NAMI Southern Arizona

Continue to provide no-cost advocacy, education and support programs for people with mental illness and their loved ones.
Develop diverse income streams that sustain programs and administrative structure, and creates opportunities for growth; we receive no government funding, our revenues are generated through grants and donations to maintain our programs at no cost
Establish a more competitive workforce which includes higher wages, and health and retirement benefits
Provide more opportunities for staff professional development
Hire and train people with mental illness or family members as staff and volunteers to assist others by sharing their lived experience. Currently 98% of our staff is a peer or family member, NAMI programs require that anyone teaching a peer program be a peer or a family program have a family member or loved one with mental illness.
Grow our Peer-to-Peer, Peer Leader and Peer Support Specialist trainings for individuals with mental illness focusing on recovery. Once the series is completed participants receive a State issued PSS Certificate which allows them to work in the mental heath field.
Reach more middle school and high school youth through our Ending the Silence program by training young people with mental illness to tell their story, know the warning signs and seek help early.

Research funding sources including using Foundation Search to focus on foundations that support Mental Health.
Write grants to sustain and grow our programs
Grow our annual NAMIWalks fundraising event to increase the funds raised and participants attending
Build our endowment fund over time to a level that annual spendable revenues cover most or all base operating expenses
Have readily available data that demonstrates the value and impact of the programs in fulfilling NAMI Southern Arizona’s mission
Build and increase diversity of our board of directors to represent their community and help us increase our ability to reach and provide services to our Hispanic, native American, black, Asian community members

The Executive Director has experience and success in raising funds through grants and working with donors.
We have a small but dedicated staff and many volunteers helping us maintain our programs and services, outreach efforts and fundraising events.
Board of Directors providing guidance and expertise

We had a clean financial audit and were able to secure grant funding and donations to allow us to pay off our building, and build our revenue reserves this year to establish a 6 month reserve.
We are currently building our Board of Directors and increasing diversity. We have recently updated our Board job description and application to include skills and diversity questions to help focus recruiting efforts on people who will strengthen the board of directors and support the organization more fully throughout the entire community.