Advocacy Toolbox:
Communicating Your Message

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This page has resources from leading public health organizations.

Sample state fact sheets and reports
NACDD Arthritis fact sheets
Implementing a Diabetes Day at the legislature
Sample Resolutions
Media

Topic	Title	Type	Organization	Description
Media guidance	APHA Media Advocacy Manual	Document	American Public Health Association	This 14-page document provides strategies for planning media messages, creating a media list, and things to do before contacting the media. It provides ideas for constructing effective news releases, letters to the editor, and opinion-editorial (op-ed) pieces. It also provides tips for arranging an editorial board meeting and preparing for television and radio interviews.
Sample fact sheets	Alchohol Arthritis Diabetes Hypertension Influenza Obesity Physical Activity	Fact Sheet	North Dakota Department of Health	This is a series of two-page fact sheet that provides information on the population most at risk for specific chronic disease and risk factors, percentage of North Dakotans who meet guidelines or at risk, progress toward meeting Healthy People 2010 objectives, and strategies for improving behaviors and reducing North Dakotans with chronic diseases.
Arthritis Fact Sheets	Sample Fact Sheet Template Sample Data Fact Sheet Template Guidance Document for Preparing State Fact Sheets	Fact Sheets	NACDD	Two documents, a two-page and a four-page version, provides a template for a fact sheet highlighting key information about the burden of arthritis in a state. This fact sheet focuses on arthritis but the format and content can be modified and used for any chronic condition. Components include a definition of the condition, risk factors, characteristics of the population with the condition, costs, and effective treatments. It also provides a paragraph to describe the chronic disease program (e.g., its mission, activities, and contact information). The four-page document provides a reader-friendly format for presenting data that describes the burden of a chronic condition at the state level. Templates for charts for state prevalence, prevalence by age, gender, education, household income, BMI, and physical activity are included. The guidance document provides detailed instructions and methods for using the two state fact sheet templates.
Heart Disease and Stroke Policy	Guide to the ABCs of State Heart Disease and Stroke Policy Making, 2006	Policy Report	Centers for Disease Prevention and Control	This report describes policies related to heart disease and stroke prevention and control in Minnesota. This is the summary report of a scan of Minnesota legislation and other public policies current through December 2006. The document also contains information about the different types of policies, and guidance in approaching the issue of policy development.
Heart Disease and Stroke Policy initiatives in MN	MN Heart Disease and Stroke Policy in MN Report Preparation, 2007	PowerPoint Presentation	Minnesota Department of Health	This presentation describes the methods used to inventory heart disease and stroke prevention related policies in the state of Minnesota and in the preparation of the Minnesota Heart Disease and Stroke Policy Report.
Sample resolution	Colorado Diabetes Alert Day Resolution, 2006.	Resolution	Partners	The burden of diabetes in Colorado is highlighted in this single-page document put forth by the Colorado Board of Health. The resolution urges support for Diabetes Alert from health care providers and public health programs.
Sample resolution	2008 Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease Caucus Resolution (Iowa)	Resolutions	Partners	This one-page document is an example of a caucus resolution urging public officials to support policies around a chronic disease and make it a major issue in the next election. It provides data to support the need and lists public policies supported by the partnership.
Diabetes Day Implementation materials	Checklist Promotional Flyer Invitation Registration Form Confirmation Mailing Program/Agenda Kentucky Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2007 Diabetes Messages for Legislators Great Comebacks for Special Situations	Handouts	Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program	Diabetes Day – Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program. The sample documents provide materials that states and partners can adapt to promote and manage a diabetes day at the capitol event. Package contains document to cover all aspects of a day including flyer promoting event, an invitation letter, registration form, agenda, fact sheet, and talking points for communicating with legislators.
Success Stories	NACDD Success Stories	Success Stories	State Health Departments Chronic Disease Programs	NACDD supports state health departments and works with partners in promoting programs to improve the health of communities and reduce the burden of chronic disease across the U.S. The resulting success stories educate policymakers about programs that work, show decision-makers that funds are well spent, support NACDD policy and communications efforts and serve as program examples for other states.