The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation is a 3-star charity. It has above average disclosure with a B+ results reporting grade. It holds reserves within Ci’s reasonable range. For every dollar donated to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation, 60 cents are available to go to the cause.

Founded in 1988, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation is the fundraising arm for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Ontario. CAMH is the largest mental health and addiction hospital in Canada. In the fiscal year ending March 2026 (F2026), CAMH recorded 16,929 emergency department visits, 5,064 rTMS appointments (non-invasive brain stimulation for hard-to-treat mental illnesses), and 321 virtual urgent care appointments.

The charity reports that one in five Canadians experiences a mental illness each year. Mental illness and substance use disorders are among the leading causes of disability in the country. Suicide claims roughly 4,000 lives annually, nearly 11 per day. Demand for care is outpacing supply: in January 2020, 28,000 children and youths were on waiting lists for mental health treatment, more than double the number in 2017.

The charity directs grants to CAMH across five areas: Capital and Redevelopment, Research, Programs, Education, and Public Awareness. Based on actual cash spending, Ci calculates that the charity granted $126.5m in F2026. Of this, $126.0m went to CAMH and $562k went to other qualified donees.

Capital and Redevelopment is CAMH Foundation’s largest program, accounting for 86% of grant disbursements in F2026. CAMH is amid a 20-year redevelopment plan. The charity is in the fourth and final phase. This phase involves the construction of two new buildings on its Queen Street campus, one focused on research and one focused on care for patients with severe mental illness. The research building, the Temerty Discovery Centre, will house CAMH's research operations and is expected to open by Summer 2027. The patient care building, Waverley House, will provide care for patients with severe mental illness who have come into contact with the legal system. Waverley House is expected to open in 2029.

Research accounted for 12% of grant disbursements in F2026. The foundation funds mental health research in three areas: Population Health and Community Transformation; Community Addiction and Mental Health Research & Evaluation; and Health Outcomes and Performance Evaluation. In F2026, the charity highlighted research breakthroughs in magnetic seizure therapy for treatment-resistant depression, cognitive interventions to slow dementia progression, and integrated community-based care models for youth mental health. In F2026, CAMH published 1,287 peer-reviewed articles and ran 199 active clinical trials.

Outreach, which consists of Education, Programs, and Public Awareness, accounted for 2% of grant disbursements in F2026. Grants support training for health professionals, patient and family education, and public awareness initiatives. In F2026, CAMH reached 57,478 continuing professional development learners, hosted 1,425 patients and family members across 42 webinars, and supported 1,970 student rotations.

In F2026, CAMH Foundation earned $91.7m in revenue. It received $67.4m in donations and special events revenue (73% of total revenue) and $24.4m in investment income (27% of total revenue).

CAMH Foundation spent $126.5m on grants in F2026. It recorded a $61.8m deficit, meaning the charity dipped into its funding reserves, and spent $55k on capital projects

CAMH Foundation reports administrative and fundraising costs combined. Fundraising and administrative costs are 40% of revenue. For every dollar donated to the charity, 60 cents are available to go to the cause. This is outside of Ci’s reasonable range.

CAMH Foundation has $250.7m in reserve funds (cash and investments). The charity has $31.8m in donor-endowed funds. Excluding donor-endowed funds, the charity’s reserves can cover 175%, or one year and nine months of its annual program costs.

CAMH Foundation’s $250.7m in cash and investments returned $24.4m, at a return of 9%. Over the past five years, the charity's cash and investments returned an average of 6%.

In F2025, CAMH Foundation paid external fundraisers $7.1m to raise $3.7m. The cost to raise a dollar using external fundraisers is 52 cents. It is likely cheaper to donate to CAMH Foundation through its website than through external fundraisers.

This charity update has been sent to CAMH Foundation for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming. Updated by Nick Reszetnik on June 29, 2026.