The Purpose of the Four Events that Make Up the NAMIWalks Program

Walk Managers are often asked - why are there four events that make up the NAMIWalks program? The simple answer is that we want to keep you - our sponsors, team captains, walkers and volunteers - inspired and informed about the program and the great work NAMI is providing in your community. Each event has its own purpose and importance to the NAMIWalk program, so I thought I would breakdown the concept/reason behind the events.

• Walk Information Meeting - We begin the NAMIWalk season with the Walk Information Meeting. This event is to announce the NAMIWalk date, goals and our plans to make the upcoming Walk FUN! We also discuss how the funds from the previous Walk benefited NAMI’s mission. We invite previous sponsors, team captains, key walkers and volunteers, as well as other people in the community who want to get involved with NAMI and the Walk.

• Team Captain Kick-Off Luncheon - The Walk Information Meeting is followed by the Team Captain Kick-Off Luncheon. The Luncheon serves as a training session for our registered team captains and those interested in becoming a captain. During this event we do discuss the importance of the Walk program, but we really concentrate on training our team captains on how to form successful teams and providing them the tools to become better coaches and fundraisers.

• Walk Day – The actual Walk Day is held about 6 to 8 weeks after the Team Captain Kick-Off Luncheon! This is the day we celebrate the hard work that has been done during the Walk season. For months we have been steadily raising funds and spreading awareness about NAMI, so now we get to relax and enjoy entertainment, food and a leisurely walk with family and friends. This is our time to have FUN and reflect on what we’ve accomplished!

• Post-Walk Awards Celebration - Shortly after Walk Day, we like to host our Post-Walk Awards Celebration. At this event we bring sponsors, team captains, key volunteers and walkers who raised over $250 together to thank them for their support and dedication to the event and to NAMI. We also announce the total amount of funds raised though the event and how we plan to use the funding, as well as recognize our sponsors and top fundraising teams and walkers. This event closes the Walk season, but the new Walk season will be starting soon!

I hope this gives you a better understanding of the NAMIWalks program and why we host four events during the Walk season. As you can see, each event has an important purpose and provides the next step in making the Walk a great success! Here’s a picture of a trio performing at a Team Captain Kick-Off Luncheon (we like to incorporate FUN into all of our events)!

  

Keeping NAMIWalk Teams Engaged Throughout the Year!

NAMIWalk teams shouldn't get together only once a year to walk in the NAMIWalk; instead they should get together many times during the year! As a group, the team members should host FUN activities and gatherings so team members stay engaged and keep the momentum going. Hosting year-round happenings will help teams to grow and friendships to blossom, so when it comes time to walk in the NAMIWalk, the team will be excited and ready to raise funds and awareness!

Teams can host monthly or bi-monthly gatherings, such as:

Breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner at someone's home or at a restaurant

A night at the movies

Game/movie night at someone’s home

Attend a sporting event

Visit a museum

Take a bus trip to a FUN destination

Host a happy hour

Attend a theatrical performance or concert

Have a picnic or barbeque

Host a poetry night

Take a walk through a park

Take an exercise class

A trip to the beach or lake

The ideas are endless!

Team captains don’t always have to host each event; instead the team members can take turns. Remember, a team that plays together, not only stays together, but also raises more money and awareness together!

Host a Virtual NAMIWalk!

We understand that some of you, our NAMI supporters, don't live close to an actual NAMIWalk and it can be difficult for you to participate in the event. However, we have now made it possible for you to participate!!! We know how important NAMI is to you and your community and how you want to help raise funds to support our crucial programs and services. Now, you can by becoming a NAMIWalk virtual walker and/or team!

To participate as a virtual walker and/or team, find the closest NAMIWalk to you on the NAMIWalks’ website and simply register for that Walk. After you register you can start asking family, friends, colleagues to join your team and/or to support your virtual walk efforts.  

NAMI affiliates can also participate in the virtual walk and raise funds to benefit their programs and services! To get started, an affiliate leader needs to contact the Walk Manager of the closest NAMIWalks franchise holder and register as an affiliate participant. Once registered as an official affiliate participant, the affiliate can create a team page and have its members join the team and create personal walker pages on the NAMIWalks’ website. Official virtual affiliate participants receive 50% of the funds they collect through the program, while the NAMIWalks franchise holder keeps the remaining 50% to cover administrative fees.

Even though you might not be participating in the Walk like a traditional participant, your dedication to the event is just as important! Like actual walkers and team captains, you’re also spreading awareness about NAMI each time you ask a family and friend to virtually walk on your team or to make a contribution toward your Walk efforts. Plus the money you raise will ensure NAMI has the necessary funds to host the crucial programs and services we provide in your local community.

Although the virtual participants might not be attending the actual NAMIWalk that doesn’t mean you and your team members can’t get together and celebrate your hard work of raising funds and spreading awareness. Virtual teams and walkers can decide to meet at a designated park and walk, host a party or a picnic, etc. Think of something FUN for the group to do to celebrate!!!

Don’t let boundaries hold you back from raising awareness and funds for your NAMI, become a virtual walker today!   

  

"Out of the Box" Ways to FUNdraise!

We want you to have FUN while FUNdraising for NAMIWalks! Of course you will want to ask your family, friends and colleagues to support you through traditional methods – face-to-face, over the phone or online social networks, sending letters or emails, etc. However, you can also use out of the box FUNdraising tactics to raise money!  

There are plenty of events and small FUNdraisers you can host prior to the Walk and raise money toward your Walk goal! If you’re a team captain, you can round up the troops and host a larger event! Here are some ideas:

• ·         Host a special brunch and invite friends and family for a small fee.

• ·         Host a movie night party and pick a certain word, maybe WALK, and every time someone says the word they have to put a dollar in a jar. The money collected in the jar will be donated to NAMIWalks.

• ·         Host a special exercise class - Zumba, yoga, kick-boxing, etc. - and the fee charged to take the class will be donated to the NAMIWalk.

• ·         Walkers who are great bakers can hold a raffle for one of their donors to win a cake or a baked good! A walker can decide on an amount, such as $10.00, and every time a friend donates the selected amount to the walker, he/she will give the donor a ticket and enter the person into a raffle. At the end of the Walk season, the walker will pick the winning ticket and prepare a delectable item for the person!

• ·         Host a yard/garage sale and have the proceeds benefit your Walk efforts.

• ·         Host a guest bartending night at a local restaurant or establishment and have the tips from the evening benefit NAMIWalks.

• ·         Host a bake sale or a dessert auction at your office or school.

• ·         Host a car wash at your office or school!

These are just a few out of the box FUNdraising ideas, as well as some great team building projects! Have FUN with your family, friends and NAMIWalk team mates with coming up with other FUN ways to FUNdraise!

Corporate and Small Business Sponsors Make NAMIWalks a Great Success!

All of our NAMIWalks depend on the sponsorships we receive through small businesses and corporations. The support from these entities provide the necessary funding to offset the expenses for executing a Walk, allowing the majority of donations raised by our walkers to go toward our programs and services for individuals living with mental illness and their loved ones.

Sponsorships range from $250 to $15,000 and each one makes a difference to the success of the Walk. We are proud to have so many small businesses and corporations support NAMI’s efforts. Without the support of the business community, we wouldn’t be able to provide a family-friendly event that brings people together to celebrate the hard work they have accomplished in raising funds and awareness during the weeks and months leading up to the day of celebration.

Why would corporations and small businesses want to sponsor a NAMIWalks event? In addition to receiving great benefits like signage at the event and having their name/logo on the back of the official Walk t-shirt, they know their sponsorship is making a difference in their communities. Many companies’ realize that some of their employees and/or their employees’ loved ones are benefiting from the crucial programs NAMI provides, and they want to have those services continue and expand. The business community understands the importance of NAMI and they want to get behind an organization that is assisting Americans across the country to live better lives and end the stigma around mental illness.

Ultimately, corporations and small businesses know the importance of having NAMI in their communities and the hardship it would cause to so many people if NAMI ceased to exist.  If you work for a company or you own a business, please consider sponsoring your local NAMIWalks and know that that support will improve many lives.

Why Do We Walk?

Why do we walk? Why is it important for us to walk? We must keep asking ourselves these questions, because the answers will keep us motivated during the 2013 Walk season.

Some of us walk because we are successfully living in recovery and we want others to have the same opportunity, to live prosperous and happy lives while managing their mental illness. We know the positive impact NAMI’s programs and services have had on our road to recovery and we want others to have the same positive experiences. Some of us walk to support people who have not or may not ever achieve recovery, but push onward and live with persistent mental illness every day.

Some of us walk because we have loved ones who live in recovery and we know how important it is for both them and us to have access to NAMI’s crucial programs and services. We know how we benefited from programs and services like Family-to-Family and NAMI Family Support Groups and we know others can also improve their lives by attending these and NAMI’s other exceptional programs. We know that through our participation in the Walk, these programs will continue to be available for those family members and friends who are dealing with similar situations that we face every day.

We know that if we don’t walk, NAMI won’t have the funds to maintain its current education programs and support groups and continue to explore new and innovative ways to help individuals living with mental illness and their loved ones. We know how important NAMI is in our communities and without the funds and awareness we raise through the Walk, NAMI will be unable to support the thousands of individuals they touch every day, like my loved ones and me. 

 

Although the Walk is a FUN event, it’s also the lifeline to keep NAMI afloat and capable of improving lives and ending the stigma around mental illness. Remember not only why we walk, but why YOU walk.

Using Online Social Networks to Promote Your Walk Efforts and to Raise Money!

Everyone is pressed for time. You have your family, job, boards and committees all vying for your attention, so asking people to join your Walk Team and/or to donate to your Walk efforts sometimes falls to the bottom of your to-do list. However, using online social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Linked In) is a fast, free and easy way to let your family and friends know that you are participating in the NAMI Walk.

Through status updates and tweets you can send a message to many people in minutes. You can use the networks to encourage friends to join your Walk Team and or to sponsor you as a walker. Posting pictures from previous NAMI Walks and of your previous Walk Teams on your pages is a FUN way to inspire people to participate in your Walk efforts. Like they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words!”

 

Send multiple messages – the first one should state what inspired you to walk and why NAMI’s important to you. Follow that one up with messages about: how much FUN you had at last year’s Walk and this year’s Walk is going to be even better, how the money you raised last year helped to support NAMI’s mission to provide crucial programs and services for people with mental illness living in your area, and how it’s important for everyone to get involved with the Walk to ensure all people have the resources they need to maintain their recovery.

Remember whenever you are creating a message regarding the Walk include a link to your Team/Walk page, so people can easily access the information to join your team or to make a contribution. You don’t want them to have to do a lot of research. Make it easy for them! After someone responds to your request -- joins your team or makes you a contribution -- thank them on your page!

Have FUN using your online social networks! You’ll be surprised by how many people will support you!

Make your New Year's Resolution Count!

Get a fresh start this year by resolving to take care of your mental health! NAMI provides resources to help educate society in recognizing mental illness and reducing the associated stigma. NAMI can help you reach your goal of obtaining a balanced mind by offering motivation in a variety of ways. One great way to stay inspired is to join NAMIWalks. Did you know that NAMIWalks is the largest and most successful mental illness event in the United States? By registering and fundraising for a walk, you can help the 27 million people living with mental illness as well as their families. Help erase stigma and encourage others to seek help by signing up for a local NAMI walk!

Get Started

• Log on to http://www.namiwalks.org/ and follow these easy registration tips!
• Set a goal and fund raise through social media: Use Twitter , Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media outlets to help spread the word about your walk!
• Email the link to your Walker Webpage to friends, co-workers, and family to encourage others to join.
• Utilize the Fundraising Kit here to get more ideas on local sponsors, sample fundraising letters and more.
• Start walking!

Which local NAMI walk will you join in the New Year? Join the conversation on Twitter & Facebook!

 

YEAR END THOUGHTS

We came across the following piece the other day in a newsletter from Benevon, an organization committed to sustainable funding for non-profits. Let us know what you think. 

Ten Tips for Staying Sane While Fundraising this Holiday Season

Dreading the holidays? You are not alone. Rather than falling prey to the slippery slope of holiday overwhelm and busy-work, follow these top ten tips for mastering the season while developing long-term relationships with your supporters.

1)     Remember that people are especially generous around the holidays. Take the time now—before the holidays—to make a list of donors you have been cultivating all year. Plan to see each of them over the holidays, either individually or in small groups, to thank them for their past giving, tell them what their gifts have allowed you to do, and—if appropriate—ask them to give again this year. Think of every one of these meetings as a cultivation contact.

2)     Keep a list of all the cultivation contacts you are having. You will quickly see that you can give yourself credit for many phone calls, e-mails, and events you were going to be having anyway. Knowing you will be adding names to your list will remind you to slow down and listen to people, rather than just pushing through your agenda. You might even hear how they'd like to help you more!

3)     Play a game this holiday season to see how many new friends you can make for your organization. Keep a list of the new people who come your way and get excited about your work. Tell them you would like to follow up with them in January to have them come in for a tour.

4)     Missionize everything! Figure out how you can insert your mission into each occasion. Have the annual holiday card include a story or letter from a client or family member, have an alumni speaker at the open house, and have a volunteer at every event tell why they are personally involved with you. Wherever possible, capture people's names (with their permission) and invite them to upcoming Point of Entry Events.

5)     Remember that people are more sentimental at the holidays. You can be a little sappier, and they will respond to the emotion. Let yourself get caught up in the spirit of the season. Ask your program staff to provide you with some new client stories you can be telling over the holidays. Odds are, just hearing the stories will reconnect you to the mission. While you're at it, remember to use this as an occasion to thank your program staff for all they have done to support you all year.

6)     Saying thank you "counts" as a cultivation contact, so long as you do it personally and genuinely. Make a list of all the people you want to thank—donors, volunteers, staff—and figure out the most personal way to do that. For some, it will be a handwritten note on the holiday card, for others it will be homemade cookies with a note from a client dropped off at their door, and for others it will be a nice holiday lunch with the person on your team who would mean the most to them.

7)     Capture everything in your database. Things can get moving pretty fast, and before you know it, a week has gone by and you haven't tracked that great conversation you had with a donor last Monday. Allow an hour at the end of each day just to regroup, enter your notes into your tracking system, and plan for tomorrow.

8)     Take care of yourself. Make a list of the five people in your work who make you feel great when you're around them—donors, staff, volunteers—and be sure to schedule in time with each of them over the holidays.

9)    During the last week of the year, if you're lucky enough to have it off, enjoy! Take a well-deserved break and recharge your battery for next year. If you will be in the office, use the time to catch up on the stacks of work that may have landed in the corner or on the floor, to be tackled "later." Clear the decks so you are set to start the year refreshed. Treat yourself to a special lunch or coffee meeting with one of your favorite colleagues or donors each day that week.

On December 21st, stop and take stock. Close your door and put on the "do not disturb" sign.  Make lists of your proudest accomplishments and greatest regrets of the year. Share that list at a year-end celebration with your team.   

Toast to their commitment and dedication—and yours!