Current Chapter FAQs

Chapter Foundations are the bread and butter of what makes a successful chapter, developed based on best practices and recommendations. They include leadership, membership, collaboration, programming, and fundraising. These topics directly align with the Chapter Foundations Checklist which we recommend chapters try to complete each year to best position themselves on campus as mental health advocates.

The answer is almost certainly the Chapter Foundations Workbook! We spent the better part of  a year in collaboration with students to compile all of the best practices our staff and chapters have refined over more than a decade of campus advocacy work. If you’re looking for information about maintaining, sustaining, and strengthening your chapter, this is the workbook for you.

We love to highlight our chapters and recognize their hard work! At the end of the year (June 30), we look at all of the data you submitted through your chapter inventories to see what you’ve been up to! The Chapter Foundations Checklist is a great tool for you to see what we’re looking for and keep you on track. Based on activities and fundraising levels, your chapter can achieve one of three tiered recognition levels and corresponding rewards:  Outstanding, Distinguished, and Exemplary. Learn more here.  

Also, keep an eye out for our annual chapter, advisor, and student of the year awards, showcased every year at our National Conference.

As a member of the Active Minds Chapter Network, you’re one of thousands of student leaders around the country doing the vital work of Active Minds! The Active Minds Chapter Network Slack Team is an online messaging space where you can ask questions, share out your chapter’s successes, brainstorm ideas, share pictures, and chat with students and national staff from around the country. Learn more about Slack here.

Awesome! You can add or update new leaders, including advisors, to your chapter using this form. You can also update chapter leadership team information during the Chapter Inventories which are open in the Fall (Nov-Dec), Spring (March), and at the end of the Year (May-June).

Active Minds collects data from our chapter network three times a year through a survey we call a “Chapter Inventory”. Chapter Presidents and Advisors will be sent a link to complete each inventory in the Fall (Nov-Dec), Spring (March) and at the end of the year (May-June). This is the primary place to tell us about your membership, leadership, programs, fundraising and other things your chapter is up to. It’s vital that each inventory is completed. This information enables us to continuously learn and ensure that you are receiving the support that you need to succeed.  

Yes! Tell us about what you’re up to. If you’ve got an excellent program, a creative fundraiser, an especially productive meeting, or something else to share, you can post in Slack, send a picture, or submit a post to the Active Minds blog. If you want to share about a specific program or fundraiser, you can fill out this submission form. If you want to share something more generally on the blog, you can fill out this submission form. 

All Active Minds chapters have a custom logo that aligns with the Active Minds branding, is in your school’s specific brand color, and sized for social media use, printed materials, and more. You can find the logo policies and a link to your chapter’s logo here.

As an officially registered, active chapter of Active Minds, you have permission to use the Active Minds logo on marketing materials, social media, and on merchandise for your campus. Please follow all listed logo policies and download the logo here. If you need a different format or have another question about the logo use, email our Communications Team at communications@activeminds.org.

“Send Silence Packing” can only be used when hosting the official display, in contract with Active Minds. All Active Minds logos, branding, and program names are trademarked and can only be used in affiliation with the official organization.

Sometimes schools have very specific guidelines or questions from their institutional marketing team about the use of their custom logo. If you question isn’t answered here, email our Communications Team at communications@activeminds.org to talk more.

Fundraising is an essential part of advocacy. Fundraising for the Active Minds national movement brings chapters to more campuses and provides resources and technical assistance that empowers students all over the country to change the conversation about mental health. In 2018, new chapters were launched at 85 high schools, colleges, and universities, and chapter fundraising is a key part of maintaining the momentum! Plus, you get cool bonuses! You can learn more about Chapter Fundraising here.

Every dollar truly makes a difference and we want to thank you for meeting different fundraising goals! See the full list of incentives and fundraising levels on the Chapter Foundations Checklist but know that starting at just $250 raised during the academic year opens you up to getting stickers, buttons, pocket guides, and give away items mailed to you in the Standard Swag Box! Aim high to get more exclusive bonuses!

The easiest way to submit funds to the national office is by using the online chapters donation form. Find your chapter on the list here and click the “Donate” button. Your chapter’s name should automatically populate into the chapter selection dropdown. You can also share this link on social media or via email to encourage people to donate! If you’d prefer to use snail mail you can send a check with your chapter’s full name (no abbreviations) is written in the memo area. Print this donation form and send the check and form to Active Minds, 2001 S Street NW, Suite 630, ℅ Chapter Fundraising, Washington, DC 20009.

We’re here with you every step of the way, with ideas, resources, and one-on-one conversations to help you set and reach your fundraising goals. Download the Chapter Foundations Workbook to get started and check the “Chapter Fundraising” tag on our blog for chapter fundraising ideas. We also have a channel in the student leader Slack network for you to brainstorm and troubleshoot with other chapters around the country.  Check back here regularly for new resources to aid your fundraising efforts.

No problem! Email us at chapters@activeminds.org with the following information and we’ll write an invoice for you. Please provide the following information:

• The name of the person issuing the check
• The office the check will be issued from (ie. Accounts Payable)
• Mailing Address of the person or your school
• Email address of the person issuing the check
• Amount you would like us to list as due on the invoice

Active Minds is a national 501c3 organization, which means that we are a tax- exempt nonprofit recognized by the federal government. Our W9 is the document that most organizations or businesses need in order to make tax-deductible donations. Since the Tax ID number contained on the W9 is associated with the Active Minds National Office, all funds raised in reference to that number must come directly to the National Office in support of your chapter fundraising efforts.

For example, if you’re hosting a “Portion of Proceeds” event with your local Chipotle and they ask for a W9, give them this downloadable W9 Form which includes our mailing address to send the check.  (Be sure that they note your chapter’s full name without abbreviations.) If you have questions about whether or not to use our W9 for a particular fundraiser you can reach out via Slack or email chapters@activeminds.org