NCADD Advocacy

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. BUILDING BLOCKS ADVOCACY SERIES Spring 2001 Volume 1, Issue 1
PART TWO: TYPES OF ADVOCACY EFFORTS  Four types of advocacy efforts make up campaigns to effect the passage of legislation.  The best campaigns use all four types in their outreach activities.
TYPE	DEFINITION	TARGET	ACTIVITIES
COMMUNITY ADVOCACY	Speaking to an entire community on your issue	Population of a city, town, municipality.	Host or sponsor promotional events: marathons, cultural/entertainment events and distribute educational/informational brochures and give-away items.
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY	Attempting to shape public policy to affect the laws of a government entity.	Coalitions  Grasstops & Grassroots Advocacy Groups  Town Halls	Develop key statistical information about your issue and distribute to interested parties. The information you should include:  Issue Briefs  Action Letters  Letter and Email communication campaigns.
ADVERTISING	Packaging your message and other pertinent information for distribution to advertising mediums.	Newspapers, journals, magazines, TV and radio stations.	Select a target audience: the group of people you hope to engage in your issue. Develop messages that will resonate with your key audience.
PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MEDIA OUTREACH	Outreach to media educate the public about your issue.	Newspapers, television news broadcasts, entertainment industry scriptwriters.	Write and send press releases to your local media;  Develop "pitch points" and/or other key information to explain why the "news" is worthy of news coverage;  Follow-up your press release with phone calls -- use your "pitch points."
Get started on your own advocacy effort now! The NCADD Fight for Fairness Tool Kit has easy steps to help pass legislation in the US Congress that would end discrimination in health plans for substance abuse treatment. NCADD needs you to ACT NOW!

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

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