The Ramakrishna Mission stands alongside the Ramakrishna Math as part of a single spiritual movement with two complementary faces: one primarily monastic and contemplative, the other primarily engaged in organized service to society. Though legally distinct, they share the same headquarters at Belur Math near Kolkata and are guided by the same senior monastic leadership, so that spiritual ideals and practical activities remain harmoniously aligned. The Math focuses on spiritual practice and the training of monks, while the Mission channels that inner discipline into education, medical work, relief, and other charitable undertakings. This dual structure reflects an attempt to hold together renunciation and service, interior realization and outward compassion, within one coherent institutional life.

Governance is centered in a monastic hierarchy that combines spiritual authority with administrative responsibility. At the apex stands the President, the spiritual head of the Order, traditionally a senior monk who also presides over the Mission and the Math. He is supported by Vice-Presidents and a Governing Body composed of senior monks, which, together with a Board of Trustees, oversees major policies, financial management, and the overall direction of the movement. A General Secretary functions as the chief executive, handling day-to-day administration, assisted by Assistant or Joint Secretaries and other officers such as a Treasurer. In this way, the leadership remains firmly in the hands of those committed to the renunciant ideal, even as they shoulder the burdens of institutional management.

The worldwide network of centers expresses this centralized vision in many local forms. Each branch—whether an ashrama, temple, school, or hospital—is headed by a senior monk appointed from the center, who serves as the local spiritual and administrative head. These centers have managing or advisory committees and enjoy a measure of autonomy in handling local activities, yet they are expected to adhere closely to the principles, policies, and discipline laid down at Belur Math. Monks (sannyasins) and novices (brahmacharins) constitute the core membership and hold the key offices, while lay devotees and workers participate in service and support roles without determining doctrinal or spiritual policy. Through this arrangement, the Mission seeks to preserve a unified spiritual ethos while allowing diverse forms of service to unfold in different cultural and social settings.

Underlying the formal structure is an ethos of collective, monastic leadership and consultation. Senior monks meet to frame policy, appoint or transfer heads of centers, and decide on significant financial and institutional matters, aiming at consensus and guided by seniority and shared ideals. Individual centers maintain financial accountability through audited accounts and are subject to central oversight, yet they also manage their own day-to-day operations in a spirit of responsible stewardship. The entire framework can be seen as an attempt to embody the teachings of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda in institutional form: a disciplined order of renunciants who, while rooted in contemplative life, organize themselves carefully so that their service to the world may be both spiritually grounded and practically effective.