Application Guide
How to Apply for Affiliate Development Consultant – NAMI Kankakee County
at NAMI Illinois
🏢 About NAMI Illinois
NAMI Illinois is the state organization of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for individuals and families affected by mental illness. Working here means joining a mission-driven network that provides free support, education, and advocacy across Illinois, with a strong commitment to local community impact. This role is unique because you'll be launching a brand-new affiliate in Kankakee County, giving you the chance to build something lasting from the ground up.
About This Role
As an Affiliate Development Consultant, you will be the driving force behind establishing NAMI Kankakee County, an emerging affiliate that will serve local residents affected by mental illness. You'll spend your time building relationships with community partners, recruiting volunteers and leaders, and laying the groundwork for sustainable programs and funding. This is a high-impact, autonomous role where your efforts directly shape the future of mental health support in Kankakee County.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve attending a morning meeting with a local hospital's behavioral health team, followed by a lunchtime outreach event at a community center. In the afternoon, you might make follow-up calls to potential steering committee members, update your tracking spreadsheet, and prepare a report for NAMI Illinois. Some days will be spent tabling at resource fairs or facilitating a community conversation about mental health needs.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who NAMI Illinois Is Looking For
- Deeply connected to Kankakee County and its diverse communities, with existing relationships or the ability to quickly build trust with local behavioral health providers, hospitals, schools, faith communities, and government agencies.
- A self-starter with proven experience in community organizing, volunteer recruitment, or nonprofit development, who can work independently and manage a flexible 15-hour weekly schedule.
- Passionate about mental health advocacy and familiar with NAMI's mission, programs, and peer-support model, or eager to learn and represent NAMI authentically.
- Strong communicator and relationship-builder who is comfortable presenting to groups, facilitating meetings, and tracking outreach activities to report back to NAMI Illinois.
📝 Tips for Applying to NAMI Illinois
Highlight your ties to Kankakee County specifically—mention any local organizations, neighborhoods, or networks you're part of, as NAMI Illinois wants someone who can hit the ground running with community connections.
Emphasize your experience with volunteer recruitment and leadership development, since a core part of this role is building a steering committee and identifying potential program leaders.
Show that you understand the independent contractor nature of the role: mention your ability to manage your own schedule, track hours, and work remotely while staying accountable to NAMI Illinois.
Demonstrate familiarity with NAMI's programs (e.g., Family-to-Family, Peer-to-Peer, In Our Own Voice) and suggest how you might bring them to Kankakee County.
Include concrete examples of successful partnerships or fundraising you've initiated, as the role involves identifying donors, sponsors, and grants to sustain the affiliate.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your personal connection to Kankakee County and why you are committed to improving mental health resources there.', "Specific examples of how you've built community partnerships or coalitions, especially with behavioral health providers, schools, or faith-based groups.", "Your experience recruiting and engaging volunteers or steering committee members, and how you would approach building NAMI Kankakee County's leadership team.", 'Your understanding of the affiliate development process and your ideas for sustainable funding and program implementation.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore NAMI Illinois's website to understand their statewide programs, advocacy efforts, and the structure of local affiliates.
- → Research existing NAMI affiliates in Illinois to see how they operate, what programs they offer, and how they fundraise.
- → Learn about the mental health landscape in Kankakee County: key providers, hospitals, community organizations, and any existing support groups or resources.
- → Familiarize yourself with NAMI's national programs (e.g., Family-to-Family, Peer-to-Peer, Ending the Silence) and their evidence-based impact.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Being vague about your connection to Kankakee County—if you don't live there or have strong ties, explain how you'll quickly build local relationships.
- Focusing only on your general nonprofit experience without tying it to the specific tasks of affiliate development, such as volunteer recruitment and partnership building.
- Ignoring the independent contractor aspect—don't imply you expect a traditional employee benefits package or set schedule; show you understand the 1099, part-time, remote nature.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!