Advocacy: Demonstrating the Value of Your Program

Jill Birnbaum, American Heart Association
Nicole Blair, CDC, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
Margaret O. Casey, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (and moderator)
Jennifer Smith, Texas Department of Health
Deb Spicer, New York State Department of Health
Susan Mormann, North Dakota Department of Health

Session Objective

The objectives for this session are to:

Describe the difference between education, advocacy, and lobbying.
Describe the steps needed to create an advocacy plan.
Describe the unique role and value of the state HDSP programs.
Describe the steps taken by at least two states to advocate for state-level funding for HDSP programs.
List the critical partners in a state-level advocacy plan.

Session Summary

This session is designed to help state program staff recognize and articulate the value of their program, in order to become better advocates for both state and federal-level funding. This session includes the following:

Case scenarios – Which Is It? Education, Advocacy or Lobbying?
Interactive discussion: What makes your program unique? Why should funders value it? How can we demonstrate value when we’ve never had enough money for positive outcomes?
Overview of steps to creating an advocacy plan.
Review how other state chronic disease programs demonstrate the value of their programs.
Interactive discussion on the need for partners and which partners are most useful.
Examples from two states (TX and ND) on their successful advocacy efforts.
Small group sessions: Developing advocacy plan for state-level funding.