Nami Seattle
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 35% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
To address the unmet mental health needs within our community through support, referral, education, and outreach.
- Income
- $810,025
- Spending
- $718,543
- Spent on programs
- 35%
- Reserves
- 34.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 74%
- Employees
- 8
- Volunteers
- 125
- Highest pay
- $125,400, executive dir.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 34.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 11% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 14% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1535% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 84 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2511 of 11 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
0 of 7Reports no 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 December 31, 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 (3)
- $195,336 spent. Inspire - Provides inspiring programs that include Ending the Silence (EtS), Ending the Silence - The Conversation Continued, In Our Own Voice, and others to eliminate stigma and encourage people to get the support they need. These presentations feature individuals living in recovery from mental illness and who share their stories of how they have overcome the challenges of a mental health condition and speak of the vibrant lives they have forged for themselves. Ending the Silence - The Conversation Continued provides teens and young adults an opportunity to discuss what came up for them out of the EtS presentation including concerns about their own mental health, self-harm ideation, taking care of peers in crisis, and other topics around mental health. These programs benefited about 700 individuals.
- $55,828 spent. Connect - Direct client services including no-barrier mental health support groups, Roadmap to Mental Health Guide, and the NAMI Seattle Helpline. These services help people find mental health resources for themselves or a loved one when they are unsure of where to turn. Our support groups are free, peer-led and accessible to anyone regardless of formal diagnosis. By bringing people with shared experiences together, we create safe spaces where people can provide mutual support and share strategies for recovery. We ensure that no one is alone in their mental health journey. We received over 200 inquiries through our NAMI Seattle Helpline and had 3189 (duplicated) registrants for our 300 support groups.
- $3,030 spent. Educate - Educates people about mental illness through a variety of classes and workshops. Classes are for people affected by mental illness, family or friends with loved ones affected by mental illness, and strategies to improve well-being. At NAMI Seattle we delivered 2 Family-to-Family classes with a total of 34 individuals receiving education from the 8-week class. Additional trainings were provided to community-based organizations and local businesses, which included Mental Health 101, Compassion Fatigue, and De-escalation providing people with basics to improve their own health and positively respond to others struggling with illness. These programs benefited 1,450 individuals.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 December 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 April 1980.
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.