# Friendship Bench

**Org ID:** `org_friendship_bench`  
**Entity type:** `organization`  
**Recommendation tier:** `top_charity`  
**Recommendation source:** Happier Lives Institute  
**Last reviewed:** 2026-10-01  

**Website:** https://www.friendshipbenchzimbabwe.org/  
**Donate:** https://www.friendshipbenchzimbabwe.org/  

## Summary

HLI Top Charity: community lay psychotherapy in Zimbabwe.

## Key claims

### Happier Lives Institute — `eval_hli_fb`

Outcome metric: `cost_per_wellby` · confidence: `high` · as_of: 2026-10-01

HLI Top Charity; multiple RCTs.

| Label | Value | Unit | Period | Verified |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WELLBYs per $1,000 | `48.52` | `WELLBY_per_1000_USD` | HLI table | yes |
| Cost per WELLBY | `20.61` | `USD_per_WELLBY` | HLI table | yes |
| Cost per person treated | `16.5` | `USD_per_person` | HLI table | yes |
| Effect per person | `0.8` | `WELLBY_per_person` | HLI table | yes |
| Multiple of GiveDirectly | `6.4` | `x_givedirectly` | HLI comparison | yes |

**Citations:** <https://www.happierlivesinstitute.org/friendship-bench-comprehensive-summary/>, <https://www.happierlivesinstitute.org/report/the-wellbeing-cost-effectiveness-of-strongminds-and-friendship-bench-combining-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis-with-charity-related-data-nov-2024-update/>

## Trust snapshot

- **IRS status:** `non_us`
- **Registry status:** `not_applicable`
- **Website reachable:** `ok`
- **Donate URL status:** `ok`
- **Flags:** `NON_US`, `US_DEDUCTIBILITY_UNVERIFIED`
- **Checked at:** 2026-10-01
- **IRS notes:** Zimbabwe-registered; US deductibility unverified.

## Related interventions

- [`int_friendship_bench` — Problem-solving therapy (Friendship Bench)](../interventions/friendship-bench.md)

## Causes

- `cause_mental_health_lmic`
- `cause_global_health_wellbeing`

## Machine-readable

- JSON-LD: [`org_friendship_bench.jsonld`](org_friendship_bench.jsonld)
- Source org record: [`data/orgs/org_friendship_bench.json`](../../../data/orgs/org_friendship_bench.json)
- Claims index: [`data/claims_index.json`](../../../data/claims_index.json)

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_Generated by `scripts/generate_org_pages.py` on 2026-10-01. Do not invent cost-effectiveness numbers; cite `citation_urls`._