On Our Sleeves is the national movement for children’s mental health. Our mission is to give free expert-created resources to all U.S. communities so everyone can understand and promote mental health for children.

The On Our Sleeves movement, launched on World Mental Health Day 2018, is on a national mission to break the silence surrounding children’s mental health.

Partnering with Nationwide Children’s Hospital as one of America’s leading voices in pediatric mental health, we are determined to offer hope and to transform mental health outcomes for children everywhere. Millions of children and families across America are living with mental illness. Our goal is to eliminate the stigma around mental illness in children and young adults, provide much needed educational resources and accelerate funding for research at Nationwide Children’s.

The On Our Sleeves campaign takes a classic saying (We don’t wear our heart on our sleeves) and brings new life to its application. The illustrative graphics are placed on the arms or sleeves of children and teens to symbolize thoughts and feelings associated with mental health. The message encourages everyone to engage with this topic because we ultimately don’t know what may be going on in someone’s life.

If kids could wear their thoughts on their sleeves, what would they look like? Our On Our Sleeves icons visualize what you may see if you could know what’s on a child’s mind. Each icon represents potential thoughts and feelings someone could have, using simple illustrations to symbolize complex emotions. However, a person’s experiences will define what these icons mean to them.

 

• Celebrations: Are you celebrating a birthday, wedding day, anniversary, bat mitzvah, bar mitzvah, graduation, life milestone or any other special occasion? In lieu of gifts or flowers, choose this registration type to raise funds for the On Our Sleeves Movement.
• DIY Fundraiser: Are you hosting an event, virtual fundraiser, online fundraising campaign, BBQ, charity hike, athletic challenge, block party, movie night or golf outing? The DIY Fundraiser registration type is a great way to accept online donations for any of these fundraising routes. Don’t see a registration type that suits you best? This would also be the top option for you since it’s DIY.
• Kids Helping Kids: Are you a student, school or youth from the community looking to support the On Our Sleeves Movement? Kids Helping Kids is the best registration type for youth philanthropists! Think along the lines of a dance-a-thon, lemonade stand, popsicle stand, bake sale, coin wars or an athletic challenge and create an online fundraising page. The ideas are endless!
• Honor and Memorial: Create a page in honor or memorial of a loved one and make a difference for to support the On Our Sleeves Movement for Children’s Mental Health

 

Children’s mental health is an often overlooked and vastly underfunded component of💡 pediatric health and research. Lack of healthcare resources and funding only complicate and hinder efforts to make significant changes that impact our youth during these critically important formative years. Gifts of any size will help us accelerate pediatric mental health research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which operates the nation’s largest program for child and adolescent behavioral health.

In March, 2020, Nationwide Children’s dedicated the Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion with the goal of developing a national model for pediatric mental health care and research. Learnings gained from clinicians and scientists at Nationwide Children’s will be freely shared to improve care for children everywhere

All donations to this site support On Our Sleeves Movement for Children’s Mental Health. On Our Sleeves provides free resources developed by the experts at Nationwide Children's Hospital to families and children in every community in America. Your money will help provide these learnings and resources. On Our Sleeves is a 501(c)(3) organization.

There is no minimum fundraising requirement, every gift matters. You can set a fundraising goal during your registration process and adjust it at any time.

Each participant can create a personal fundraising page on our event website. We have provided free online tools to help you share your personal story to inspire others to give on your behalf. Check out our Digital Fundraising Toolkit.

 

• Send them the link to your personal fundraising page.
• They can search for your name or team name
• If they prefer to write a check, it can be made out to On Our Sleeves

A donation form must be included with each check so the donor receives credit for the donation. Donation forms with contribution may be mailed to:

On Our Sleeves
Attn: Morgen Spon
PO Box 16810
Columbus, OH 43215-6810

 

If you receive cash, please keep the cash and submit a check for the same amount. Once On Our Sleeves has received the checks, we will add the donations to your fundraising page within 10 business days of receipt.

 

1. Make sure the checks are made out to On Our Sleeves.
2. Log your checks onto your fundraising page by entering your Participant Center and clicking on Enter Offline Donations (Please keep copies of checks for your records.)
3. Fill out a donation form.
4. Write your name – On Our Sleeves on the MEMO line of each check.
5. Send checks, along with a donation form to:

On Our Sleeves
Attn: Morgen Spon
PO Box 16810
Columbus, OH 43215-6810

 

If you receive cash, please keep the cash and submit a check for the same amount. Once On Our Sleeves has received the checks, we will add the donations to your fundraising page within 10 business days of receipt.

If it has been 10 business days since you mailed your checks and you still do not see the funds credited to your fundraising totals, please contact the Morgen Spon via email Morgen.Spon@OnOurSleeves.org or phone 614-355-5419. For verification, we will need the fundraiser's full name, check number and amount.

Yes, all donations in which goods or services are not received are 100% tax deductible. Registration fees for the event are not tax deductible.

On Our Sleeves is the national movement for children’s mental health and is on a mission is to give free expert-created resources to all U.S. communities so everyone can understand and promote mental health for children while meeting donor philanthropic goals. On Our Sleeves is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 88-4419089)