Frequently Asked Questions

The Solace Foundation is a nonprofit building free, confidential mental-health support. Our first project is A Quiet Word, a free and anonymous space for AI peer support — not therapy, and not a crisis line — so no one has to face a hard night completely alone.

We're a nonprofit working toward 501(c)(3) status. Until that's finalized, donations are not yet tax-deductible — we'll update this here the moment it changes. We'd rather tell you exactly where we stand than imply something that isn't true yet.

We're based in New Jersey, USA, but our services are designed to help anyone, anywhere in the world who needs crisis support.

We rely on donations from individuals and organizations who believe in our mission. We don't charge users for any of our services, and we never will. 100% of donations go toward building and maintaining our crisis support tools.

A Quiet Word is a calm, private place for AI peer support — someone to talk it through when the right person isn't there, or it's 3am. It's not therapy and not a crisis line, and it says it's an AI every time. In a crisis it stops and points you straight to 988.

A Quiet Word is currently in alpha development. We're working hard to build something that's safe, effective, and truly helpful. You can request beta access through our contact page to be notified when it launches.

Yes, A Quiet Word will always be completely free to use. Mental health support shouldn't be behind a paywall. No subscription, no premium tiers, no hidden costs. Ever.

AI isn't a replacement for a therapist or a crisis counselor, and we don't pretend it is. What it can do is be a steady, judgment-free presence in a hard moment, lean on calming and grounding techniques, and watch for crisis language so it can point you to real human help fast. The goal is always to get you to a person, not to keep you talking to a bot.

Right now A Quiet Word is built primarily for English. We'd love to support more languages over time, so people can reach for help in the words that feel most like home — but we're not there yet, and we won't list languages we haven't actually built.

By default your conversations stay on your device. To generate a reply, your messages are sent to our AI provider, encrypted in transit. We don't sell your data, you can use A Quiet Word anonymously, and you can delete your data anytime. End-to-end encryption is available as an opt-in if you want it.

If someone expresses thoughts of harming themselves or others, the conversation stops and surfaces real crisis resources right away — the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, the Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741), and 911 for immediate danger. It's one tap to reach them. A Quiet Word can't call emergency services for you; it gets out of the way so a trained human can step in.

A Quiet Word is a peer-support tool, not a licensed healthcare provider, so HIPAA doesn't formally apply to it — and we won't claim a compliance badge we haven't earned. We still take privacy seriously: conversations stay on your device by default, nothing is sold, and you can delete your data anytime.

We retain minimal data necessary to provide the service. We never share or sell your data. You can request deletion of all your data at any time through your account settings or by contacting us.

If you're in immediate danger, please call 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line). If you're outside the US, visit our Resources page for international crisis hotlines. Your life matters, and help is available right now.

No. A Quiet Word is not a replacement for professional therapy or psychiatric care. It's designed to provide immediate support during difficult moments and help bridge the gap until you can access professional help. We always encourage users to work with licensed mental health professionals.

No AI is perfect, and we don't pretend it is. That's why we check messages for crisis language before and after the AI replies, keep real human crisis lines one tap away at all times, and never let the AI be the only thing in the room. If it ever steers wrong, the human resources are always right there.

There are many ways to help. You can donate to support our work, volunteer your time (we need developers, mental health professionals, translators, and community advocates), spread the word about our mission, or simply share our resources with someone who might need them.

It depends on the role. For technical, outreach, and administrative help, relevant experience is useful but not always required. As we grow and bring clinical guidance on board, we'll open peer-support and advisory roles too — and we'll be clear about the training or credentials each one needs. We won't put untrained people in front of someone in crisis.

Not yet. We're working toward 501(c)(3) status, and until that determination comes through, donations are not tax-deductible. We'll say so clearly here the moment that changes. We'd rather be straight with you than imply a deduction you can't actually claim.

Absolutely. We work with healthcare organizations, schools, businesses, and other non-profits to provide mental health support to their communities. Contact us to discuss partnership opportunities.