T.A.P.S. The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors

THE MISSION OF TAPS

TAPS is a national nonprofit organization providing compassionate care and comprehensive resources for all those grieving the death of a military or veteran loved one.

Since 1994, TAPS has provided comfort and hope 24/7 through a national peer support network and connection to grief resources, all at no cost to surviving families and loved ones.

TAPS provides a variety of programs to survivors nationally and worldwide. Our National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp has been held annually in Washington, D.C., over Memorial Day weekend since 1994. TAPS also conducts regional survivor seminars for adults and youth programs at locations across the country, as well as retreats and expeditions around the world. Staff can get you connected to counseling in your community and help navigate benefits and resources.

If you are grieving the loss of a fallen service member, or if you know someone who can use our support, the TAPS 24/7 National Military Survivor Helpline is always available toll-free with loving support and resources at 800-959-TAPS (8277).

If you are here because our mission to care for the families of America’s fallen heroes speaks to you as well, we welcome you to connect with us about giving, volunteering, professional engagement or careers.

TAPS is a national nonprofit 501(c)3 Veterans Service Organization and is not part of, or endorsed by, the Department of Defense.

OUR WORK

In 2022, we connected with 8,849 newly bereaved loved ones, adding to the nearly 100,000 military survivors currently receiving support from TAPS. That was an average of 24 new survivors – every day. TAPS provides an array of programs, comfort, and resources for the families of the fallen. More than 11,570 survivors attended a TAPS event. TAPS answered over 25,623 calls, resolved over 6,397 casework challenges, secured over $3.9 million dollars in retroactive benefits for survivors and connected military survivors with over $215 million dollars in education benefits. We shared our experience and expertise, with over 6,300 individuals attending training sessions on grief, trauma, and suicide postvention. Learn more by downloading the impact reports below.

STANDING WITH YOU

At TAPS, we are here to support you along every step of your grief journey.

As part of the TAPS Family, we offer you the absolute best in survivor support, advocacy and casework assistance. Whether it’s one of the members of our Helpline team talking with you on a sleepless night, a member of our Casework Team helping you sort through the stressful decisions to be made and paperwork following the death of a loved one, or whether it’s walking down the corridors of Congress, advocating for policy and budget changes on behalf of survivors, our team is always standing with you and for you.

Learn more below about the ways we can help you connect with advocates, subject matter experts, peer professionals, community counseling, trusted partners and much more.

TAPS PROGRAMS: A PLACE OF COMPANIONSHIP

Every TAPS program is designed to help you feel companioned as you grieve, supported as you rebuild and united with other survivors as we choose to hope. We gather at seminars or online for practical advice, sharing groups and to connect with others like us. Our young survivors grieve together, play together and learn to laugh again at Good Grief Camp. We come together in our local communities with other survivors at care groups or TAPS Togethers activities. We find opportunities to create healthy habits, seek hope and connect with nature at our Women’s Empowerment and Men’s Programming events. And, we rediscover traditions and memories through our Sports & Entertainment events.

Through a wide variety of programming, TAPS helps survivors create rich lives despite loss, knowing we carry our loved ones with us – knowing that Love Lives On.