For the 2024 Elections, the below amendment to the current NAMI Bylaws has been submitted by the 2023-2024 NAMI Board of Directors.
2024 NAMI National Bylaws Amendment
RATIONALE: Following engagement over the past two years with hundreds of grassroots leaders and peers within the NAMI Alliance, NAMI incorporated essential feedback that helped inform these proposed changes to the NAMI Bylaws. These bylaw amendments will, among other updates, create a new role for field leaders in the board member selection process, as well as broaden opportunities to better represent the millions of stakeholders that could be considered as Members.
Under these proposed bylaw changes, NAMI would establish a new Nominating Committee that will serve as a straightforward way for the field to play a more central role in selecting National board members. This new Nominating Committee will include representation from all of NAMI’s five field-led Advisory Councils, and would replace the current, much more cumbersome process of how NAMI selects board members and ensure the diverse voices of the NAMI Alliance are represented when vetting nominees.
The new bylaws also proposes to eliminate any requirement to pay membership dues, which a large majority of local affiliates and state organizations expressed to be administratively burdensome with little fiscal upside. Along with ending dues, NAMI would expand how it defines who a Member is, making it much more inclusive and fully representative of the range of voices who benefit from and endorse NAMI’s mission and programs. It is important to note that Arizona law (where NAMI National is incorporated) requires that only those individuals who provide their consent to join NAMI can be admitted as Members. Meaning, no NAMI entity – NAMI national, State Organizations, or Affiliates – can admit an individual as a Member without that individual's consent.
Another notable proposed change would give two NAMI Next Gen representatives a vote on the board – an indicator of the critical importance of including emerging and diverse voices in NAMI’s governance.
The intention of these proposed changes is to amplify the field’s voice and influence over how decisions are made about advocacy, programs, and services provided by the NAMI Alliance. As NAMI adapts to its recent growth and potential opportunities, the organization desires to retain the essential guidance from the grassroots. The input provided by numerous affiliate and state leaders and volunteers led to these proposed changes to ensure that the voice of our grassroots organizations remains central in helping the Board and NAMI National remain grounded in local perspectives that are at the heart of our mission.
Review the Proposed NAMI Bylaw Amendment:
If you have any questions, please contact NAMI-bylaws@rabengroup.com.