Mental health charities, by the numbers.
6,642 of them filed a full Form 990 and spent $44.6B between them.
- 6,642
- charities filing a full Form 990, 2,853 spending $1M+
- $44.6B
- spent in their latest year, with $17.3B coming in as gifts and grants
- 12%
- of all that spending by the 10 biggest
The biggest 399 mental health charities.
| # | Charity | Spending | Program share | Cost to raise $1 | Savings | CEO pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Community Behavioral Health Philadelphia, PA · Other · FY 2024 | $1.3B | 93% | – | 0 mo | $263K |
| 2 | Hartford Healthcare Medical Group Wethersfield, CT · Other · FY 2025 | $771.5M | 97% | – | 1 mo | – |
| 3 | Public Health Management Philadelphia, PA · Other · FY 2025 | $747.1M | 95% | 0¢ | 1 mo | $1.13M |
| 4 | Compass Health Clinton, MO · Other · FY 2025 | $644.2M | 85% | 11¢ | 6 mo | $2.05M |
| 5 | Fello Linthicum Hts, MD · Other · FY 2025 | $434.4M | 98% | 28¢ | 1 mo | $295K |
| 6 | Samaritan Daytop VillageOur file Briarwood, NY · Other · FY 2025 | $354.5M | 93% | 0¢ | 0 mo | $620K |
| 7 | Sheppard Pratt Health System Baltimore, MD · Other · FY 2025 | $334.7M | 80% | 11¢ | 8 mo | $1.72M |
| 8 | Southern Healthcare AllianceOur file Austin, TX · Other · FY 2025 | $316.7M | 100% | 0¢ | 0 mo | – |
| 9 | Northeast Behavioral Health Care Consort Moosic, PA · Other · FY 2025 | $261.8M | 97% | 0¢ | 2 mo | $169K |
| 10 | Eliot Community Human ServicesOur file Lexington, MA · Other · FY 2025 | $250.1M | 90% | 0¢ | 2 mo | $437K |
| 11 | Research Foundation Menands, NY · Other · FY 2025 | $241.4M | 85% | 0¢ | 4 mo | – |
| 12 | Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Center City, MN · Other · FY 2024 | $239.1M | 76% | 36¢ | 18 mo | $800K |
| 13 | Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services Grand Rapids, MI · Other · FY 2025 | $236.3M | 78% | 1¢ | 8 mo | $627K |
| 14 | Epidaurus Dba Amity FoundationOur file Tucson, AZ · Other · FY 2025 | $231.8M | 93% | 0¢ | 1 mo | $410K |
| 15 | Advocates Framingham, MA · Other · FY 2025 | $226.6M | 89% | 7¢ | 4 mo | $357K |
| 16 | Grand Lake Mental Health Center Nowata, OK · Other · FY 2025 | $220.7M | 85% | 0¢ | 3 mo | $2.00M |
| 17 | Butler Hospital Providence, RI · Other · FY 2025 | $215.7M | 90% | 0¢ | 2 mo | $2.02M |
| 18 | Community BridgesOur file Mesa, AZ · Other · FY 2025 | $214.5M | 87% | 0¢ | 2 mo | $637K |
| 19 | Institute for Community Living New York, NY · Other · FY 2025 | $211.8M | 81% | 0¢ | 1 mo | $516K |
| 20 | Behavioral Health Network Springfield, MA · Other · FY 2025 | $206.7M | 85% | 0¢ | 4 mo | $432K |
| 21 | Lsu Health Sciences Center - Shreveport, LA · Other · FY 2025 | $188.2M | 81% | – | 7 mo | – |
| 22 | Merakey Pennsylvania Lafayette Hl, PA · Other · FY 2025 | $187.4M | 89% | 0¢ | 4 mo | $1.31M |
| 23 | Central City Concern Portland, OR · Other · FY 2025 | $176.7M | 96% | 1¢ | 14 mo | $400K |
| 24 | Family Residences and Essential Old Bethpage, NY · Other · FY 2024 | $168.4M | 90% | 0¢ | 3 mo | $486K |
| 25 | Centerstone of Tennessee Nashville, TN · Other · FY 2025 | $162.0M | 86% | 2¢ | 4 mo | $376K |
Program share = program expenses ÷ total expenses (Part IX, line 25). Cost to raise $1 = fundraising expenses ÷ contributions (Part IX, Part VIII line 1h). Savings = net assets ÷ annual spending × 12, which includes buildings, endowments and restricted gifts, so zoos and aquariums run high. CEO pay is reportable compensation from the charity (Part VII). “CPA view” moves joint fundraising costs reported on line 26 out of programs. Names link to our file where we have one, otherwise to the filing on ProPublica.
Benchmarks for mental health.
Medians across 2,853 charities spending $1M or more. Use them to judge any charity in this cause.
- 85%
- median program share, as reported
- 0¢
- median cost to raise $1, among charities taking in $100K+ in gifts
- 6 mo
- median net assets, in months of spending
| Annual spending | Charities | Median CEO pay | Median program share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1–5M | 1,561 | $122K | 85% |
| $5–25M | 900 | $192K | 85% |
| $25–100M | 321 | $319K | 85% |
| $100M+ | 71 | $466K | 87% |
The yes-or-no answers.
Counts of mental health charities answering “yes” (or failing a basic check) in their latest Form 990. The charities answer these themselves.
charities told the IRS they discovered a significant diversion of assets (theft, embezzlement or misuse).
charities reported a paid fundraiser that kept half or more of what it raised.
charities reported an excess benefit transaction with an insider.
charities had $2M+ in revenue and no audited financial statements.
charities had $1M+ in revenue and no conflict-of-interest policy.
charities reported loans to or from officers or directors.
A “yes” is a reason to read the filing, not a verdict. Learn what each answer means in how to check a charity, and see how we read a 990.
Every mental health charity we cover.
Questions about mental health charities.
What is the largest mental health charity?
By spending, Community Behavioral Health (PA), at $1.3B in its fiscal year ending 2024, per its Form 990.
How much do mental health charity CEOs make?
The median CEO of a mental health charity spending $1–5M a year was paid $122K. At charities spending $100M or more, the median was $466K. Figures are reportable compensation from the charity, Form 990 Part VII.
What percentage of donations to mental health charities goes to programs?
The median mental health charity spending $1M or more reported 85% of its spending on programs, on Form 990 Part IX. That is the charity's own split. Some charities count part of their fundraising mail as program work; our pages show the number both ways.
How many mental health charities are there?
6,642 mental health organizations filed a full Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, 2,853 of them spending $1 million or more. Thousands more file the short 990-EZ or the 990-N postcard.
Where this comes from.
Each charity's latest Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, joined to the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File for its NTEE cause code. Organizations that file as charities but aren't funded like one (research contractors, sports bodies and similar) are left out of the comparison table. Charities that file a 990-EZ or 990-N aren't included. Figures are as filed; we haven't reviewed each one, except where a charity has our full file.
Charity Math, “Mental health charities, by the numbers,” data as of 2026-11-07. https://charitymath.com/causes/mental-health/