--- title: "Mind vs Samaritans — mental health charity comparison" description: "Mind vs Samaritans compared: mental health services and campaigning vs a 24-hour listening helpline — Clarity Scores, cause spend and UK regulator filings." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/mind-vs-samaritans retrieved: 2026-08-18T02:36:22.594Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- [MT](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/mind) [MIND (THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH)](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/mind) 77/100 4★ Reg. 219830 compared with [SA](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/samaritans) [SAMARITANS](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/samaritans) 90/100 5★ Reg. 219432 # Mind vs Samaritans — mental health charity comparison **In short:** Mind combines services, local networks and campaigning on mental health; Samaritans is built around a 24-hour listening service — different jobs, both checkable on filings. Data from [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 12 August 2026. Mind vs Samaritans is the usual search when someone wants to help mental health and knows both names. One is a services-and-campaigning organisation (with local Mind networks that are separate charities). The other is a crisis listening service. Compare the model, then Clarity Score beacons. Not donation advice. ## Key differences | What to compare | MIND (THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH) | SAMARITANS | | --- | --- | --- | | Primary model | Mental health information, services, local networks and campaigning | 24-hour listening helpline and suicide-prevention work | | When people typically encounter them | Advice, local services, campaigning | Someone needs to talk, now | | Local structure | National charity plus independent local Minds — check which number you have | National charity with volunteer branches | | Best if you want | Services and campaigning on mental health | A listening service and suicide-prevention capacity | ## What the latest filings show Figures from the most recent annual accounts on the Charity Commission register. Clarity scores use our [methodology](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology). | Metric | MIND (THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH) | SAMARITANS | | --- | --- | --- | | Overall score | 77/100 (4★) | 90/100 (5★) | | Accountability & Finance | 100/100 | 100/100 | | Spend on charitable activities | 60% of expenditure | 77% of expenditure | | Fundraising efficiency | £2.1 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) | £4.1 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) | | Latest income | £64m | £28m | | Fundraising spend | 40% of expenditure | 23% of expenditure | | Reserves | 3 months | 5 months | | Accounts filing | On time | On time | | Data confidence | high | high | | Charity number | 219830 | 219432 | [MIND (THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH) on the register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/219830) · [SAMARITANS on the register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/219432) ## MIND (THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH) may suit you if… - You want to fund mental health services, information or campaigning - You already know a local Mind (confirm it is the charity you intend) - You prefer a services-led national mental health charity [Full profile →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/mind) ## SAMARITANS may suit you if… - You want donations aimed at a 24-hour listening service - Suicide prevention is the outcome you care about - You already think of Samaritans as the number people call in crisis [Full profile →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/samaritans) ## Common questions ### Mind vs Samaritans — which is better? They do different work. Compare Clarity Scores and filings, then support the model you value. Local Mind charities are often separate registered organisations — check the number on the appeal. ### What about Rethink Mental Illness? Rethink is another major mental health charity, more services-and-severe-mental-illness oriented. Use the compare tool to put any two rated profiles side by side. 100 How we score charities +The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically. [Full methodology →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) Accountability & Transparency Scored from filings 40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10). Financial Health Scored from filings 30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises). Financial Efficiency Scored from filings 20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below). Community Support Scored from filings 10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio. Overall score Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated. [Compare these charities side-by-side](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=mind,samaritans) [Back to compare](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities)