NAMI
Provides free mental health education, support groups and a helpline for people and families affected by mental illness.
At a glance
Rating and filings checked Oct 13, 2026. Sources: Charity Navigator, IRS Form 990 via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. How we check
Is NAMI a good charity?
NAMI holds Charity Navigator's highest rating: 4 out of 4 stars, with an overall score of 96%. Its 2023 Form 990 reports $38.2M in revenue, up 96% from $19.4M in 2019, and $39.3M in expenses. Rating checked Oct 13, 2026.
Finances
From NAMI's annual IRS Form 990 filings (filed as Nami National).
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Officer & key staff pay | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $38.2M | $39.3M | $64.8M | $927K | 990 PDF |
| 2022 | $64.6M | $34.3M | $62.6M | $926K | 990 PDF |
| 2021 | $31.9M | $22.7M | $36.4M | $731K | |
| 2020 | $26.5M | $19.4M | $25.7M | $476K | 990 PDF |
| 2019 | $19.4M | $18.0M | $17.4M | $658K | 990 PDF |
A newer filing for 2024 is out but not yet summarized: read the 2024 Form 990 (PDF).
Officer & key staff pay is the 990's total for current officers, directors, trustees and key employees, not one salary.
What charities in mental health do
Mental-health nonprofits operate across crisis intervention, direct treatment, research, advocacy, and public-awareness campaigns. Crisis lines (text and phone) provide immediate suicide-prevention and emotional support. Treatment-focused organizations offer therapy on sliding-scale fees, expand access to psychiatric care, and integrate mental-health services into primary care. Advocacy groups work on parity laws, insurance coverage, and reducing stigma. Funding supports clinicians, crisis-counselor training, research, and policy work.
How to judge charities in this area
For crisis lines, look at response time, training rigor, and outcome data on caller follow-up. For treatment-focused organizations, examine evidence-based therapy modalities used, average wait times, and patient outcomes (where reported). Mental Health America and The Trevor Project publish outcome data — use that as a benchmark when evaluating others.
How to support beyond a one-time gift
- + Recurring monthly gifts particularly help crisis lines maintain staffing predictability
- + Volunteer as a crisis counselor (most organizations offer extensive training)
- + Advocate for mental-health parity in insurance laws at the state level
- + Share resources publicly — destigmatization is itself a major intervention
- + Donate to research-focused organizations to accelerate the next generation of treatments
Verify before you give
A few minutes of independent verification pays off — especially for larger gifts. These resources let you confirm the details on NAMI:
Frequently asked
Is NAMI a good charity?
What is NAMI's Charity Navigator rating?
What is NAMI's EIN?
How much money does NAMI raise and spend?
Are donations to NAMI tax-deductible?
Represent NAMI? Add a free, self-updating rating badge to your website →