The Mental Health Association of Oregon
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF OREGON DBA THE MENTAL HEALTH & ADDICTION ASSOCIATION OF OREGON IS AN INCLUSIVE PEER-RUN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO SELF-DIRECTION HONORING THE VOICE OF LIVED EXPERIENCE.
- Income
- $22.0 million
- Spending
- $21.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- -3.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 77%
- Employees
- 273
- Highest pay
- $213,613, executive dir.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 55 out of 100.
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 44% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 13% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100.
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
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
0 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 June 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)
- $16.4 million spent. PEER DELIVERED SERVICESMHAAO HAS BEEN IN OPERATION OVER 23 YEARS, AND IN 2014 LAUNCHED ITS DIRECT PEER-DELIVERED SERVICES PROGRAM, OFFERING ONE OF THE FIRST TRULY LOW-BARRIER, COMMUNITY-BASED PEER SUPPORT PROGRAMS IN THE PORTLAND AREA. WHILE STAYING TRUE TO ITS ROOTS, MHAAO HAS EXPERIENCED CONTINUOUS AND STEADY GROWTH AND NOW COMPRISES OVER 45 UNIQUE PEER SERVICE PROGRAMS. FOR OVER A DECADE, MHAAO HAS SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED AND PROVIDED DIRECT PEER SUPPORT SERVICES ACROSS MULTNOMAH, CLACKAMAS, AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES. MHAAO PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS USE THEIR OWN LIVED EXPERIENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND/OR SUBSTANCE USE CHALLENGES AND RECOVERY TO CONNECT WITH AND SUPPORT THEIR PEERS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NAVIGATING SIMILAR EXPERIENCES AND ARE SEEKING SUPPORT. ALL DIRECT SERVICE STAFF AT MHAAO IDENTIFY AS HAVING LIVED EXPERIENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND/OR ADDICTION CHALLENGES AND RECOVERY, AND MANY HAVE THE ADDITIONAL LIFE EXPERIENCE OF POVERTY, HOUSELESSNESS, INCARCERATION OR JUSTICE SYSTEM INVOLVEMENT, HOSPITALIZATION, DHS INVOLVEMENT, AND MORE. ALL DIRECT SERVICE STAFF AT MHAAO INDENTIFY AS HAVING LIVED EXPERIENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND/OR ADDICTION CHALLENGES AND RECOVERY, AND MANY HAVE THE ADDITIONAL LIFE EXPERIENCES OF PROVERTY, HOUSELESSNESS, INCARCERATION OR JUSTICE SYSTEM INVOLVEMENT, HOSPITALIZATION, DHS INVOLVEMENT, AND MORE.
- $1.9 million spent. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENTMHAAO IS PROUD TO OFFER OUR STATE AND NATIONALLY APPROVED PEER WELLNESS SPECIALIST (PWS) TRAINING PROGRAM, AND OUR ANNUAL PEER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, PEERPOCALYPSE. OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE IS A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY-BUILDING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PEER WORKFORCE, WHERE PEER SPECIALISTS FROM ACROSS THE NATION GATHER TO LEARN, NETWORK, AND SHARE EXPERIENCES, KNOWLEDGE, AND RESOURCES WITH EACH OTHER.
- $300,619 spent. FISCAL SPONSORSHIPMHAAO ACTS AS FISCAL SPONSOR FOR TWO ORGANIZATIONS:PEERGALAXY: AN ONLINE PORTAL TO A LARGE COMMUNITY OF PEER SUPPORT, RECOVERY, AND WELLNESS. THE PEERGALAXY CALENDAR FEATURING OVER 392,000 QUARTERLY OFFERINGS FOR ONLINE AND TELEPHONE ACCESSIBLE PEER SUPPORT, RECOVERY AND WELLNESS ACTIVITIES PLUS WEBINARS, CONSUMER INPUT, AND SPECIAL EVENTS.US FIRST INITIATIVES: US FIRST INITIATIVES (UFI) PRIORITIZES THE NEEDS OF BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, PARTICULARLY THOSE AFFECTED BY MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION CHALLENGES. THE ORGANIZATION AIMS TO PROVIDE PEER SUPPORT SERVICES, TRAINING, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS AND GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS. UFI IS COMMITTED TO INCREASING EQUITY AND ACCESS ACROSS THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONTINUUM AND ENHANCING REPRESENTATION IN THE WORKFORCE. MOREOVER, WE ALSO HOLD SPECIAL EVENTS DESIGNED TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, BUILD FRESH CONNECTIONS, HEIGHTEN AWARENESS ON KEY ISSUES, AND STIMULATE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE.
- MANAGEMENT AND GENERALMHAAOS MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL ACTIVITIES ENCOMPASS A BROAD RANGE OF CRITICAL FUNCTIONS. THESE INCLUDE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP, FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT, ACCOUNTING, RECORD-KEEPING, STRATEGIC PLANNING, HUMAN RESOURCES, OPERATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, AND RELATED ACTIVITIES. THESE DIVERSE YET INTERCONNECTED ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR ORGANIZATION, ENABLING US TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY DEVELOPMENTAL, ORGANIZATIONAL, AND MANAGERIAL SUPPORT THAT ENSURES THE EFFECTIVE OPERATION OF MHAAOS PROGRAMS.THE DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING TEAM AT MHAAO IS DEDICATED TO FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS AND INSPIRING DIVERSE GROUPS TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION AND VISION. OUR DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES FOCUS ON PROVIDING WAYS FOR DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS TO BE INVOLVED IN OUR WORK. THIS INCLUDES ORCHESTRATING FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS, CREATING MARKETING MATERIALS, AND MANAGING ENDEAVORS TO SECURE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS, FOUNDATIONS, CORPORATIONS, AND PUBLIC ENTITIES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 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 November 6, 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 June 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 February 1991.
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 November 4, 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.