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U.S. Senator Charles Grassley Query re. NAMI National Funding
from Mike Fitzpatrick
NAMI National Executive Director
Date: 4/28/2009 9:25:22 AM
April 28, 2009
Dear NAMI Leaders and Members,
On April 6, 2009 Senator Charles Grassley asked NAMI national to
provide information about support it receives from pharmaceutical
companies. For the last three years, Senator Grassley has been interested
in various aspects of the pharmaceutical industry and has made similar
requests to other non-profit groups.
NAMI shares Senator Grassley’s interest in transparency and
has cooperated fully with this request. Since the request was made,
three basic questions have been posed that are worth sharing and
answering.
Does NAMI accept contributions from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes, we do -- and we’re delighted to have this critical support
for our many programs and important work all across the country.
NAMI accepts charitable contributions from individuals, foundations
and corporations, including the pharmaceutical industry, for one
purpose – to improve the lives of people with mental illness
and their families. These relationships are governed by NAMI’s
Guidelines for Business Support Relationships, a NAMI policy originally
developed and approved by the Board of Directors in 2004. This policy
ensures that at all times NAMI will maintain an independent position
on issues affecting the welfare of people with mental illness. A
copy of this policy is available online at www.nami.org/BusinessGuidelines.
As you know from our strategic plan (www.nami.org/stratplan), NAMI’s
goal is to reduce the percentage of our budget that is supported
by charitable donations from pharmaceutical companies. While we
deeply appreciate the support we have received, we set this goal
because we understand the value of diversifying our funding sources
– both for fiscal stability and because we want to shed any
lingering, unfair accusations that somehow NAMI has been “bought.”
I can assure you: nothing could be further from the truth. NAMI’s
advocacy voice is loud and clear and uncompromised.
As reported to Senator Grassley, pharmaceutical companies contributed
an average of 56% of national NAMI’s budget annually for the
period 2005-2009. Many of NAMI’s signature education programs,
including Family-to-Family, Peer-to-Peer, NAMI Connection, In Our
Own Voice and NAMI Basics have national corporate sponsors. These
programs are the essence of your work in your communities. They
are offered free of charge to thousands of consumers and families
who participate in them each year. Without support of these companies,
we would be hard-pressed to bring you these vital programs. Corporate
grants and charitable contributions also support the NAMI Web site,
Mental Illness Awareness Week, and other public education and advocacy
efforts.
Can we see who is giving NAMI what?
Yes, you can.
NAMI National has long made public lists of major corporate and
foundation donors in our annual reports, which you can view online
www.nami.org/governance. In 2009, we have begun posting on the NAMI
Web site on a quarterly basis all foundation and corporate grants
and corporate contributions over $5,000 received by NAMI national.
The first list covers January-March 2009 and can also be viewed
at www.nami.org/governance.
Now what?
We continue our incredibly important work together, at the national,
state and local level, on behalf of one of the most vulnerable and
discriminated against populations in our country.
NAMI has long enjoyed a great national reputation. In fact, NAMI
is one of only 248 national non-profit organizations that received
the BBB Wise Giving Alliance Charity Seal this year from the charity
monitoring organization affiliated with the Better Business Bureau.
Perhaps you saw BBB’s ad in USA Today two weeks ago which
heralded the exclusive list. NAMI also received three out of four
stars from Charity Navigator and is its number one rated mental
health organization.
Thank you for the tremendous work you do, day in and day out. If
you have any thoughts or questions, I hope you will be in touch.
Thanks,
Michael J. Fitzpatrick, MSW
Executive Director
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
2107 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300
Arlington, VA 2201
mfitzpatrick@nami.org
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