The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a grassroots organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness through education, support, advocacy, and community. Community has long been central to NAMI’s identity, making it a natural foundation for strengthening relationships with some of its most committed donors.
39%
revenue growth
42%
active donors
24%
upgraded giving
The Situation
Like many nonprofits, NAMI had invested heavily in growing its broad-based fundraising efforts while building meaningful relationships with major donors. In between those two groups sat an important audience: donors making significant annual contributions who were deeply committed to the mission, but receiving a donor experience that had not evolved alongside the rest of the program.
For years, NAMI’s giving society, the Leadership Alliance, served this audience. While the program had a loyal donor base, there was an opportunity to create a more intentional strategy for engagement, stewardship, and donor growth. The organization wanted to better connect with supporters giving between annual fund and major gift levels while creating a stronger pathway for long-term donor development.
At the same time, NAMI was seeing a broader trend emerge across its donor file. Smaller donor participation was declining, while major gift performance was becoming less predictable. Mid-level donors represented an opportunity to bring greater stability to the program while strengthening the pipeline for future growth.
The Work
The first step was redefining the donor experience.
Together, NAMI and AGP reimagined the existing Leadership Alliance program and introduced a new identity: the Compassion Collective. The new name, visual identity, and messaging were designed to better reflect NAMI’s mission, values, and donor community.
Rather than positioning membership around exclusivity, the Compassion Collective emphasized belonging. Members received exclusive communications, invitations to special events, welcome materials, opportunities to engage with NAMI leadership, and increased visibility into the impact of their support.
For Parrish, authenticity was a guiding principle throughout the process.
“One thing that was really important to me and to my team was making sure that it was NAMI. That it felt like our organization. That it felt true to who we are.”
Summer Parrish
National Director, Individual Giving & Development At National Alliance On Mental Illness
The rebrand became the foundation for a broader engagement strategy designed to strengthen stewardship, deepen donor relationships, and create a more consistent mid-level experience.
NAMI adopted a more intentional approach to managing donor relationships, treating mid-level supporters as a distinct audience with unique needs and opportunities.
Communication became more relevant and personalized. Donor interests and affinities informed outreach efforts, allowing NAMI to deliver messages that felt more connected to the issues individual supporters cared about most.
The Compassion Collective came to life through a coordinated new donor welcome series. Existing members were introduced to the refreshed community through a peer-led invitation, while donors who newly reached $1,000 in cumulative giving received a monthly welcome package with a letter from NAMI, impact information, mission-connected postcards, and elevated creative touches.
NAMI and AGP followed the welcome with a dedicated mid-level appeal that built on the organization’s broader fundraising program while creating a distinct experience for Compassion Collective donors and prospective members. Tailored copy, upgraded materials, and a specific invitation to join the Compassion Collective reinforced the program’s identity while giving donors a clear opportunity to deepen their commitment.
Scale was also a consideration. With roughly 2,500 donors in the mid-level audience, NAMI needed a framework that combined personal engagement with broader communications. The team developed prioritized donor portfolios and focused one-to-one outreach where it could have the greatest impact while maintaining a cohesive experience across the larger population.
Throughout the effort, the organization remained focused on a simple goal: helping donors feel seen, valued, and connected to the mission.
The Results
The changes delivered measurable improvements across NAMI’s mid-level program.
In 2025, revenue from mid-level donors grew by 39%, while the number of active donors increased by 42%. In addition, 24% of donors upgraded their giving, demonstrating stronger engagement and deeper commitment to the organization’s mission.
The impact extended beyond fundraising performance.
The success of the program helped NAMI expand its investment in donor engagement, enabling the organization to add staff support and increase its capacity to build relationships with mid-level donors.
Most importantly, NAMI transformed an often-overlooked segment of its donor base into a reliable source of growth and long-term value. By investing in community, personalization, and intentional stewardship, the organization created a donor experience that strengthened both fundraising performance and donor connection.
“We wanted the engagement to be meaningful because these are people who are giving to a mission that we care a lot about. We wanted to show that we care about them and appreciate them.”
Summer Parrish
National Director, Individual Giving & Development At National Alliance On Mental Illness
