2017 ANNUAL REPORT ABOUT
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation’s leading voice on mental health. Today, NAMI unites the power of thousands of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers to realize our mission.
NAMI works to inspire a move away from illness, stigma and ignorance toward brighter days filled with hope, health and recovery. The hope we found is the hope we give.
2017 Mental HealthUTKARSH AMBUDKAR Month engaged an audience of 42,401 resulting in 17,537,263 impressionsSnapshot Co-hosted an gained AJ MENDEZ BROOKS engaged an audience of 110,754 resulting& in 38,881,550 impressions events with AMBASSADORS event with UTKARSH AMBUDKAR engaged an Women’s Health 2,179 3,444 1,837 audience of magazine NEW FOLLOWERS NEW LIKES NEW FANS resulting in watched by 5,771 80% growth in May 17,537,263 Resulting in more than 6 MILLION impressions CO-HOSTED the third annual impressions on NAMI’s social channels. AJ MENDEZ BROOKS engaged an TOP INSTAGRAM HASHTAGS: audience of 110,754 #mentalhealthmonth: 15,422 posts resulting in luncheon in L.A. with #intomentalhealth: 1,257 posts more #stigmafree: 19,901 posts 38,881,550 than100 impressions influencers as guests NAMI Ambassadors, StigmaFree Company and Brand Partners amplified our messages and drove action: Resulting in nearly EMBRACED 180,000+ VIEWS OF 117 MILLION as the charity of choice for May impressions totaling more than a Beartooth’s “Sick of The Fox/NAMI PSA aired more than Me” video on YouTube $750,000 times and sales of t-shirts contribution in social currency on Facebook, 1,500contibuting $350,000 benefit NAMI with Twitter and Instagram and more than in in-kind value. $5,000+ contribution. $700,000 social currency on Tumblr. Increased awareness contributed to a 20% increase Other NAMI supporters joined in resulting in an $ in online giving for Mental Health Month compared to the additional 2 MILLION impressions. same month in 2016.
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The individuals who came together almost 40 years class for families and friends supporting someone in ago to found NAMI envisioned a powerful advocacy crisis, and we built a portal that makes searching for force that would expand access to mental health the nearest free NAMI program or support group easier services and supports. Our organization’s innumerable and faster. successes in 2017 show considerable progress in realizing that goal and of course, we still have far to go. Looking to the future, we plan to continue moving forward with an agenda for greater access to care for In early 2017, Congress debated whether to cut those with the greatest needs. I am proudly serving $900 billion from the Medicaid budget, potentially on the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness devastating access to mental health care for those Coordinating Committee as one of 14 nonfederal with the most significant needs. One of the proudest members. NAMI will use this committee’s 2017 moments of my 20-year career was looking out over recommendations to fight for proactive change and 1,000 NAMI advocates ready to board buses to Capitol improvements for those we serve. Hill to tell their senators how these cuts would affect them and the people they love. One young man with We will also continue to champion expanded access schizophrenia told his story for the first time that day to early psychosis programs to improve outcomes for directly to his senator, who took the time to listen and young people. We also plan to continue our partnership understand the impact this legislation would have on with the Broad Institute, the National Institute of his life. Mental Health, industry and academia to advance research into new treatments. Most importantly, NAMI NAMI members and advocates didn’t stop after Hill will continue to be a beacon of hope for people with Day, though. We went on to send close to 200,000 mental illness and their families. emails to lawmakers. And we used our partnerships with law enforcement and veterans’ groups to show the We are holding true to our roots in building distressing effects insufficient care has on communities our advocacy force, while using new tools and and on those who have served our country. technologies to reach more people in need. With these two pieces working hand-in-hand, we can bring the If you consider all the individuals and groups who hallmarks of NAMI—help and hope—to millions more. fought against these cuts as an army, our founders Our work is far from done, but looking back on last would have been proud of the size, strength and year, we fought hard, and I know we still have a lot of training of the NAMI division. fight left.
We fought to improve the lives of millions affected by mental illness not only as a strong, unified force, but also as a technologically savvy team. Because 2017 was also a pivotal moment for NAMI using new tools Mary Giliberti, J.D. to help people in need. For example, we worked with NAMI Chief Executive Officer Google to reach those struggling with depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. We also piloted a new
2 2017HIGHLIGHTS
BUILD A
Broadening public awareness Movementand inclusion Lokai, a socially responsible lifestyle brand, sponsored NAMI for a month in 2017 via their Limited-Edition Orange Lokai bracelet. Using their influence, this NAMI and Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nation’s popular brand spread our During National Minority Mental Health oldest sorority founded by African-American message of hope and Awareness Month, NAMI highlighted the women, have worked together since 2015 on inspiration over social reality of living with mental illness in diverse our shared goal of raising awareness of mental media with messages such communities. Our blog featured a dozen illness in the African-American community. In as: “Don’t walk through articles and personal essays that confronted 2017, Alpha Kappa Alpha had a record-breaking your toughest day alone. stigma and raised awareness of this 1,400 walkers participate in NAMIWalks, raising We’re in this together.” important topic. an incredible $114,000.