Building Blocks: Collaborating for a Successful Coalition Stacy Reliford Field Government Relations Director American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

Building Blocks:Collaborating for a

Successful CoalitionStacy Reliford

Field Government Relations DirectorAmerican Cancer Society Cancer Action

Network

OverviewForming your

coalition

Strategizing for success

Recruitment & Retention

Media: Read all about it!

Forming Your CoalitionIdentify potential partners supportive of

your causeHealthcare providers – nurses, doctorsPublic health – local health dept., nonprofitsTeachersFaith CommunityYouthGeneral Public – grassroots & grass topsVoluntary agencies – American Cancer

Society, American Lung Association, American Heart Association

Forming Your CoalitionClearly identify the goal – POLICY

CHANGE

Establish leadership – Chair/Director, Media Contact, Secretary

Identify the host for the coalition

Mobilize: Core Group v. List of Supporters

Who will come to the table?

Strategizing for Success

Conduct a needs

assessment

Develop a strategic plan

Establish your timeline

Determine Community

Readiness

Decide on Dealbreakers

Strategizing for Success

Conduct a needs assessment

Review local, state & national data

Resources: County-level data, BRFSS

Understand the environment on your issue

Local and state laws

What are the community’s needs?

Strategizing for Success

Develop a strategic plan

Create a mission statement

Review your needs assessment

Define goals to meet your needs

Identify objectives – steps to reach your broader goals

Action steps & activities

Determine how to allocate resources

Strategizing for Success

Establish Your TimelineBe reasonable, policy making takes time!Set immediate, intermediate, and long term

benchmarks:Immediate – host a community event or

public forumIntermediate – identify supportive decision-

makers and meet with themLong-term – implement a policy change

Model Smoke-Free Timeline

Education/Contact with Decision Makers

Community Education

Formal Launch (Public)

Introduce Ordinance

Repeal? Recall?

Ballot fight?

Ordinance

Passes!

Plan for Implementation & Enforcement

Build Power/Database Engage Grassroots advocacy

Hearings, amendm

ents, vote,

re-vote, more am

endments,

etc.

Opposition especially active! Be prepared

Comm

unity poll shows we’re

ready!

Goals met : 1,200 advocates

(100) businesses, (20)

workers signed up,

presentations, etc.

Coalition formed!

Organizing (Core)

Committee sets mission,

goals, campaign plan

Strategizing for Success

Community Readiness AssessmentIs your community ready for a policy change?

Understanding the dynamics – what is the process for policy change in your community? Who are the decision makers?

Community education and gauging support

Decide on Dealbreakers

When to compromise, walk away or oppose

Recruitment & Retention

Build a dynamic presence in the communityAttend community events

Generate support onlineBuild a website Social Media = Small Investment + Large Returns

Facebook PageTwitter Account

Encourage coalition members to be ambassadors

Capacity Building

Recruitment & Retention

Invest in your coalitionSay Thank YouCelebrate reaching benchmarks

Meet for happy hour at a smokefree restaurant

Publically thank grassroots and grass tops for their support

Continue to revisit your strategic plan!Policy making is frustrating, show progress by

reaching incremental objectives and goals

“Real World” Coalition IssuesPolicy Change is a Long Process

Right People vs Not-So-Right People

Personality Conflicts

Sticking to Roles

Media: Read All About It!

Media advocacy essential to building credibility

Build relationships with media contactsMeet with the newspaper editorial

board Identify any personal connections

to reporters, radio DJs, newsletters, etc.

Broaden your definition of “media”E-alerts, newsletters, social media,

blogs, radio, church bulletins, school or business announcements, billboards

Determine a clear, cohesive message

Know your audience

Use evidence based or tested messagesEveryone has the right to breathe clean air!

Stick to the message that is true to your missionDon’t chase opposition talking points

Messaging

MessagingHealth messages

Factual vs Emotional

Complicated vs Simple

Commonly Used Acronyms ANR – Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights

ASHRAE – American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers

ACS – American Cancer Society

ALA – American Lung Association

AHA – American Heart Association

SHS - Secondhand Smoke

ETS - Environmental Tobacco Smoke*

RSP – Respirable Particulate Matter

IAQ – Indoor Air Quality

Cotinine – Metabolized nicotine

* not recommended

Words to Use, Words to AvoidWords to Use

Secondhand Smoke

Smokefree Workplaces

Smokefree Environment

Smokefree Ordinance

Words to Avoid

Ban

ETS or Environmental Tobacco Smoke

Media: Read All About It!

Earned MediaLetters to the

EditorOp-Ed or Guest

EditorialPress ReleasePublic Service

AnnouncementPitching stories to

local reporters

Paid MediaBrief TV

commercialsWebsite

banners/adsRadioBillboardsDirect MailNewspaper or

classified ads

Paid Media

Sample Educational Brochure

Takeaways from TodayRecruit a diverse coalition that is representative

of your community

Seek committed volunteers

Strategic planning will keep you on the path for success

Pick a key message and stick to it

Be ingenuitive in getting the word out

Policy changes makes for healthy communities

Why Smoke-Free Indoor Air Policies Are So Important

Reduces exposure to secondhand smoke among workers & the public

Reduces cigarette consumption rates

Increases successful quit attempts

Reinforces efforts to reduce tobacco use among children (behavior modeling)

Improves the overall health of our community

ContactStacy Reliford American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network [email protected]

Traci Kennedy Director, Tobacco Free Missouri [email protected] www.tobaccofreemo.org

SourcesCDC Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs – User Guides: Coalitions State and Community Interventions http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/stateandcommunity/bp_user_guide/pdfs/user_guide.pdf

Clear Thinking Communications. Building Successful Coalitions to Address Underage Drinking http://www.clearthinkingcommunications.com/case_studies_for_clear_thinking_communications/ReducingUnderageDrinking.pdf

Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium. How-To Guides on Community Health Promotion - Building and Maintaining Effective Coalitions http://www.ttac.org/tcn/peers/pdfs/07.24.12CA_BuildingAndMaintainingEffectiveCoalitions_Resource.pdf