Mental Health Organization, StrongMinds, Cited as Most Effective Charity in 2025 World Happiness Report
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2025
Kampala, Uganda – StrongMinds, a global non-profit democratizing access to mental healthcare, has been named one of the world’s most cost-effective charities at improving happiness in the 2025 World Happiness Report.
Each year for the past 14 years, the World Happiness Report reviews how happy people are throughout the world. In a chapter of the 2025 report written by the Happier Lives Institute (HLI), charitable giving is suggested as a means of increasing global happiness. This is the first-ever scientific review of global charities that shows a direct link between donor investment and improvements to happiness and wellbeing.
HLI introduces a new standard for charitable impact assessment by measuring effectiveness in WELLBYs (wellbeing years) – a happiness metric increasingly used by governments to guide policy decisions. HLI’s review finds that donating $1,000 to a highly effective charity can generate the same wellbeing impact as donating $150,000 to an average charity.
“Our findings are a wake-up call for donors, charities, researchers and policy-makers,” said Dr Michael Plant, Founder & Research Director at the Happier Lives Institute and also a Research Fellow at the Wellbeing Research, Oxford University, which publishes the World Happiness Report. “By shifting the focus from traditional impact measures to happiness and wellbeing, we can help donors ensure their money creates the most positive change possible.”
HLI explains the methodology it uses to determine which charities result in the greatest improvements in individual wellbeing per dollar donated. It states, “the most cost-effective charities focus on mental health, malnutrition treatment, [and] lead exposure reduction in low-income countries.” StrongMinds and Zimbabwe-based Friendship Bench are listed as the most effective organizations in the mental health realm.
“We are honored to be named one of the world’s most effective charities at improving happiness and wellbeing,” stated StrongMinds founder and CEO Sean Mayberry. “Mental health is key to improving people’s lives. We must continue to invest in scaling depression treatment for all.”
StrongMinds has treated over 900,000 people for depression since 2013, with each client experiencing a decrease in their symptoms, and approximately 75 percent of clients being depression free after therapy ends.
About StrongMinds
Founded in 2013, StrongMinds treats depression in women and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. Our well-researched group talk therapy model using interpersonal group therapy (IPT-G) is delivered by trained lay community members, enabling us to reach tens of thousands of people each year. For more information about StrongMinds, please visit strongminds.org.
Media Contact: Roger Nokes Roger@strongminds.org
Learn more at Strongminds.org
