The Next Chapter for APF: The Official Launch of Direct Action

In this blog post, APF’s CEO Dr. Michelle Quist Ryder and Head of Philanthropy Faith Anderson reflect on the evolution of our newest Philanthropic Initiative, Direct Action. This initiative is helping accelerate the journey from discovery to impact, creating new pathways for evidence-based approaches to improve lives, strengthen communities, and address pressing societal challenges.

Psychological science has the power to improve lives. Researchers, practitioners, and community leaders are constantly developing evidence-based solutions to some of society’s most pressing challenges, but these solutions can only create impact when it reaches the people and communities they were designed to serve. As communities face increasingly complex challenges, the Direct Action Philanthropic Initiative represents our long-term commitment to moving proven solutions beyond research settings, and into the hands of those who need them most.

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Direct Action: Why it Matters
We launched APF Direct Action in 2024 in response to a challenge that we have seen across psychology for years. Too many people lack access to evidence-based psychological care, support, and resources, and many promising interventions remain out of reach for the very people they were designed to serve. The science exists, and the evidence is there. But often, the path from discovery to impact is slow, complicated, or inaccessible.

Communities today face urgent challenges, from mental health disparities and trauma to social isolation, discrimination, and division. We cannot afford to wait for solutions to make their way from research settings into everyday life. Closing that gap requires more than advancing knowledge alone. It requires action.

Direct Action was created to help accelerate the process of moving knowledge to action, supporting researchers and practitioners who are translating psychological science into meaningful, measurable impact. It’s meant to create new pathways for evidence-based solutions to reach communities.

For APF, a Philanthropic Initiative is a purposeful effort to improve human welfare and societal well-being through long-term investments of money, time, and resources – our own and those of our partners.

Direct Action is so much more than a new definition or designation to this work. It’s a mindset shift and a long-term commitment to expanding the reach and accessibility of psychological science.

How We Got Here
Two years ago, we challenged ourselves to think differently about how APF will continue advancing psychology’s impact. For more than 70 years, APF has invested in research, innovation, and the people driving psychological science forward. This work has been (and continues to be) absolutely essential to understanding what helps people thrive.

But we began asking a bigger question: What if we could help accelerate the journey from discovery to impact? What if we could ensure that evidence-based psychological solutions reached communities not years from now, but today?

That question led us to introduce Direct Action, an ambitious effort to move psychological science beyond journals, labs, and conference presentations, and into the hands of the communities that need it most. At the time, we knew there was a growing gap between what research tells us works, and who can actually access those solutions. We also knew that communities facing urgent challenges could not afford to wait. What we didn’t know was just how deeply Direct Action would resonate.

When applications opened for our inaugural Direct Action Visionary Grants in 2025, we hoped researchers and practitioners would embrace the opportunity to bring psychological science directly into communities. We weren’t expecting that in just one year, APF would receive more than 1,200 letters of intent from individuals and organizations eager to turn evidence into action. 

We quickly learned that Direct Action was never going to be a short-term effort. It was the beginning of a lasting commitment. We know that psychology has the power to change lives. That power grows when it reaches into everyday life – so we’re making it happen. 

Direct Action in Action
The most exciting pieces of Direct Action are the people and communities bringing it to life. Through the Direct Action Visionary Grants, we have the privilege of supporting researchers who demonstrate what is possible when psychological science is intentionally connected with community needs.

Earlier this summer, many of you joined us for a webinar featuring our inaugural Direct Action Visionary Grant recipient, Dr. Kiara Álvarez. Her work demonstrates what becomes possible when evidence-based interventions are intentionally designed for the communities they serve. Through her project, Latine youth and families facing suicidal ideation and immigration-related stress are gaining access to critical support and resources that can make a meaningful difference in their lives.

We’re also proud to support Dr. Beth Turetsky and the Trans Mentor Project, a national, youth-driven virtual mentoring program created specifically for trans and nonbinary young people. At a time when many trans and nonbinary youth are navigating increasing challenges, this work creates connection, affirmation, and community grounded in evidence-based approaches.

Through support for Dr. Amy Lee’s work with the Lab for Youth Trauma Recovery and S.T.R.O.N.G. Youth, communities impacted by gun and gang violence are gaining access to trauma-informed interventions that recognize recovery as a collaborative process—one built with communities, not just for them.

These projects are very different in their goals and approaches, but they share a common thread: the power of community partnership in translating psychological science into meaningful impact – and there are hundreds more projects and programs just like them waiting to be funded.

Direct Action has also extended beyond traditional grantmaking. This spring, APF proudly joined the launch of the Mental Health Parity Index alongside national partners committed to improving mental health access and accountability. The Index provides an unprecedented opportunity to compare reimbursement rates for mental and physical healthcare, helping illuminate barriers that have persisted for far too long. More projects are in the works to continue to create actionable resources to leverage this information. 

We’re also partnering with the American Institutes for Research and Baylor University on Reclaiming Shared Reality, a nonpartisan foundational report that translates decades of psychological research into actionable insights on political and ideological division in the United States. In the months ahead, we’ll be sharing findings designed to inform policymakers, educators, civic leaders, and others working to strengthen public discourse.

Each of these efforts demonstrate what Direct Action makes possible: bringing psychological science into conversations, communities, and systems where it can make a difference.

What’s Next?

As we enter this new chapter, we remain focused on building a future where psychological science is more accessible, connected, and impactful. We will continue to invest in innovative solutions, strengthen partnerships, and create pathways for psychology to reach the people and communities who need it most. Most importantly we will continue asking the question at the heart of this initiative: 

How will you direct your action?

For some, that may mean supporting Direct Action Visionary Grants and other projects through financial contributions. For others, it may mean sharing expertise, building partnerships, advocating for evidence-based solutions, or helping connect communities with the resources they need. Whatever form it takes, meaningful change happens when people decide to act.

Thank you for being part of this work. Thank you for believing in the power of psychology to improve lives. And thank you for helping us move psychological science from possibility to practice.

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Read the full Press Release here.

Join APF in this exciting new era of Direct Action! Your support makes it possible to accelerate the journey from discovery to impact.

Together, we can bring evidence-based solutions into the hands of those who need care, now. Support APF Direct Action today and turn psychological science into action.

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