and care from TAPS professionals who stand ready to support the needs of all callers.
National Grief Camps, Retreats and Seminars
TAPS welcomes survivors to connect across the country in a safe and healing environment. Influenced by research in thanatology, peer-based emotional support, and trauma informed care, TAPS programming has been carefully curated to include unique and thoughtfully facilitated activities focused on the development of coping tools and peer connections. Facilitated by subject matter experts, all military survivors gain a nationwide network of support, connect with experts in grief and bereavement, access resources and share the journey of grief specific to the military community.
Where we work
Awards
Clinical Practice Award 2016
Association of Death Education and Counseling (ADEC)
Affiliations & memberships
American Psychological Association: Division 19, Military Psychology 2019
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Peer-Based Emotional Support
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The TAPS Peer Mentor Program empowers and educates survivors who are 18 months post-loss to mentor newly bereaved survivors.
Total number of volunteer hours contributed to the organization
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Peer-Based Emotional Support
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
TAPS Peer Mentor Program provides trained peer-based emotional support by connecting survivors. TAPS Peer Mentors connect with their mentees at in-person events and virtual connections.
Number of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults
Related Program
National Grief Camps, Retreats and Seminars
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Regional seminars and national seminars are inclusive, discussion-based programs that include workshops for understanding and processing grief and small-group sharing sessions to connect survivors.
Numbered of staff who are satisfied to be an employee of the institution
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
TAPS is the national non-profit organization providing comfort, care and resources to all those grieving the death of a military loved one. TAPS honors our military men and women by caring for all those they loved and left behind. Since 1994, TAPS has been ready 24/7 with connections to a nationwide network of survivors regardless of how or where their service member died or the duty status at the time of death. TAPS is the place where all grieving the death of a military loved one can find comfort and connections to resources to support them through the most difficult journey ahead.
TAPS programs and services are available to anyone who grieves the death of a service member, all are welcomed into the TAPS family. Through a comprehensive set of services and programs, TAPS stands shoulder to shoulder with all branches of the military to include the National Guard and Reserve to welcome survivors and support their navigation of the journey ahead.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
TAPS provides peer-based emotional support, grief and trauma resources, grief seminars for adults, Good Grief Camps for children, casework assistance, connections to community-based care, and a 24/7 resource and information helpline for all who have been affected by a military loss. TAPS receives no government funding; our services are free to the surviving loved ones we serve.
TAPS was created to offer support not available through other service organizations, the military, or the government. The heart of our organization is survivors helping survivors heal; this peer-based emotional support is one of the most effective strategies to assist the bereaved. TAPS provides assistance to all those affected by the loss of the military member, not just those defined as dependents or beneficiaries by the Department of Defense.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The foundation of TAPS service and program delivery is based on research-informed best practices from bereavement studies and response to the growing needs of military survivors. Experienced professionals within their respective fields lead the comprehensive programs and services. TAPS has PhDs, licensed mental health providers, and staff of peer professionals with significant experience and education working with the bereaved across all manners of death and all relationships to the deceased.
TAPS professionals are members of national organizations that provide ongoing professional development and monitor licensure requirements.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
TAPS Helpline is answered live by professionals and peer professionals 24/7/365. Calling our National Military Survivor Helpline will immediately connect all callers with comfort and care from peer professionals who ensure the caller has open access to all that TAPS provides, including casework assistance and community-based resources.
TAPS hosts programs at the community level, regionally, and nationally across the country to bring surviving loved ones together in a healing environment through facilitated activities focused on coping tools and peer connections.
This core service of TAPS brings together a national family of all who are grieving to share their pain and connect for hope and healing. The majority of staff at TAPS are survivors of military loss who have first-hand knowledge of the uniqueness of losing a loved one who served our country in uniform.
TAPS provides compassionate assistance for all the needs a family may have, including access to pro bono legal assistance, emergency financial resources, information on state and federal survivor benefits, and connections to private social service support.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, The population we serve are traumatized and often it is inappropriate to ask for feedback
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
TRAGEDY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR SURVIVORS
Board of directorsas of 10/21/2023
Mr. John Wood
Telos Corporation
Term: 2013 - 2023
Bonnie L. Carroll
TAPS
John L. Wood
Telos Corporation
Deborah L. Mullen
M.L. "Buzz" Hefti
United States Marine Corps (Retired)
Mike Janus
Battelle
Miles Cortez
AIMCO
Stephen Cannon
AMB Group, LLC
George Krivo
DynCorp International
Martin Dempsey
United States Army (Retired)
Bradley W. Jacobs
Rollins College
Scott Rutter
Valor Networks Inc.
Joseph Anderson
United States Army (Retired)
Brandon Carter
USAA Life Company and USAA Investment Management
Ronald Green
United States Marine Corps (Retired)
Andy Sullivan
Prudential Financial, Inc.
Aaron Newman
CloudCheckr
Kyra Phillips
ABC News Correspondent
Mark "Ranger" Jones
The Ranger Group, LLC
Edward E McNally
Surviving Navy Sibling
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/19/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.