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By Amanda Greenwood
Associate News Editor
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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded nearly $112 million to community organizations across the country as it seeks to combat a high veteran suicide rate and reach former service members who are not connected to VA health care services.
In a September 29 announcement, the VA said it is distributing $111.9 million in grants to 191 organizations through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, with the funding becoming available at the start of fiscal year 2027.
Eligible recipients include nonprofits, local governments, federally recognized tribes, and other community-based groups that provide services to veterans.
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"Community organizations are critical to reaching Veterans who may not otherwise connect with VA care," VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement. "VA's Fox grant program often serves as a bridge between vital federal resources and vulnerable Veterans in need of help."
Newsweek reached out to the VA via email for comment.
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Suicide Rates Rising Despite Slight Decline in Deaths
The funding announcement comes as the VA continues to confront concerning suicide trends among former service members.
According to the VA's latest National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 6,398 veterans died by suicide in 2023, down slightly from 6,442 in 2022. The average number of veteran suicides per day also edged lower, from 17.6 to 17.5.
However, the report found that suicide rates increased for both male and female veterans in 2023, indicating that the problem remains severe even as the overall number of deaths declined slightly.
The suicide rate among male veterans increased from 37.3 to 37.8 per 100,000, while the rate among female veterans rose from 13.7 to 13.9 per 100,000.
The VA also reported that veterans ages 18 to 34, people experiencing homelessness, and those dealing with chronic health conditions or pain face elevated suicide risks.
Perhaps most significantly, 61 percent of veterans who died by suicide in 2023 weren’t receiving any VA-supported health care during the year before their death, a statistic the agency frequently uses as evidence to prove that prevention efforts must extend beyond VA facilities and into local communities.
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Why the Money Is Being Distributed
The Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program was created to increase suicide prevention efforts so that they go beyond traditional clinical settings and address factors that can contribute to suicide risk, including social isolation, financial hardship, and lack of access to care.
The program’s grant recipients provide key services like suicide-risk outreach, mental health screening, peer support, case management, emergency treatment referrals, and assistance obtaining VA and other government benefits. The program particularly targets veterans who aren’t already connected to the VA health care system and those living in underserved areas.
The VA said roughly 17,000 veterans, service members, and family members received services through Fox grant recipients in 2025, a 31 percent increase from the previous year. Grantees also helped connect 2,647 veterans who had not previously used VA services to health care and support resources.
Which States Are Receiving the Most Funding?
The VA has confirmed that it is awarding $111.9 million to organizations nationwide.
According to the 2027 awards list, California and Texas appear to be the largest recipients of the suicide-prevention funding, receiving approximately $10 million and $7 million, respectively, across multiple community organizations. Florida follows with just over $6 million, while New York will receive about $4.3 million.
Since its launch in 2022, the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program has awarded more than $322 million to 218 organizations operating across 49 states, U.S. territories and Tribal lands.
Broader Prevention Efforts
The grant program is just one part of the VA’s suicide prevention strategy.
The agency said the Veterans Crisis Line handled more than 1.3 million calls, chats, and texts during 2025, a 39 percent increase from the previous year, and also completed more than 5.3 million suicide-risk screenings in 2025.
As the VA attempts to reverse rising suicide rates, officials say community-based grants will remain key for reaching veterans who may never walk into a VA clinic but still need help.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Sam Wilson.
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