Affiliate Portal

Affiliate Guidelines

Affiliate Guidelines Final 9.1.15 (ADOPTED BY BOARD) (1)

Roles & Responsibilities

Roles and Responsibilities in the NAMI Alliance_6-20-2017

Model B Handbook

NAMI Mississippi Model B Handbook V2

Affiliate web pages were created with the goal of increasing visibility for each affiliate. Recommended usage includes:

• Sharing online (email, social media, etc.)
• Using on printed materials such as business cards and flyers
• Sharing at meetings or speaking events

Find your affiliate web page at https://namims.org/affiliates/.

Note that the email address listed on each page has the @namims.org format for branding purposes, and each is forwarded to the email address for your organization if you have let us know where to send them. If you want to verify forwarding, please send an email to stateoffice@namims.org.

It is important for you to contact the State Office if anything on your web page needs to be changed or corrected.

In addition to an affiliate website, each affiliate website also has a blog. A blog (a form of "web log"), is an online journal for publishing articles. Utilize this tool to give updates on your affiliate such as changes in leadership, event information, event recaps with pictures, etc. Blog posts can be shared via email, Facebook, etc. to draw people to your website. The State Office will also share your blog posts.

If you have not been given a WordPress login to blog, please contact the State Office for assistance.

If you have been given a WordPress login, here's a handy guide you can use:

The donate form at https://namims.org/donate/ includes an option to designate which affiliate that the donor would like the donation to go to. You are welcome to share this information with potential donors.

For this reason, it is preferable that you give out https://namims.org/donate/ for online donations rather than the national website since it simplifies the process.

Logos

Logos for affiliates are available for download here. (For developing affiliates, you should have received temporary logos) The file formats are as follows:

• JPG (has white background) - Can use online and for print in smaller sizes.
• PNG (transparent background) - Can use online and for print in smaller sizes.
• PDF - For high-quality printing. Ideal for flyers, business cards, etc.
• EPS - For high-quality printing. This file type is known as a vector file and can be scaled to any size without losing quality. Best for ordering banners, signs, etc.

Tips:

• Always use your affiliate logo in its original form.
• Do not distort the logo when using it. When adding the logo in a Word document, for example, holding down the Shift key while resizing usually prevents distortion.

For more tips on logo usage, go to https://www.nami.org/identity. You will also find official logo downloads available for signature programs, font information, official colors and more.

Branding Tips

• Please use official logos when designing flyers, graphics, etc. for your events.
• Templates exist for signature program classes. Please send an email to education@namims.org if you need one for a confirmed class.
• In addition to Microsoft Word, you can also use canva.com to design flyers and graphics.
• Simple is best when designing flyers and graphics yourself unless you have a design background. Otherwise, you can contact the State Office or a local designer in your area for assistance.
• Free stock images sites that you can use to add quality pictures include freeimages.com, pixabay.com, pexels.com and Wikimedia Commons. To avoid copyright infringement, it is highly recommend that you do not use sites such as Google Images on anything you plan to print or sell. 
• Sites such as dafont.com or fontsquirrel.com offer free font downloads. It is best not to use more than three different fonts in a design. Also, check the terms and conditions of a font because there may be restrictions or a requirement to purchase an extended license.
• You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Aim high!

In addition to our website's event listings, here are other great ways to make the community aware of your meetings and events:

• Eventbrite - This website is very popular for those looking for local events, so people check it often. For an example of how your events listings can look on the site, go to https://namims.eventbrite.com. You can list events for free or sell tickets. Contact the State Office if you need assistance getting started.
• Newspaper, radio and TV event calendars - Check with your local media outlets for options. Some require submitting a press release or completing an online form. In some cases, as a nonprofit, your information could be shared for free or at a discount. Ask if that is an option.
• Bulletin boards - This is why flyers and posters representing your affiliate should look their best. Some locations that have public bulletin boards include libraries, laundromats, grocery stores and convenience stores. Be sure to inquire if you need permission to display a flyer or poster. Places such as churches or schools usually require permission.
• Social media - The next generation of potential affiliate members use social media more than you check your physical mailbox, so to keep your affiliate going by bringing in fresh faces, utilize social media as a way to connect. Read more on getting started in the next section.

We recommend that all affiliates have at minimum a Facebook business page to increase visibility to the public. For an example of how a business page should look, visit the NAMI Mississippi Facebook page.

Facebook pages are easy to create if you have an existing Facebook account. If you don't have a Facebook account, that is easy to create as well. Start here if you need to create a personal account first.

If you already use Facebook and have been sharing on your personal accounts, major benefits of a Facebook page are the following:

• More than one person can administer the account, which takes the burden off one person posting all of the updates.
• If you prefer to be private on Facebook, no one can tell who is posting on the page except for the administrators, and this also goes for responding in Facebook Messenger. Listing yourself as a team member on the Facebook page is totally optional.
• You can create Facebook ads using posts on your page (certain guidelines apply).
• You can post upcoming events on separate event pages that others can share such as affiliate meetings, support groups, classes and social gatherings.
• You can also upload videos.

Even if many of your members do not use social media, there are many potential members on social media looking for you!

A vital role for an affiliate is to hold meetings and facilitate support groups for the public. Because of this, it is imperative that you keep the State Office updated on meeting changes or cancellations. Otherwise, someone seeking support will be given the wrong information. To check whether your meetings or support groups are listed correctly on our event calendar, click here and be sure to view several months in advance to verify. If a correction or cancellation is needed, you may use the form below this guide to notify us or send an email to education@namims.org.

You may share your personal experiences with mental health conditions in various NAMI-related settings. As passionate as we are about mental health conditions and how they’ve affected us and our families, we want to make sure our language always represents NAMI Mississippi’s mission. Our "Language Matters" worksheet helps NAMI leaders find the most current ways to share our and others’ stories. It describes wording that help us communicate warmly and professionally. The language we use has a big effect on how clearly our message is heard, and we encourage you to use this guide in your work with NAMI Mississippi.

Click to download the education policies document which contains a description of service areas, guidelines and forms.