Teen Lifeline Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To prevent teen suicide in Arizona by enhancing resiliency in youth and fostering supportive communities. Vision is that all youth possess a sense of connectedness and hope for their future. Teen Lifeline has a singular focus to prevent teen suicide in Arizona. Our model is trifold, with each intervention effectively informing the work of all.
- Income
- $1.5 million
- Spending
- $1.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 81%
- Reserves
- 14.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 99%
- Employees
- 22
- Volunteers
- 146
- Highest pay
- $195,071, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (public safety and disaster relief, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 14.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 7% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 10% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 5% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1581% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (public safety and disaster relief, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 14 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (5)
- $464,078 spent. Peer Counseling Hotline Growing up is complicated, sometimes difficult, confusing and overwhelming. Research has shown that when teens want to talk about their problems, they are more likely to turn to their peers first. That is what makes Teen Lifeline so unique our peer-to-peer model. Through calling or texting the hotline, teens can talk to someone their own age who understand what they are going through because they have gone through it too. Trained teen peer counselors are helping teens to find a connection of hope, build healthy coping skills and learning problem solving skills to make healthy decisions. Our hotline assists troubled youth through Arizona and is answered 24/7/365, with Peer Counseling and our text messaging service available from 3pm to 9pm daily. The hotline is FREE and CONFIDENTIAL, with all our trained Peer Counselors supervised by a Master level clinician at all times. One in three calls was from a
- $210,153 spent. Life Skills Teen Lifeline is not only is a safe place for teens to call in for help and hope, but is also a safe place for our volunteers who take those calls. For many of our teen volunteers, Teen Lifeline becomes a home away from home. They describe the experience as becoming part of a new, expanded family. While a minimum of 15 hours of service a month is required, many of the teens far exceed that commitment. Even more impressive is the fact that the average Peer Counselor gives more than 3 years of service to our crisis hotline. In 2025, Teen Lifelines 75 new volunteers received 72 hours of our 3 phase Life Skills Development training designed to help develop valuable and necessary skills to use both on and off the hotline. Teen Volunteers gave more than 12,965 hour of service.
- $351,947 spent. Prevention Education and Outreach Our prevention efforts focus on decreasing risks, increasing protective factors and creating resiliency in the lives, families, and communities of Arizona youth. Teen Lifeline provides free education through outreach, workshops and trainings to students, school staff, parents, and the general community. Topics include stress/coping, grief/loss, depression/suicide, and conflict resolution. Services are provided by Masters level clinicians as often we are called to also identify those at risk and help connect teens and families with effective mental health services. Training and workshops for parents and educators are also available virtually. In 2025, Teen Lifeline reached 407,002 people across Arizona through the Prevention Education and Outreach Programs.
- Program Service Expenses 219,201, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 Other programs, including Tucson services. E-learning. In partnership with EMPACT-SPC and AzSPC, Teen Lifeline offers Intervention, Postvention, Prevention, Awareness and Self-Care for Educators eLearning course that equips communities and schools across AZ with the tools they need to promote hope in their communities. These trainings are free and meet the continuing education credit for educators. School ID Initiative. The School ID Initiative focuses on fostering a sense of connectedness and hope on school campuses. With our hotline information on the back of over 151,572 student IDs at approximately 189 schools across AZ, students have easy, immediate access to help. But more than that, they have a sense that their school is committed to providing support, care and connection to hope. To see a list of schools involved, go to www.teenlifeline.org/schoolID.
- Program Service Expenses 87,752, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 Caring Contacts. The Teen Lifeline Caring Contacts program was created to support teens who have recently experienced a psychiatric emergency by sending them caring messages through phone calls or texts. These messages provide encouragement through their ongoing treatment and reintegration back into everyday activities. It also gives them the opportunity to build connections and to talk to other peers openly and confidentially about what they are going through.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since November 1999.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.