Table of Contents Every Voice Counts A Grassroots Advocacy Manual for the HIV/AIDS Community PAGE Introduction Are You Ready to Make a Difference? 1 Section I: Every Voice Counts: An Introduction to the HIV Advocacy Network Your Voice is Important 2 HAN Keeps You Informed 2 HAN Enhances Your Voice 3 HAN Member Responsibilities 3 Section II: Once Voice Can Make a Difference How You Can Create Change 4 Register and Vote to End AIDS 4 Who Represents You? 4 Taking Our Issues to City Hall, Sacramento or Washington, D.C. 5 Two Rules for Influencing Public Policy 5 Communicating with Your Elected Officials 5 Five Key Elements of Effective Communication 6 Writing a Letter 6 Sending an Email 6 Calling Your Elected Officials 6 Providing Public Testimony 7 Some Do’s and Don’ts in Providing Public Testimony 7 Meeting with Elected Officials and Their Staff 8 Potential Legislative Meeting Scenarios 9 Where to Go to be “In the Know” About Federal and State Policy, Legislation and Politics 11 SAMPLES 12 Section III: Many Voices Create a Movement Building and Mobilizing Networks and Coalitions 22 HIV/AIDS Advocacy Coalitions 22 Working Toward a Shared Goal 23 PAGE Tips for Building a Strong and Successful Coalition 23 Tools for Mobilizing Networks and Coalitions 25 Where to Go to be “In the Know” About Working in Coalitions 26 SAMPLES 27 Section IV: Make Your Voice Count Using the Internet Become an Advocate in Cyberspace 29 Creating a Website 29 Internet Tools for Advocates 29 Email 30 Email Advocacy Tip 30 Electronic Bulletin Boards/News Groups 30 Sign-up for Daily Email Updates 30 Electronic Town Meetings 30 Search the Internet 31 Where to Go to be “In the Know” Using the Internet for Advocacy 31 Section V: Elevate Your Voice Using the Media Why Use the Media? 32 Using the Media to Shape a Policy Agenda 33 Educate Yourself; Develop a Media Plan 33 What is Newsworthy? 33 Developing a Message 34 Some Tips for Message Development 34 Working with Reporters 35 Staying On Message 35 Sample Bridging Phrases 35 Pitching a Story 36 Be Prepared – Common Questions from the Media 36 Media Advocacy Tools 36 Media Advisory 36 News Release 37 Letter to the Editor 37 Opinion-Editorials 38 Editorials 39 Making News: Events That Create News 39 Ideas for Creating News 39 Where to Go to be “In the Know” About Media Advocacy 40 SAMPLES 41 Appendices Appendix A: A Brief Overview of the Legislative and Budget Processes 48 Appendix B: Are Non-Profits Allowed to Lobby? 52 Appendix C: Useful HIV/AIDS-Related Websites 53 Introduction Are You Ready to Make a Difference? Whether you’re new to grassroots advocacy, or are interested in strengthening your skills, this manual is for you. It’s full of tips and useful knowledge designed to help you ensure that policy makers in City Hall, Sacramento and Washington, D.C. are responsive to the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in your community. As we approach the 20-year marker of the first reported cases of AIDS in the U.S., the need for community involvement in HIV and health policy has never been greater. Each year, more people are living with HIV/AIDS than ever before, and despite significant progress, studies show that over two-thirds of these individuals are still not receiving regular health care, and that there are significant disparities in access to care and health outcomes. The disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS in As we approach African American and other communities of color has resulted in the 20-year marker a state of emergency. There are signs that HIV infections are on of the first reported the rise, particularly among gay and bisexual men. Injection drug cases of AIDS in use continues to play a role in over half of new HIV infections in the U.S., the need the United States. And we face a global pandemic that is out of for community control. involvement in HIV and health Thank you for your commitment to community activism and policy has never grassroots advocacy. Your involvement will help ensure that, as been greater. we begin the third decade of the AIDS pandemic, political interest and attention to AIDS issues will not wane. It will help ensure that important accomplishments – such as the Ryan White CARE Act, the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program and the Congressional Black Caucus/Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative -- are available for years to come. Your continued commitment and community activism will also move us closer to our ultimate goal -- to end the pandemic and human suffering caused by HIV/AIDS. - 1 - Section I EVERY VOICE COUNTS AN INTRODUCTION TO HAN Your Voice is Important! The HIV Advocacy Network (HAN) is the grassroots, community-organizing program of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s (SFAF) Public Policy Department. HAN mobilizes HIV service providers, advocates and persons living with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS in Northern California to promote sound HIV policy and legislation. Through participation in HAN, Californians who care about the HIV/AIDS pandemic become directly involved in policy making, and learn to advocate effectively at the local, state and federal levels of government. HAN is a respected voice throughout Northern California with more than 1,000 members from the Oregon border to Bakersfield and beyond. Together, HAN members are part of a movement to create change! HAN Keeps You INFORMED! HAN provides members timely information through the following services: Action and Informational Alerts Sent via fax, mail and e-mail, these alerts brief members on breaking HIV policy developments and include suggestions for urgent grassroots action. From time to time, HAN also provides informational mailings with in-depth information on specific issues. HIV Policy Watch Distributed 10 times a year via mail and email, HIV Policy Watch updates members on federal and state HIV policy developments. www.SFAF.org Current and archival issues of HIV Policy Watch, press releases, position papers, and legislative contact information are posted on SFAF’s website at www.sfaf.org. See the Hot Topics buttons on the Policy page for in-depth information and links related to key issues. Policy Briefings/Roundtables HAN members are invited to take part in briefings and roundtables on various HIV policy issues. At these events, SFAF policy staff and other policy and legislative experts update participants on current events and solicit input from community members. HAN Enhances Your Voice! HAN helps members learn and use new advocacy skills by offering the following: Advocacy Conferences Each year, HAN hosts a grassroots advocacy conference that includes briefings on current and emerging HIV/AIDS policy issues, as well as skills-building workshops that teach members how to use various advocacy tools to enhance local grassroots efforts (e.g. conducting legislative visits, use of the media, etc.). Advocacy Trainings HAN collaborates with agencies throughout Northern California to develop trainings for local residents that are tailored to the specific issues and needs that advocates face in different areas and in different communities affected by HIV/AIDS. Lobby Days HAN is a lead organization involved in outreach for Northern Californians who attend lobby days in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. (such as AIDSWatch). HAN helps organize dynamic events that empower participants and influence policy. District Meetings HAN offers information and technical assistance to members who want to organize meetings with elected officials in their local district offices so that legislators hear directly about issues that are important to people living with HIV/AIDS. Letters, Phone Calls and Emails HAN Action Alerts provide information that members can use to contact legislators or other policy makers. HAN also offers an on-line legislative directory with email links to all members of Congress and the State Legislature from Northern California. Remember: Your Voice Counts, But Only if You Use It! HAN Member Responsibilities While HAN has over 1,000 members, it’s only as powerful and influential as the actions its members take individually and collectively. Each HAN member is vitally important to the effectiveness of the network, and each member is responsible for its success. There are many different ways you can get involved in grassroots advocacy; the important thing is to participate, whether it’s by taking part in a Lobby Day, calling or writing your elected officials, or meeting with your legislators. Though HAN membership is FREE, we ask that members take seriously their responsibility to be informed, get involved and take action! Section II ONE VOICE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE How YOU Can Create Change You don’t need to be a professional lobbyist to influence how HIV/AIDS policy and legislation is created. All you need is personal experience, factual information to back up your personal expertise, and knowledge of who the key decision-makers are and what is most likely to influence them. SFAF’s HIV Advocacy Network (HAN) has factual and political information to help you Register and Vote to End AIDS! in this effort. But really, it all starts with you! One of the most important actions you can take to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic is to learn about the If you, or someone close to you issues and vote. Contact your local county registrar is living with HIV/AIDS, or you who can help you register to vote or if you have access to the Internet, the California Secretary of State home work in a community-based page (http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections.htm) agency that provides HIV provides an online voter registration information.