As part of the company’s #GuaranteedLove program, Guaranteed Rate raised more than $5 million for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), Project Healthy Minds and Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). And they raised it in just five days.
On Nov. 19, the Guaranteed Rate launched its Mental Health Week in an effort to provide resources to those struggling. And by Nov. 19, the mortgage lender had raised $5,099,999.85 for the cause by supporting donations with a $3-for-$1 match.
“One in five Americans experience mental health challenges, making it a huge issue we wanted to address through our partnership with these three great organizations,” said Guaranteed Rate President and CEO Victor Ciardelli. “Not only to raise awareness, but more importantly to have a direct impact on people struggling with mental health.” As another added bonus of the #GuarantedLove week, Ciardelli announced that the company will start providing one paid mental health floating holiday, plus another paid day off to volunteer.
Through the various charities, the funds raised by Guaranteed Rate will directly aid different, specific ways. Among them, helping to launch an intelligent recommendation engine for the world’s first free digital mental health marketplace. “In America, 65 million people have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, and 60% of them don’t get the help they need,” said Phillip Schermer, the founder and CEO of Project Healthy Minds, the nonprofit in charge of building this digital mental health marketplace. “Thanks to Guaranteed Rate’s overwhelming generosity, Project Healthy Minds will be able to transform the mental health category and help tens of thousands of people find the life-saving mental health support that they desperately need.”
Guaranteed Rate’s donations are also benefitting the AFSP and WWP, and leadership from both those foundations expressed gratitude. “We’re incredibly grateful to Guaranteed Rate for this commitment to mental health and suicide prevention and particularly for this very generous donation to AFSP’s Interactive Screening Program,” said the AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia. “Our partnership with Guaranteed Rate gives us the opportunity to expand the ISP program and give hundreds of thousands of students a safe and confidential way to connect with campus mental health services.”
And speaking on behalf of the WWP, which provides mental health programs for more than 16,000 veterans, CEO Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Linnington said, “The incredible response from Guaranteed Rate’s employees and their supporters will profoundly impact thousands of warriors’ lives and equip them to take on their next mission in life.”