Though the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission with their respective branches, are distinct legal entities, they are closely related, inasmuch as the Governing Body of the Mission is made up of the Trustees of the Math; the administrative work of the Mission is mostly in the hands of the monks of the Ramakrishna Math, and both have their Headquarters at Belur Math, Dt. Howrah, West Bengal – 711 202, India.

The Math organization is constituted under a trust with well defined rules of procedure. The Mission is a registered society. Though both the organizations take up charitable and philanthropic activities, the former lays emphasis on religion and preaching, while the latter is wedded mainly to welfare services undertaken with a spiritual outlook.