This proposal was never submitted. In this case NAMI Texas was acting at the 501(c)(3) as the affiliate didn’t have this designation.

NAMI Texas and NAMI Sampleville

Proposal to the ABC Foundation, Inc.

September 26, 2011

ABC Foundation, Inc.

P.O. Box xx

Sampleville, TX

c/o John Smith

Dear Mr. Smith,

We are writing on behalf of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Texas to support local affiliate NAMI Sampleville’s efforts to improve the quality of life for people who are affected by mental illness. NAMI Sampleville reaches out to families, friends, and community members to build understanding for mental health concerns in the Sampleville and the surrounding counties. We are requesting $10,000 to maintain and enhance outreach efforts to people with mental illness and their families.

Who We Are

NAMI Samplevilleis a volunteer organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people affected by serious mental illness. We work to accomplish our mission by providing support and education to individuals and families, and the general public. We advocate for appropriate services and support research on mental illness. Our education classes, informational pamphlets, support groups, and all other material and services are available to everyone free of charge.

Organization History

NAMI Sampleville was founded in January 2005, as a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation and currently has approximately 50 paying members. The majority are local family members whose loved ones suffer from one of the major mental illnesses: bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or borderline personality disorder. Along with our 32 fellow affiliates across this state,NAMI Texas, and our national body,NAMI national, we are collectively recognized as the most formidable and effective grassroots mental health advocacy organization in the country.

Statement of Need

Texas faces a devastating shortage of mental health care professionals, especially in rural and impoverished urban areas. Consumers and their families in this state do not have universal, unimpeded access to the kind of quality care that creates the conditions for recovery. NAMI Texas and NAMI Samplevillework together to address the current crisis through advocacy, support, and consumer education. NAMI Texas has over 5,000 members made up of mental health consumers, family members, friends, and professionals. Its purpose is to help improve the lives of people affected by mental illness through education, support, and advocacy. We fight to eradicate stigma and erase misconceptions by reaching out to the general public as well.

The cost of inadequate mental health care to our society is staggering. A National Institute of Mental Health study found that mental health services are not meeting demand: “For instance, over a 12-month period, 60 percent of those with a mental disorder got no treatment at all.” The study showed that there was often a delay, sometimes over a decade, between onset of symptoms and accessing treatment. NAMI Texas recognizes the need for a concerted, coordinated effort to provide support and advocacy for everyone in the recovery process.

How NAMI Sampleville Helps

Information Phone Line

We operate a phone line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer questions during crisis situations and provide information on where to go for medical, financial assistance, and other related questions.

Consumer Support Groups

We host free bi-weekly support meetings for people with an illness in recovery.

Caretaker Support Group

We host free monthly support meeting following public meeting for Family members and others who live with a mental illness.

Library

We maintain a collection of books (over 100) for the public to check out on mental illness that are not in the local libraries.

Family to Family Classes

We offerfree 12 week class for Family members and others who live with a mental illness.

Monthly Public Meeting

We host free monthly meetings with guest professional speakers on mental illness followed by consumer and family member support group meetings.

Annual Community Breakfast

We coordinate an annual breakfast, where community leaders can gather to listen to an array of speakers, who draw attention to mental illness problems and call on the community to makechanges.

How NAMI Texas Helps SamplevilleCountyResidents

In order to keep our programs going, we need to train new volunteer facilitators. NAMI Sampleville and NAMI Texas are committed to providing high quality training and empowering our facilitators to their full potential. All of our educational programs are peer provided: family members and individuals with mental illness volunteer to teach and NAMI Texas coordinates the training so that they can be successful.

Each year NAMI Sampleville members benefit from NAMI Texas’ annual conference (locations vary) and other state-wide trainings. For example, past offerings have included “Connecting Faith Based and Mental Health Connections” in Longview and “Symposiums on Mental Health” at Texas Southern University (Houston).

NAMI Texas provides Board training and support, advice about improving our programs, a membership database, resources for our education programs, assists us with administrative support, and more. They provide fundraising and grant writing assistance for NAMI Sampleville—we could not have written this proposal without their help!

Annual Budget

NAMI Texas and NAMI Sampleville proposal to the ABCFoundationpage1

Annual Budget / Request
Postage / 2,400 / 1,100
Fliers / 3,000 / 1,280
Family to Family Training Materials / 900 / 410
Office Supplies / 2,500 / 1,150
Outreach Pamphlets / 1,200 / 550
Annual Conference Attendance
Travel Cost / 250 / 115
Motel Expenses / 1,500 / 790
Training / 2,000 / 920
NAMI Texas Affiliate Support (.1 FTE) / 4,540 / 2,085
NAMI Texas Affiliate Support: Travel / 1,500 / 690
Administrative Costs / 9,790 / 910
Total / 19,580 / 10,000

NAMI Sampleville expects the need for funds to continue. Since mental health issues touch so many lives, we have a strong base of community support and benefit from a strong contingent of dedicated volunteers, as demonstrated by the story of Ann Brown, founder of NAMI Sampleville:

It took a horrible event in my own family for me to understand that we, as a community, have a problem that is not being addressed properly. After writing a letter to the editor in our local newspaper, I was contacted by theExecutive Director of our local MHMR to discuss the problem I had with the way our localhospital treated my loved one at the ER. The Director told me about NAMI and asked if I wanted to go to a Convention in San Antonio that was taking place in the Fall of 2004. I said I would love to do anything to find out how to help and learn more about mental illness. This conference was soinformative and educational about mental illness I was absolutely amazed. The professionals and other folks were the most compassionate people I haveever been around, and I found a home of understanding and a group of wonderful people I could talk to. They actually understood me. I started our affiliate here in Sampleville, with the help of my local MHMR, in February of 2005and have been refusing to give up since then. Without NAMI, I would not have made it and I know my loved one would not be here. NAMI Sampleville provides a community mutual support and understanding, which is crucial in the process of recovery.

Thank you in advance for your kind consideration.

Sincerely,

Ann Brown

Affiliate President, NAMI Sampleville

(111) 111-1111

NAMI Texas and NAMI Sampleville proposal to the ABCFoundationpage1