Health Policy and Advocacy
Workshop
Gabrielle Orbaek White
State Advocacy Manager, Community Catalyst Alliance for Children’s Health
Healthcare Access and Financing Workgroup Meeting
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Road Map: Where are we going….
1. Introductions & Desired Outcomes
2. Overview of CC approach to advocacy
3. Health Policy and Advocacy Strategies
4. Pitch exercise
© 2015
Introduction
1. Name, state, organization, role
2. One thing you hope to learn from the
training today
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Desired Outcomes
By the end of this training, you will:
• Feel more confident about approaching decision makers
about policy issues that matter to you.
• Understand how to target relevant decision makers.
• Understand how to craft an impactful argument.
• Understand the Community Catalyst system of advocacy
model and how it can lead to policy change
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Community Catalyst
• National non-profit health advocacy
organization, building and supporting
consumer advocacy networks in over 40
states
• Work to ensure access to high-quality,
affordable health care
• Collaborate with national, state and local
consumer organizations, policymakers, and
foundations
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What is Advocacy?
Advocacy is the
application of pressure
and influence on the
people and institutions that
have the power to give you
what you want.
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What is Advocacy?
https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=uGig6yDRv2Y
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Our Approach
© 2015
What is Advocacy?
Advocacy is the
application of pressure
and influence on the
people and institutions that
have the power to give you
what you want.
© 2015
Developing a Goal
5 Key Questions:
• What do you want?
• Why do you want it?
• Who has the power to
give it to you?
• What motivates that
person?
• How do you build
credibility with and get
access to those people
in order to influence their
decision making?
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Research and Data Collection
If you would persuade, you must appeal
to interest rather than intellect.
-Benjamin Franklin
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Research and Data Collection
© 2012
Research and Data Collection
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Research and Data Collection
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Decision-Maker Advocacy
What makes your key decision-maker tick?
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Decision-Maker Advocacy
Development & Passage of Bills
• Legislators author bills, but constituents can contact
their members with bills
• Start advocating early in the session for your bill
• A proposed bill needs to:
– Define terms & mechanisms for action (what does it do & who
does it)
– Give a calendar & deadlines
– Outline what happens if the law is broken
(enforcement/accountability)
• Once a bill is passed, responsible agency develops
regulation regarding implementation
• Money to fund a program can either be mandatory or
discretionary
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Decision-Maker Advocacy
In person visits – tips and tricks
•
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•
•
•
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Make an appointment (and be on time!)
Plan who will do the talking
Come with an ‘ask’
Bring a ‘leave behind’
Dress professionally
Exchange contact information
Follow up
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Our Approach
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Decision-Maker Advocacy
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Building and Sustaining Coalitions
What is a Coalition?
• A group of individuals or organizations with a common
interest who are working together toward a common goal
• They are made up of organizations that:
• share a common mission.
• share a common vision
• embrace your tactics and strategies as a means
for fulfilling their own mission and vision
Inner circle
Invested
friends
Self
interested
parties
Opportunistic
recruits
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Building and Sustaining Coalitions
Coalition Benefits
• Shared roles and
resources
• Collective impact
Coalition Challenges
• Multiple personalities
• Complications w/sharing
resources
• Power and influence
• Competing agendas
• Clout and credibility
• Messy consensus
building
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Strategic Partners and Allies
Potential Partners:
1. Organizations that can influence elections
2. Decision-maker champions
3. State and local government agencies
4. Organizations that DO NOT lobby
5. Organizations that DO lobby
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Building a Strong
Grassroots Base of Support
• Grassroots organizing
engages those who are most
impacted by health system
breakdown.
• Used to build base of popular
support and ‘groundswell’
• Helps put a human face on
the need for better health
care systems
• Can influence decisionmakers in key districts
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Media Advocacy
Tools & strategies for effective media advocacy and
communications
– Press releases, editorial board visits, media advisories,
letters to the editor, and so on
– Social media
– Key message points
– Relationships with key media
– Credible spokespersons for key topics
Media Advocacy
Medicaid Stories in the Media
The power of
stories
© 2012
Medicaid Stories in the Media
The power of
stories
© 2012
The Elevator Pitch
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Writing your pitch
Your goals:
• Make your audience curious - you want them to leave
wondering what they could do for you and what more they
could learn about your cause.
• Get your audience to discuss your pitch with others.
• Have an opportunity to revisit the audience members to firm
up investment of time, talent and money.
Writing your pitch
1. Think short
2. If your topic is complex, use the “anchor &
twist” format to orient your audience.
3. Don't wing it, script it.
4. 'Why' comes before 'What.'
5. Mandatory: Include a story.
6. Check out other pitches for inspiration.
7. Know what you want and include an ask.
8. Tell "who."
9. Use questions as well as statements.
10. Delivery matters.
QUESTIONS?
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Thank You
Connect with me:
Gabrielle Orbaek White
[email protected]
617-275-2831
Connect with Community Catalyst online:
Twitter.com/healthpolicyhub
Facebook.com/CommunityCatalyst
www.communitycatalyst.org
Strategic Partners and Allies
1. Organizations that can influence elections
• Build strategic alliances with other stakeholders
• Make issue more relevant to candidates
• Educate voters
2. Decision maker champions
• Support for issues that matter to you and your constituents
• Leverage their public profile
• Infuse policy change goal with legitimacy
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Strategic Partners and Allies
3. Government Agencies provide:
• Political cover/support
• Policy change initiatives w/data
• Leadership within state gov’t
4. Organizations that do NOT lobby provide:
• “Boots on the ground”
• Identify and promote personal stories
5. Organizations that do lobby:
• Advocacy assistance
• Manage relationships w/ decision-makers
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