$10 million new donation from Kim and Jon Shirley in support of hospital’s center for youth mental health follows their earlier $200 million gift to art museum

New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian has received a $10 million gift from philanthropists Kim and Jon Shirley to advance youth suicide prevention efforts at the hospital’s Center for Youth Mental Health.

The donation, the largest in the center’s 13-year history, will establish the Erick Shirley Suicide Prevention Initiative in memory of the couple’s son.

According to the health system, the funds will support research and technology development aimed at improving youth mental healthcare, including new tools designed for early intervention and long-term support.

Three core projects will be funded: an artificial intelligence-powered suicide risk assessment tool for pediatric clinics, an emergency department clinician support system to identify risk and determine appropriate care pathways, and digital services to help at-risk youths access mental health support following discharge from emergency care.

In a statement, the Shirleys emphasized the personal nature of the gift. “We believe Erick’s story can help others,” they said.

“This gift is not only about remembrance but about building the kinds of safety nets, technologies, and support systems that can give young people another chance.”

The initiative comes at a time when youth suicide rates in the United States are at record highs, with health systems under pressure to respond to a growing mental health crisis.

Leaders at NewYork-Presbyterian said the donation provides crucial resources to accelerate innovation in an area where public funding often lags behind need.

Philanthropy has become an increasingly important driver of youth mental health initiatives nationwide, with several high-profile donors directing significant resources to address the crisis.

The Shirleys’ commitment, hospital officials noted, will allow the center to pursue cutting-edge approaches that could serve as a national model for suicide prevention.

“Every parent’s greatest hope is that no one else has to go through what we did,” the Shirleys said. “If this gift helps save even one life, Erick’s legacy will live on in the most meaningful way.”

As we reported earlier, Kim and Jon Shirley’s most significant recent philanthropic gifts include a landmark donation of 48 Alexander Calder works (valued at approximately $200 million), along with a $10 million endowment and annual funding to the Seattle Art Museum for programming and research related to Calder.

Their foundation also donated over $1.8 million to the Seattle Art Museum’s Calder Exhibit in 2024.

It provided grants to institutions such as Wellesley College, the Seattle Symphony, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, the University of Oklahoma Foundation, and Sound Generations.