March National Call�March 11, 2026

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.

NAMIWalks �Team Introductions

Agenda

• Morgan’s Monthly Memo
• March 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

Morgan’s Monthly Memo

A New Section

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

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Morgan’s Monthly Memo

Development Training on March 12

• Securing Your Mission: Compliance Strategies for Modern Fundraising
• 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT/11 a.m. MT/10 a.m. PT for 60 minutes
• Join to learn:
• Compliance essentials: registration, reporting, and disclosure requirements for nonprofits, including when multistate registration may be required and how to evaluate compliance for online fundraising activities.
• Third-Party Oversight: legal considerations when using paid consultants or external platforms.
• Volunteer Management: how to mitigate risk when supporters and volunteers fundraise on your behalf.

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March Planning Timeline

March 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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March 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 Spring United Day of Hope (May 16)

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March Planning Timeline

March 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

Walk Managers Facebook Group

Walk Managers Facebook Group

Join for additional networking opportunities with other NAMIWalks Walk Managers!

We encourage you to

share ideas and

ask questions!

Recruitment Best Practices

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!

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!)

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!

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

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

Recruitment and �Retention Panel

Kathleen Kilbourne

NAMIWalks Vermont

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Olivia Heffernan

NAMIWalks San Mateo

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Next Meeting

Next Meeting

NAMIWalks April Spring National Call

April 1, 2026�1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT/11 a.m. MT/10 a.m. PT/9 a.m. AKDT

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