The Ad Council, a nonprofit public service campaign company, plans to use a $15 million founding gift to kickstart a multisector mental health initiative.
The money is a donation from the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, part of Salt Lake City-based University of Utah, according to a Nov. 7 news release from the Ad Council.
The Ad Council said it plans to use the funds to gather data to evaluate the effectiveness of mental healthcare efforts, including workplace resources and open-source toolkits for populations in need, with a specific goal of reaching adult men and Black and Hispanic communities.
The initiative has support from leading national nonprofits and companies, including TikTok and Amazon, according to the release.
"We've seen the incredible progress that can be made when the Ad Council convenes a coalition of partners around a singular issue," Lisa Sherman, Ad Council president and CEO, said in the release. "Together, we're uniquely poised to reshape the conversations around mental health and help millions of Americans when they need it most."
The company plans to launch the initiative in 2023, with a goal of raising $65 million in the next seven years.