Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE POLICY CENTER FOR MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH IS TO CLOSE GAPS IN MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH (MMH) CARE SO THAT EVERY MOTHER, CHILD, AND FAMILY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE. KEY COMPONENTS OF OUR MISSION AND STRATEGIC FOCUS INCLUDE: (1) SYSTEMIC CHANGE - ADVOCATING FOR SYSTEMIC HEALTHCARE POLICY CHANGES SO THAT THE U.S. HEALTHCARE SYSTEM ROUTINELY SCREENS, DETECTS, AND TREATS MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS (SUCH AS POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION) FOR EVERY MOTHER; (2) INTEGRATED CARE - PROMOTING THE INTEGRATION OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE DIRECTLY INTO OBSTETRIC AND COMMUNITY-BASED MEDICAL SETTINGS; AND (3) PROVIDER/TREATMENT ACCESSIBILITY - ELIMINATING BARRIERS TO CARE BY EXPANDING THE CAPACITY OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND ENSURING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ARE ADEQUATELY COVERED AND REIMBURSED BY HEALTH PLANS AND INSURERS.
- Income
- $726,987
- Spending
- $907,839
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 4.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 50%
- Employees
- 9
- Volunteers
- 13
- Highest pay
- $131,454, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 51 out of 100. Higher than 18% of charities in its peer group (health care, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.3 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 17% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 25% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 43% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 92% of charities in its peer group (health care, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $192,534 spent. FEDERAL AND STATE POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND INFLUENCE: AS A THINK TANK, WE INFORM AND INFLUENCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEDERAL AND STATE POLICY. FEDERAL POLICY: WE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE DIRECT SUPPORT TO THE FEDERAL MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE, WHICH THE POLICY CENTER CHAMPIONED IN 2023 THROUGH FEDERAL LEGISLATION WE WROTE AND ADVANCED: THE TRIUMPH FOR NEW MOMS ACT. AS A RESULT OF THIS WORK, THE FIRST REPORT TO CONGRESS ON MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AND THE FIRST NATIONAL STRATEGY WERE RELEASED IN 2024 AND 2025, RESPECTIVELY. IN 2025, AS THE FEDERAL TASK FORCE CONCLUDED, WE CONVENED FORMER MEMBERS TO ORGANIZE THE FIELD AROUND KEY PRIORITIES WITHIN THE NATIONAL MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH STRATEGY. KEY PRIORITIES WE ARE FACILITATING INCLUDE OB/GYN SCREENING AND MEASUREMENT OF SCREENING, SUICIDE PREVENTION, AFFORDABLE MATERNITY CARE, AND COMPREHENSIVE MATERNITY CARE CENTERS (CMCCS), INCLUDING MIDWIFERY, MENTAL HEALTH, DOULA CARE, AND PEDIATRICS. EACH OF THESE PRIORITIES INCLUDES PHILANTHROPIC AND FEDERAL POLICY SOLUTIONS. WE KEPT MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH ON THE MINDS OF LEADERS AT FEDERAL AGENCIES BY MEETING WITH THEM REGULARLY, INCLUDING THE CENTERS FOR MEDICAID AND MEDICARE SERVICES (CMS), THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL (CDC), THE HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (HRSA), THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (SAMHSA), AND THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH). IN ADDITION, WE BEGAN ENGAGING THE NEW FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION WITH AN OVERVIEW OF HOW THE MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN AGENDA CAN SUPPORT MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH. WE CONDUCTED 19 FEDERAL POLICY ANALYSES REACHING MORE THAN 15,000 READERS ON TOPICS INCLUDING TECHNOLOGY, MATERNAL SUICIDE DATA, AND REIMBURSEMENT. WE WROTE FOUR LETTERS TO SHARE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND POLICY PRIORITIES (TOPICS INCLUDED PAID LEAVE, SCREENING RATE REPORTING, AND MATERNAL HEALTH DATASETS) WITH KEY FEDERAL LEADERS (INCLUDING THE MMH TASK FORCE, CONGRESSIONAL WORKING GROUPS, AND NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE (NCQA) ABOUT NECESSARY CHANGES TO THE MEASURE TO REPORT MMH SCREENING AND FOLLOW-UP CARE. WE ALSO SUPPORTED PARTNER NONPROFITS' POLICY WORK THAT WAS ALIGNED WITH THIS AGENDA BY SIGNING ON TO 31 LETTERS. POLICY EVENTS: IN MAY, MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH, WE UNVEILED OUR ANNUAL STATE REPORT CARDS DURING A VIRTUAL BRIEFING WHERE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND STATE LEADERS WERE BRIEFED ON THE MEASURES AND STATE GRADES. IN SEPTEMBER, THE POLICY CENTER HOSTED A CONGRESSIONAL RECEPTION ON MATERNAL SUICIDE PREVENTION AND PROGRESS MADE TO ADDRESS MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. THE CONVENING ATTRACTED 75+ LEADERS FROM CONGRESS, FEDERAL AGENCIES (INCLUDING SAMHSA, CDC, NIH, AND CMS), AND NATIONAL NON-PROFIT PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS IN PERSON ON CAPITOL HILL. WE PRESENTED THE LATEST CDC DATA, HAD A FATHER SHARE HIS PERSONAL STORY ABOUT LOSING HIS WIFE TO MATERNAL SUICIDE, AND EXPLORED THE MULTIPRONGED AND COMPLEX SOLUTIONS TO PREVENT MATERNAL SUICIDE - A LEADING CAUSE OF PREGNANCY-RELATED MATERNAL MORTALITY IN THE U.S. STATE POLICY: THE POLICY CENTER IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE EXPERT IN STATE POLICY, WHICH IS WHERE MOST HEALTHCARE LEGISLATION AND REGULATION OCCURS UNDER THE U.S. FEDERALISM FRAMEWORK. THIS INCLUDED OUR STATE NON-PROFIT AND GOVERNMENT AGENCY POLICY FELLOWS TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, MAINTAINING AND PROMOTING OUR MODEL LEGISLATION, TRACKING STATE MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION, AND SUMMARIZING LEGISLATION IN AN ANNUAL REPORT. WE CONTINUED TO RUN OUR TWO STATE POLICY FELLOWS PROGRAMS (FOR NON-PROFITS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES) TO SHARE DATA, HEAR FROM EXPERTS ABOUT PROGRAMS AND POLICIES THAT ARE WORKING, AND ALLOW PARTICIPANTS TO LEARN AND SHARE IN A 12-MONTH LEARNING COMMUNITY. THE 2024-2025 COHORT GRADUATING CLASS INCLUDED 31 PARTICIPANTS FROM THE FOLLOWING STATES AND TERRITORIES: CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, GEORGIA, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MARYLAND, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW JERSEY, OREGON, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, AND VERMONT. WE PROVIDE ONGOING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO FELLOWS WHO GRADUATE FROM THE PROGRAM.
- $127,742 spent. MONITORING SCREENING AND REIMBURSEMENT: THE POLICY CENTER RESEARCHES, REPORTS ON, AND PUSHES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ONGOING LEVERS TO ADVANCE MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH (MMH) SYSTEMS CHANGE, INCLUDING PAYMENT AND SCREENING/TREATMENT MEASURES. AS PART OF OUR WORK ON HEALTH INSURER PAYOR LEVERS, WE REPORT REGULARLY ON MMH SCREENING AND FOLLOW-UP RATES BY ANALYZING HEDIS DATA (A STANDARDIZED SET OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES DEVELOPED BY THE NCQA) AS WELL AS CLAIMS DATA. THE REPORTS AND THE STATE REPORT CARDS REFERENCED BELOW ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, WWW.POLICYCENTERMMH.ORG/REPORTS. OUR ANALYSIS, "THE ROLE OF MEDICAID IN ADVANCING OBSTETRIC PROVIDER MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING AND TREATMENT," HIGHLIGHTED THE ACTIONS MEDICAID AGENCIES CAN TAKE TO ADDRESS SCREENING, INCLUDING THE STRATEGIES OF THE STATES WITH THE HIGHEST MEDICAID SCREENING RATES. WE EVALUATED THE EXTENT TO WHICH OB PROVIDERS SUBMIT SEPARATE CLAIMS TO PRIVATE INSURERS FOR MMH SCREENING AND FOLLOW-UP TREATMENT, OUTSIDE THE "BUNDLED OBSTETRIC PAYMENT." THIS IS CONTAINED IN OUR NEW REPORT TITLED "OBSTETRIC PROVIDER BILLING RATES BY PRIVATE INSURERS FOR MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING AND TREATMENT." THIS ANALYSIS OF CLAIMS DATA SHOWED PERSISTENTLY LOW BILLING RATES BY OBSTETRIC PROVIDERS FOR MMH SCREENING, EVALUATION, AND TREATMENT, HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED FOR INSURERS TO PUBLISH MMH FEE-FOR-SERVICE BILLING CODES FOR OBSTETRIC PROVIDERS AND TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE REIMBURSEMENT. WE ALSO ASSESSED STATE-SPECIFIC RATES AND FOUND THAT THE STATES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PRIVATE INSURANCE CLAIM SUBMISSIONS FOR POSTPARTUM MMH SCREENING ARE COLORADO, NORTH CAROLINA, WEST VIRGINIA, AND INDIANA. THE SCREENING RATES AND PRIVATE CLAIMS SUBMISSION RATES ARE ALSO BOTH MEASURES IN OUR ANNUAL STATE MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH REPORT CARDS. THIS WORK IS ADVANCING UNIVERSAL SCREENING EFFORTS BY DRAWING ATTENTION TO BILLING AND SCREENING RATES NATIONWIDE, WITH THE REPORTS AND RESOURCES SERVING TO INFORM POLICY ACTION AT THE STATE LEVEL.
- $112,054 spent. RESEARCH, REPORTS, RESOURCES & THE FORUM: AS A POLICY AND RESEARCH THINK TANK, AND "FIELD CATALYST" WE CONDUCT CRITICAL RESEARCH, COLLATE ARTICLES AND EXTERNAL RESEARCH, CREATE ISSUE BRIEFS, IMPLEMENTATION RESOURCES AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND HOST WEBINARS AND OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE, THE FORUM, TO INFORM THE FIELD INCLUDING THE FOUR KEY PLAYERS (WHICH WE REFER TO AS THE 4PS) WHICH ARE POSITIONED TO AFFECTUATE CHANGE (POLICYMAKERS, PAYERS, PROVIDERS AND PHILANTHROPY/NON-PROFIT/RESEARCH PARTNERS). RESEARCH AND REPORTS: IN MAY, WHICH IS MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH, THE POLICY CENTER RELEASED OUR TWO LANDMARK REPORTS, THE 3RD ANNUAL STATE REPORT MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH CARDS, AND THE MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNTY RISK & RESOURCE REPORT AND MAP. AT OUR CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING. THE REPORT CARDS AGAIN RELIED ON 18 DATA SETS, INCLUDING DATA PRODUCED EXTERNALLY AND OUR OWN DATA/REPORTS. THERE HAS STILL BEEN MEANINGFUL PROGRESS AS 26 STATES IMPROVED THEIR MMH GRADES (AND THE U.S. HAS INCHED UP FROM A D+ TO C-). THE RISK AND RESOURCE REPORT IDENTIFIED THAT THE NUMBER OF COUNTIES WITH SEVERE RISK FOR MMH DISORDERS HAS TRIPLED SINCE 2023. THE REPORTS WERE FEATURED IN VARIOUS LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS OUTLETS AND HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN RAISING AWARENESS OF MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AND POINTING THE WAY TOWARD AN EVIDENCE-BASED PATH FORWARD. OUR REPORTS WERE COVERED BY MAJOR MEDIA OUTLETS SUCH AS THE NEW YORK TIMES, FORBES, USA TODAY, CBS, AND KFF HEALTH NEWS. THIS YEAR WE CONTINUED TO DEVELOP DATA-DRIVEN, ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS THROUGH NEARLY 30 ARTICLES, REPORTS, FACT SHEETS, AND ISSUE BRIEFS, INCLUDING NEW MATERIALS SUCH AS THE LATINA AND HISPANIC MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE BRIEF, A FACT SHEET ADDRESSING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH, AND AN ISSUE BRIEF ON THE INTERCONNECTION OF PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE AND MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH. WE HOSTED THREE WEBINARS, ADDRESSING EATING DISORDERS IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD, BIRTH TRAUMA AND PTSD, AND THE ROLE OF HOSPITALS IN DEVELOPING MENTAL HEALTH OUTPATIENT AND INPATIENT TREATMENT PROGRAMS. THESE EVENTS SERVE TO EDUCATE KEY PLAYERS AND DRIVE ACTION ON PRESSING MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. LASTLY, WE HELD OUR 15TH ANNUAL FORUM MARCH 18-19, 2025 IN WASHINGTON, DC, AND ATTRACTED NEARLY 700 CROSS-SECTOR PARTICIPANTS FROM ACROSS THE U.S. THE FORUM THEME WAS "AT THE INTERSECTION OF POLICY, PAYMENT, AND PRACTICE," WITH PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING TWO DAYS OF PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING A KEYNOTE, 11 PANELS, THREE FIRESIDE CHATS, TWO MOTHERS' STORIES, AND REGIONAL NETWORKING. THE FORUM AGAIN FEATURED HIGH-PROFILE SPEAKERS FROM ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE KENNEDY FORUM, CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE, URBAN INDIAN HEALTH INSTITUTE, KFF, NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR WOMEN & FAMILIES, AND MORE. NINETY-SEVEN PERCENT OF ATTENDEES REPORTED THAT THE FORUM PROVIDED INSIGHT INTO EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY AND PRACTICE SOLUTIONS IN MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH CARE.
- $370,545 spent. OTHER PROGRAMS: GENERAL PROGRAMS, COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE, CO-LABORATORY, CHW PROJECT.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 2013.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.