NAMI Charleston Area

What NAMI Charleston Area does

NAMI Charleston Area is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), founded in 1991 and headquartered at 1357 Remount Road, Unit #3, North Charleston, South Carolina. It provides free peer-led mental health support groups (Family Support Group, NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group), educational classes (NAMI Peer-to-Peer, NAMI Family-to-Family, NAMI Homefront, NAMI Basics), and community presentations (Ending the Silence, In Our Own Voice, Sharing Hope, Crisis Intervention Training) to individuals living with mental health conditions, their families, schools, law enforcement agencies, and community organizations across Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown, and Horry counties in the South Carolina Lowcountry. The organization employs approximately five people and operates with a heavily volunteer-driven delivery model, supplemented by a credentialed board that includes licensed clinical social workers, behavioral health administrators, and certified peer recovery specialists. All programming is offered at no charge to participants.

The underlying "platform" is community-based rather than technology-based: the organization does not develop proprietary software products and operates a Squarespace website for program information, event registration, newsletter subscription (Mailchimp), and donation processing (PayPal, Venmo, check). Distribution mixes in-person support groups at community venues across the tri-county and Myrtle Beach areas with virtual meetings (weekly on Mondays, bi-monthly on Thursdays) and on-demand online classes such as NAMI Basics OnDemand. Outreach is amplified through Instagram (namichsarea), a monthly newsletter, a personal-story blog, and a curated referral network of more than ten community partner organizations.

The revenue model is donation- and membership-driven. Income streams include tax-deductible individual donations, recurring membership dues that bundle national, state, and local NAMI membership, the annual NAMI Walks fundraising event with corporate sponsorships, and the Festival of Hope community event. The affiliate benefits from brand, curriculum, and program-model support from NAMI National, which comprises over 600 local affiliates and 48 state organizations. There are no disclosed funding rounds, grants, or revenue figures, and the organization is governed independently by its board under Executive Director Lori Smith.

Name

NAMI Charleston Area

Legal name

NAMI Charleston Area

Website

https://namicharlestonarea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NAMI Charleston Area is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of NAMI National delivering free peer-led mental health support groups, educational classes, and community presentations to individuals, families, schools, and law enforcement across five South Carolina counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Support Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) & Mental Health Programs (BPADAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Mental health support
• Peer support groups
• Mental health education
• Community advocacy
• Nonprofit services

Headquarters

HQ city

North Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations (Individual): The organization accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals via credit/debit card (through PayPal), Venmo (@namichs), and check or money order by mail. NAMI Charleston Area is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, making donations tax-deductible within U.S. law guidelines.
2. Membership Dues: Individuals can become members of NAMI, NAMI South Carolina, and NAMI Charleston Area through a single payment. Membership benefits include the NAMI Advocate magazine, discounts at the NAMI Store and on NAMI National Convention registration, full website access, and the ability to vote on issues impacting NAMI Charleston Area.
3. NAMI Walks Fundraising Event: NAMI Walks is the organization's largest annual fundraising event, bringing together the community to raise funds supporting mental health programs and operations. Sponsorships are also sought from businesses and organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NAMI Charleston Area is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit mental health organization that delivers free, peer-led support groups, structured educational classes, and community presentations for individuals living with mental health conditions and their families. The organization operates as a local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), serving Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown, and Horry counties in South Carolina. All programs are provided at no cost and are led by trained volunteers with lived experience of mental illness.

Product overview

NAMI Charleston Area is a nonprofit mental health organization providing a portfolio of free support programs, educational classes, and community presentations. The organization offers peer-led support groups (Family Support Group and Connection Recovery Support Group) meeting virtually and in-person across multiple locations. Its educational offerings include NAMI Peer to Peer (8-session program for adults with mental health conditions), NAMI Family-to-Family (8-session program for family members), NAMI Homefront (6-session program for military families), and NAMI Basics (6-session program for parents of youth with mental health needs). The organization also provides free presentations including Crisis Intervention Training, Sharing Hope, Ending the Silence, and In Our Own Voice. Annual events include NAMI Walks and the Festival of Hope. All support groups, presentations, and education classes are provided free of charge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Family Support Group

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Community Organizations (Resource Network)minorOthersNAMI Charleston Area maintains a curated list of community partner organizations on its Resources page, connecting visitors to additional mental health and social services. Partners include Trident United Way, United Way 211, Mental Health America of South Carolina, Mental Health HEROES, Disability Rights South Carolina, Federation of Families of South Carolina, We Are Family (Charleston), My Sisters House, Palmetto Community Care, and others serving the Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester county area.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Trident United Way: Regional nonprofit serving the same Lowcountry SC community (Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester counties). Functions as a community resource referral partner and potential funding source for NAMI Charleston Area.
• Mental Health HEROES: South Carolina-based mental health nonprofit listed as a community resource partner of NAMI Charleston Area. Comparable regional mental health advocacy and education focus in the same geography.
• Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center: Local community mental health center serving Charleston and Dorchester counties with clinical services. Board President Tia Lewis serves there as Clinical Outreach Program Coordinator, indicating close operational overlap with NAMI Charleston Area.

Broad incumbents

• National Council for Mental Wellbeing: National membership organization representing mental health and substance use treatment providers. Operates broadly across the U.S. mental health ecosystem, comparable as an established advocacy and education infrastructure peer to community-focused NAMI affiliates.
• NAMI National (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Parent organization and the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization. Operates 600+ local affiliates including NAMI Charleston Area, providing program curricula, brand standards, and national advocacy infrastructure.

Direct peers

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): National nonprofit providing suicide prevention education, support for loss survivors, and advocacy. Comparable as a free, donor-funded mental health nonprofit with local chapter model and outreach to schools and communities.
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA): National nonprofit operating peer-led support groups for individuals with depression and bipolar disorder. Directly comparable peer support model to NAMI's Connection Recovery Support Group.
• Federation of Families of South Carolina: South Carolina nonprofit providing family-driven support and education for children and youth with mental health challenges. Comparable family-focused mental health support model, listed as a community partner.
• NAMI South Carolina: State-level affiliate of NAMI National that oversees NAMI Charleston Area. Operates the same peer support, education, and advocacy model across South Carolina, with overlapping programs and donor base.
• Mental Health America of South Carolina: State affiliate of Mental Health America providing mental health education, advocacy, and referral services in South Carolina. Directly comparable as a community-focused mental health nonprofit serving overlapping SC populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/namichsarea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nami-charleston-area

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NAMI Charleston Area