NAMI Dane County Pioneer NAMIWalks Edition September 2023

NAMI Dane County Staff

Special NAMIWalks Edition

In this Special NAMIWalks Edition of The Pioneer you will find information that will be helpful as you continue to fundraise and raise awareness about mental illness in Dane County.

Use this Special Edition as a guide to fundraising for NAMIWalks 2023 and beyond.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to our mission to provide education, support, and advocacy for people affected by mental illness in Dane County. We couldn’t do the work we do without your support.

Questions? Please email walk@namidanecounty.org

How do I use social media to fundraise for NAMIWalks?

Share your donation link on FB, IG, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. and encourage your friends to donate.

Share a “Why I Walk” post to tell your family and friends why you are passionate about raising money for NAMI Dane County.

Use hashtags to make sure your post reaches its intended audience The official NAMIWalks hashtags are:

#Together4MH

Easy social media posts to get you started

Last year, NAMI Dane County’s NAMIWalks was in the top 10 of all fundraisers in the whole United States! Help keep them in the top 10 this year by donating today!

NAMI Dane County provides support groups, education classes, and resources to our community - all at no cost. Funds raised through NAMIWalks allow NAMI Dane County to continue this great work. Can I count on your support?

NAMIWalks Highlights

Photos: Daniel Stout Photography, 2022

1 in 5 adults in the United States experience mental illness each year. NAMI Dane County provides education, support, and advocacy to people in our community affected by mental illness. Donate today!

Executive Director’s Corner

Halloween season is approaching and I’m going to say something scary ...

Let’s talk about Fundraising.

The very idea of asking for donations strikes fear in the hearts of many. Even seasoned fundraisers can feel

“Tell your story. Give hope. Raise awareness. Let others in our community know they are not alone.”

— Jeanne McLellan, NAMI Dane County Executive Director

apprehension from time to time when asking family, friends, colleagues, and community businesses and organizations for donations.

But, what if you shifted your mindset from “asking” to “telling”? There is a reason you are a member of NAMI Dane County. You have a passion for our mission and want to help. You realize that donations are the fuel that make this engine run. And that fuel allows us to offer all of our support, programs, and resources free to participants.

The story of NAMI Dane County is one of action. As the founding chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, our story is part of the fabric of this nation-wide movement to ensure that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives. We were founded when concerned families who had loved ones with severe and persistent mental illnesses saw a gap in services, organized, and they told their story.

So don’t ask; tell. Tell people why you are a member, why you are a volunteer, why you walk. Tell them about the support group you attended or the class you took and why it’s important to support NAMI

Dane County. Tell your story. Give hope. Raise awareness. Let others in our community know that they are not alone.

Your story is still being written. Give your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues the opportunity to be in the next chapters . . . of both our stories.

See you on October 7!

In Service, Jeanne McLellan

Jeanne McLellan, NAMI Dane County Executive Director

NAMI Dane County Staff Team

Why we Walk

The NAMI Dane County Staff Team has 100% staff participation in NAMIWalks.

“We raise money because we see firsthand how the work our organization does positively impacts our community.”

Each and every day we see the value of fulfilling our mission - providing support, education, and advocacy. Whether it’s taking resource or crisis calls in the office, connecting people with our support groups and education classes, talking to people at special events, speaking with lawmakers about the needs of the community, conducting crisis intervention train-

ing for law enforcement, or doing awareness presentations for local organizations and businesses - we are making sure that individuals who are affected by mental illness are getting the help they need and that we continue to build public awareness in an effort to break the stigma surrounding mental illness. We hope you will join us on October 7!

Jeanne McLellan, Julia Hyatt, Nicole McCue, Jamie Mulry, Sharon Rapnicki, Michelle Heitzinger, Heidi Hastings.

Photo: Daniel Stout Photography

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❍ Yes, I’d like to join or renew my membership with NAMI Dane County:

❍ $5 Open Door (low-income) ❍ $40 Individual ❍ $60 Household (includes all people in a single household)

❍ Yes, I want to support NAMI Dane County with the following gift:

❍ $250 ❍ $100 ❍ $50 ❍ $25 ❍ Other $ _____________

Name

(If purchasing a household membership, please write the names of all individuals in your household) Address

Is your donation being made in memory or in honor of someone special? If so, complete information below: In memory of: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

In honor of: _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Notification of my honorarium or memorial gift should be sent to (name and address):

Donors may be publicly acknowledged. ❍ Please check box if you prefer to remain anonymous.