HelpGuide
EIN: 45-4510670
Mission
HelpGuide provides online mental health education and support to a global audience. Our mission is to empower people with the information and insight they need to improve their mental health and make healthy changes.
Ruling year
2012
Executive Director
Melinda Smith
Main address
515 S Flower St Ste 1800
Los Angeles, CA 90071 USA
EIN
45-4510670
Mental health care
Mental and behavioral disorders
Psychology and behavioral science
Publishing
Web-based media
Population served
Children and youth
Adults
Family relationships
Health
NTEE code
Media, Communications Organizations (A30)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), nearly one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness. And those numbers are rising. Yet estimates suggest that less than half of those affected by mental illness receive treatment. And among those who do seek help, one in five report that they aren’t able to get the treatment they need. Global numbers are just as alarming. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression, 260 million suffer from anxiety disorders, and over 100 million more suffer from dementia, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other serious mental health challenges. Again, the vast majority are not receiving the treatment and support they need to live healthy and productive lives.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
HelpGuide website (www.helpguide.org)
HelpGuide develops media content and programming for mental health and wellness. Our website offers research-based, expert-reviewed articles and interactive features in an appealing, ad-free format.
We cover a wide range of mental health and wellness topics, including depression, anxiety, stress, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, nutrition, fitness, sleep, relationships, parenting, common child and teen issues, family challenges, cognitive health, and healthy aging.
Our target audience is English-speaking people of all ages who want to improve their mental health—and who look to the Internet for education and support. Our goal is to provide these online health seekers with empowering, evidence-based information they can use to help themselves and their loved ones.
While HelpGuide is based in California, our website has a global reach, with millions of visitors each month from over 235 countries and territories.
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of website sessions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
HelpGuide website (www.helpguide.org)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
During the pandemic in 2020, we saw a dramatic increase in website traffic as people. That has now returned to baseline.
Number of return website visitors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of unique website visitors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of website pageviews
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of Facebook followers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
HelpGuide website (www.helpguide.org)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Average number of dollars received per donor
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
HelpGuide website (www.helpguide.org)
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of websites and organizations (outside of our organization) that share our resources and information
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
HelpGuide’s mission is to provide empowering, evidence-based information to anyone who wants to build better mental health and wellness. We aim to fill the gap in mental health care— both in the U.S. and in the greater English-speaking world—by delivering engaging, easy-to understand educational content that readers can use to help themselves.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
1. Deliver high-quality, trustworthy content. We aim to be a top online source for mental health and wellness, and that trust is earned through the quality of our content. Our rigorous editorial standards ensure that the information we’re providing is reflective of current research and best practices.
2. Empower and encourage readers. Health psychology teaches us that information alone is not enough to inspire lasting change. The path to wellness is complex, with numerous social and psychological factors influencing choices. HelpGuide aims to be a supportive guide along that path, providing virtual encouragement and motivation.
3. Solicit and analyze user feedback. We are always looking to improve the quality of our content and the ease and accessibility of our website. As part of this strategy, we continuously solicit feedback from our website users.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
HelpGuide's editorial and technical team is a small yet highly-focused group with deep expertise in psychology, content strategy, marketing, web development, user experience, and user engagement. They are leading our strategic efforts to innovate and grow.
HelpGuide is also supported by a distinguished group of mental health and medical professionals who serve on our board of directors and advisory board.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
HelpGuide has grown from a a small, local newsletter in Santa Monica, California to an internationally-acclaimed mental health website that has reached and supported hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Our goal is to continue to grow our global audience through high-quality, supportive mental health content.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, to improve our existing programs and content, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2020 info
0.60
Months of cash in 2020 info
0.9
Fringe rate in 2020 info
20%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
HelpGuide
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
HelpGuide
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
This snapshot of HelpGuide’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
Created in partnership with
Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $9,289 | -$70,267 | $95,813 | -$53,467 | -$104,786 |
| As % of expenses | 2.7% | -17.0% | 21.1% | -9.0% | -14.7% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $4,200 | -$73,800 | $84,546 | -$66,772 | -$109,676 |
| As % of expenses | 1.2% | -17.7% | 18.2% | -11.0% | -15.2% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $357,575 | $343,934 | $549,976 | $540,727 | $610,037 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | -11.0% | -3.8% | 59.9% | -1.7% | 12.8% |
| Program services revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other grants and contributions | 99.4% | 96.4% | 99.6% | 99.2% | 99.7% |
| Other revenue | 0.6% | 3.6% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $348,286 | $414,201 | $454,163 | $594,194 | $714,823 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 10.5% | 18.9% | 9.6% | 30.8% | 20.3% |
| Personnel | 77.2% | 75.7% | 73.5% | 76.5% | 79.3% |
| Professional fees | 6.3% | 10.3% | 12.3% | 10.0% | 9.2% |
| Occupancy | 9.4% | 9.5% | 7.9% | 6.0% | 5.0% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 7.2% | 4.5% | 6.3% | 7.6% | 6.4% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $353,375 | $417,734 | $465,430 | $607,499 | $719,713 |
| One month of savings | $29,024 | $34,517 | $37,847 | $49,516 | $59,569 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $5,486 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $387,885 | $452,251 | $503,277 | $657,015 | $779,282 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 4.3 | 1.6 | 3.7 | 1.5 | 0.9 |
| Months of cash and investments | 4.3 | 1.6 | 3.7 | 1.5 | 0.9 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 4.6 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 1.6 | -0.5 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $126,142 | $53,997 | $140,956 | $76,600 | $51,966 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $22,625 | $24,479 | $33,784 | $45,555 | $49,197 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 82.6% | 88.0% | 95.0% | 98.1% | 99.3% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 0.3% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 3.0% | 151.2% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total net assets | $136,492 | $62,692 | $147,238 | $80,466 | -$29,210 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Melinda Smith
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
HelpGuide
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
HelpGuide
Highest paid employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
HelpGuide
Board of directorsas of 01/23/2023
Board of directors data
Monika White
Shirley Fredricks
Monika White
Stephanie Milhalas
Liz Bremner
Janice Burrill
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
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- Contractor and/or Paid Preparer data for 2020, 2019, 2018
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