With nearly 50 million Americans experiencing mental illness, the mental health awareness movement deserves space in every nonprofit’s annual agenda, regardless of your specific cause sector.
Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month this May by recognizing these 9 mental health nonprofits working to educate, support, and empower people worldwide to take positive steps in their own mental health journeys.
Mental Health by the Numbers
Mental health conditions are increasing worldwide. Here are a few quick stats to consider:
19.86% of American adults are experiencing a mental illness, 4.91% of whom are experiencing a severe mental illnessMental illness ranges in prevalence by state, ranging from 16.37% of the population in New Jersey to 26.86% in Utah11.1% of adults in the U.S. (over 5.5 million) with a mental illness remain uninsuredOver half (56%) of American adults with mental illness receive no treatment
Nonprofit Mental Health Organizations Fueling Positive Change
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) envisions a world where all people affected by mental illness live healthy, fulfilling lives supported by communities that care. They provide advocacy, education, support, and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can recover.
Built on the values of hope, inclusion, empowerment, compassion, and fairness, NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for millions of Americans.
This mental health nonprofit serves people in the U.S. through:
Learn how you can support NAMI’s important work.
To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA)
To Write Love on Her Arms is a nonprofit dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, and inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.
Since its start in 2006, this nonprofit has donated over $3 million directly into treatment and recovery, making it possible for people to access mental health care when they need it the most.
Each year, TWLOHA connects over 11 million people in more than 100 countries to the message that hope and help is real. Annually, their work to provide mental health resources connects 40,000 people to services like crisis lines, support groups, and affordable local mental health resources through the FIND HELP Tool.
In 2021 alone, the TWLOHA team delivered the message of hope to all 50 states and 44 countries through 21,000 fulfilled merch orders. They shared over 120 stories of mental health and healing on the TWLOHA blog, podcast, and through LIVE events. Also, their new program, Between the Bells, had 16,000 students involved in conversations about mental health and sharing vital resources.
Explore their site to learn how you can help support their mission.
Fountain House
Fountain House is a national mental health nonprofit fighting to improve health, increase opportunity, and end social and economic isolation for people most impacted by mental illness.
Founded in 1948 in New York City, Fountain House originated the clubhouse model of community mental health that has been replicated more than 300 times in nearly 40 U.S. states and in 30 countries around the world.
Fountain House members are hospitalized and experience crisis significantly less than others with serious mental illness, resulting in 21% lower Medicaid costs. The nonprofit supports a diverse member base, 40% of which come to the program with a recent history of homelessness, 26% of whom have prior criminal justice involvement, and 33% of whom have a co-occurring substance use disorder.
Its members complete their education, find paid work, and achieve health and wellness goals at significantly higher rates than people living with serious mental illness who don’t have access to their programs.
Learn more about Fountain House’s social practice and current initiatives.
Project HEAL
Project HEAL is on a mission to create a world where everyone with an eating disorder has the opportunities and resources they need to recover. As the only major nonprofit in the U.S. focused on creating equitable treatment access for all people with eating disorders, they stand firmly behind their belief that treatment is a right, not a privilege.
Their programs break down systemic, healthcare, and financial barriers that millions of people in the U.S. face when trying to heal from their eating disorder.
This nonprofit offers support through four main pathways:
Clinical assessmentInsurance navigationTreatment placementCash assistance
In addition, the mental health nonprofit has partnered with EAT Lab at the University of Louisville to anchor their efforts to reform the eating disorder treatment landscape and influence future policy and legal changes within the healthcare system to ensure equitable healthcare access for all.
Up to 24 million Americans are currently struggling with eating disorders without treatment. Learn how you can help.
Saprea
Saprea exists to liberate individuals and society from child sexual abuse and its lasting impacts. The trauma of child sexual abuse can have lifelong impacts, resulting in increased risk of mental health issues, substance abuse, suicide attempts, dropping out of school, and incarceration.
This nonprofit is dedicated to empowering survivors with healing strategies, skills, and resources to reduce trauma symptoms, experience post-traumatic growth, and significantly improve the quality of their lives.
Saprea also encourages parents and caregivers to proactively learn and apply the preventative skills needed to reduce the risk of sexual abuse impacting the children they love. In addition, they provide courses to help create awareness about this worldwide epidemic and guide community members on how to get involved.
The organization’s impact is felt by thousands of people worldwide through its unique offerings, including:
Learn more about Saprea’s life-changing work and how you can get involved to take action in your community.
International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)
The mission of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) is to help those impacted by obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders to live full and productive lives.
This mental health organization aims to increase access to effective treatment through research and training, foster a hopeful and supportive community for those affected by OCD and the professionals who treat them, and fight stigma surrounding mental health issues.
To improve outcomes for individuals with OCD and related disorders, IOCDF offers:
See how you can help challenge stigma, raise funds, and create awareness about what it really means to have OCD.
Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line stands at the intersection of empathy and innovation, promoting mental well-being for people wherever they are.
The mental health organization provides free, 24/7, high-quality text-based mental health support and crisis intervention by empowering a community of trained volunteers to support people in their moments of need. Last year, Crisis Text Line’s volunteer Crisis Counselors had 1.3 million conversations with people in crisis in the U.S.
Crisis Text Line is on the frontlines of addressing the mental health crisis by spreading empathy. As we emerge from a pandemic with a shared experience of isolation and loneliness, a sense of belonging is crucial for humans to connect, for stronger communities to be built, and for our global community to thrive.
Learn more on how you can join Crisis Text Line to build an empathetic world where nobody feels alone.
Active Minds
Active Minds is the nation’s premier nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education for young adults. Dedicated to saving lives and building stronger families and communities, this organization is changing the conversation about mental health.
Since 2003, Active Minds has served as the voice of young people who are disproportionately affected by mental illnesses, focusing on how mental health is addressed on campuses and society at large. The organization is present in more than 1,000 schools, communities, and workplaces nationwide, including over 600 student-led chapters.
Over 15,000 young adults join Active Minds each year to encourage their peers to learn about, talk about, and seek help for mental health issues without shame. This peer-to-peer approach addresses individual needs and the overall culture in our country.
Learn more about Active Minds’ strategic plan to discover how you can show your support.
MARR Addiction Treatment Centers (MARR)
More than 23 million Americans struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. Knowing that only about 10% of that population are receiving the treatment they need, MARR Addiction Treatment Centers is a private organization that provides long-term residential addiction treatment to men and women.
This mental health nonprofit is dedicated to bringing lasting recovery through intensive, high-quality, gender-specific rehab programs. Accredited by The Joint Commission, MARR is fully licensed under the laws of the state of Georgia.
MARR continues to set the standard in long-term residential addiction treatment by helping clients identify the core issues behind their drug and alcohol abuse and redefine their futures. Through the use of technology and community resources, this organization is also working to educate the public about the disease of addiction to save, protect, and improve the lives of thousands nationwide.
Explore how you can play a part in the lives of those struggling with addiction.
Rally Around Mental Health Nonprofits This May
Make an impact in the lives of those struggling with mental illness by contributing to the larger conversation, offering opportunities for donors to get involved, and using your voice to educate expansive audiences on the critical importance of mental health awareness.
For a complete list of additional cause awareness days, holidays, and giving days your nonprofit should consider incorporating into your annual content strategy, download your Seasonal LinkedIn Content Planner.