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July National Call�July 8, 2026

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Housekeeping

The meeting is being recorded! The slide deck and recording will be added to the

Walk Manager Resource Center within a week.

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Put your questions in the chat throughout the presentation! We will answer them in the chat or live at the end.

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The content of this presentation is for licensed NAMIWalks events only, but can be shared with board members, volunteers, and other local NAMI Staff.

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NAMIWalks �Team Introductions

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Agenda

  • Morgan’s Monthly Memo
    • Presented by Alyssa
  • July Planning Timeline
  • Walk Manager Facebook Group
  • Recruitment Best Practices

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  • Using DonorDrive for Retention
  • Recruitment and Retention Panel
  • Next Meeting
  • Q&A

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Morgan’s Monthly Memo

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Morgan’s Monthly Memo

A New Section

  • From the mind of the NAMIWalks Lead
  • Will feature a variety of topics each month
  • July:
    • Upcoming Development Training!

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Morgan’s Monthly Memo

Development Training on August 6

  • Engaging Generations in Fundraising
  • 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT/11 a.m. MT/10 a.m. PT for 90 minutes
  • Hosted by the Lily Family School of Philanthropy
  • Join to:
    • Delve into the unique characteristics and preferences of the young adult donor, exploring how to connect with them effectively.
    • Learn about the platforms, messaging, and engagement techniques that resonate with millennials and younger audiences.
    • Discover ways to involve younger donors in your mission, from social media campaigns to volunteer opportunities and understand the importance of fostering relationships early.
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Morgan’s Monthly Memo

Development Training on August 6

  • Complete the RSVP form found in the chat to join!
  • Please hold the time on your calendar upon completing the form. The Fundraising School will send the Zoom invitation to join the week of the training.

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July Planning Timeline

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July Planning Timeline

Planning Timeline

A comprehensive, step-by-step roadmap that outlines key tasks, milestones, and suggested due dates for NAMIWalks event planning. It provides a clear sequence of activities, organized by category, to guide Walk Managers through the entire planning cycle. The Planning Timeline helps Walk Managers stay on track, prioritize effectively, and complete essential tasks at the right time. It also supports strong recruitment, sponsorship success, and a smooth event day.

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July Planning Timeline

Planning Timeline

  • Available on the Walk Manager Resource Center
  • Includes tasks with suggested due dates tailored to your Walk date
  • Organized as a “Master Agenda” with tabbed sections by planning category

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  • Features progress-tracking columns to help monitor completion
  • Offered in two versions: one for established events and �one for first-year events
  • Aligned to the Fall United Day of Hope (October 10)

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July Planning Timeline

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July Planning Timeline

What Are Ongoing Tasks?

  • No set due date — completed throughout the Walk season
  • May be completed multiple times throughout your season

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Why are they Important?

  • Although these tasks may be small, the more you do them the bigger impact your event will have

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Walk Managers Facebook Group

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Walk Managers Facebook Group

Join for additional networking opportunities with other NAMIWalks Walk Managers!

We encourage you to

share ideas and

ask questions!

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Recruitment Best Practices

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Recruitment Best Practices

Why Recruitment Matters

Recruitment is essential to the growth and success of your event. While returning walkers and teams are the foundation of our events, reaching new people increases sustainability, builds momentum and continues to spread our message.

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Reminder: All NAMIWalks events are different, one size does not fit all! One form of recruitment that may work one of event, may not work for all!

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Recruitment Best Practices

When Recruiting for NAMIWalks Make Sure To:

  • Lead with mission. Share NAMI’s impact to potential participants so they understand what they’re supporting.
  • Offer lunch and learns. Partner with schools, community groups, corporate organizations to host short presentations.
  • Show the impact of fundraising. Connect every dollar to NAMI’s mission showing how funds support free programs, education and advocacy.
  • Offer Challenges. Encourage teammates to recruit one new team each. (Promotes recognition!)

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Recruitment Best Practices

When Recruiting for NAMIWalks Make Sure To:

  • Year Round Cultivation. Keep NAMIWalks visible beyond Walk Season with ongoing community touchpoints so recruitment feels natural.
  • Ambassadors Program. Find individuals who are passionate about NAMIWalks who can help serve as “recruitment ambassadors.”
  • Local Business Tie-Ins. Partner with local businesses that can help with a dine-to-donate or a give-back night. �

The more visibility you have in your community the more success you will have!

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Tips for Recruiting New Teams and Participants �Ways to recruit new teams and participants and introduce them to NAMIWalks.

  • Provides in person and virtual options on how to recruit people to help move the NAMIWalks mission forward.
  • From corporate outreach and community tabling events to individual coaching these ideas meet your capacity needs.
  • On the WMRC in the “Community Outreach” section.

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Using DonorDrive for Retention

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Using DonorDrive for Retention

DonorDrive

Use your event data to identify, prioritize, and re-engage past participants:

  • Lapsed Participant Report. Pull this report to identify past walkers and teams who haven’t yet registered and use it to guide personalized outreach and re-engagement.
  • Event Insights. Review trends and data to prioritize where to focus your retention efforts.
  • Automated Retention Emails. DonorDrive only sends scheduled retention messages to last year’s participants, so additional outreach is key for multi-year lapsed walkers.�

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Lapsed Participant Report �A step by step guide needed to pull your lapsed participants.

  • Lapsed Reports will cover who attended your event the year prior but have yet to return.
  • Reports will only go back one year, if you would like multiple years of lapsed participants, you will have to pull multiple reports.

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Using DonorDrive for Retention

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Recruitment and �Retention Panel

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Liz Kepniss

NAMIWalks Mercer County

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Olivia Heffernan

NAMIWalks San Mateo

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Next Meeting

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Next Meeting

NAMIWalks August Fall National Call

August 5, 2026�2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. CT/12:30 p.m. MT/

11:30 a.m. PT/10:30 a.m. AKDT

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