StrongMinds

The published figures

Every figure below is copied exactly as the evaluator published it, with a link to the source.

A WELLBY is the Happier Lives Institute's unit of wellbeing: one point of life satisfaction, on a scale from 0 to 10, for one person for one year.

Cost-effectiveness figures are modeled, not guaranteed.

How strong is the evidence?

Low to moderate, according to Happier Lives Institute.

This is the Happier Lives Institute's own rating of the quality of the evidence.

HLI rates quality of evidence low–moderate (using a standard evidence-grading method): meta-analysis of 84 psychotherapy randomized trials, one StrongMinds-related randomized trial (limited relevance), and monitoring data pre-post data.

What the evaluator is unsure about

• Limited relevance of Baird et al. randomized trial to StrongMinds’ current adult partner-delivered model.
• Monitoring data pre-post uses synthetic control; potential substantial bias.
• Publication bias and inconsistency in general psychotherapy literature.

More on group talk therapy for depression

Can it use more money?

The Happier Lives Institute lists a funding gap of $4,000,000 for StrongMinds: roughly how much more it could use well right now without lowering its cost-effectiveness (as of October 1, 2026).

Source: Happier Lives Institute (opens in a new tab)

Ways to give

It appears in the IRS's public list of tax-exempt charities (we checked on October 1, 2026). Whether your gift is deductible depends on your own situation, so please confirm with your tax advisor.

Did it work? Our follow-up

We keep a permanent, dated record of what Happier Lives Institute published, and we will check it again against Happier Lives Institute's later updates. That is how, over time, we can tell you whether the estimates held up.

• 40.37 WELLBYs per $1,000 donated

  Recorded October 21, 2026 · re-check after October 1, 2027

  Waiting for the re-check See the record: wellbys per $1,000

Status: waiting for the scheduled re-check. A record is a promise to look again, not a measured result. All follow-up records

Questions donors ask

Is StrongMinds a good charity?

Happier Lives Institute Top Charity. Runs group talk therapy for people with depression, led by trained lay counsellors, in countries including Uganda and Zambia. We don't rate charities ourselves; we report what independent evaluators publish, with links so you can check.

How much good does a donation to StrongMinds do?

The Happier Lives Institute estimates 40.37 WELLBYs per $1,000 donated. A WELLBY is the Happier Lives Institute's unit of wellbeing: one point of life satisfaction, on a scale from 0 to 10, for one person for one year. The figure is modeled, not guaranteed.

Can I give to StrongMinds through a donor-advised fund?

Usually, yes. Your sponsor will need the EIN, 46-2090059. Your sponsor's own rules apply.

Is a donation to StrongMinds tax-deductible?

It appears in the IRS's public list of tax-exempt charities (we checked on October 1, 2026). Whether your gift is deductible depends on your own situation, so please confirm with your tax advisor. Nothing here is tax advice.

Does Did it work? take a cut or get paid for listing this charity?

No. We don't take, hold or route donations, we don't charge charities, and no one can pay to change what we show.

How current is this?

We last reviewed this charity's record on October 1, 2026. Evaluators update their figures, so check the linked sources before a large gift.