Tools, ideas, and plans to help you organize within your own community.

The tool kit has some of the organizing tools we have found useful in planning community activites for organizing to reform our health system.

ONLINE TOOLS

http://www.vcn.bc.ca/citizens-handbook/ One of the most complete grassroots organizing guides available on the Internet. A gift from our Canadian friends, designed for a group in Vancouver, it includes information on basic organizing, community projects and links to other resources.

http://www.benton.org/Practice/Toolkit/ A toolkit to develop your ideas and communicating them in our current digital age.

http://ctb.lsi.ukans.edu/ A project of the University of Kansas. Focuses on community health and development and bringing people and resources together. A practical guide to many resources. Includes a troubleshooting guide to help you assess what you are doing right and how you could do some things better.

http://www.justhealthcare.org/ "Everything you need to know about the crisis in health care and what to do about it." A workbook of activities, developed by the Debs-Jones-Douglas Institute. Creative activities for groups and individuals to learn more about status of current health system and health care reform. Can be downloaded from this site.

http://www.talkingquality.gov/general/map.htmThis site is sponsored by federal agencies concerned with health care communication. Although most of site discusses health care quality, the tools and ideas are useful for anyone attempting to convey health information. Also includes a downloadable workbook: http://www.talkingquality.gov/Workbook/workbook.htm

Press kits are informational packets that describe your organization, its goals and activities. Their primary purpose is to introduce your organization to the media, policymakers, and other interested individuals.

Press kits are not just for the press! They are an important tool to disseminate information on your issues and other newsworthy materials to the public. They also serve to establish your group as a resource for the media on issues related to women's health and health care reform.

Write a Cover Memo

• The purpose of the cover memo is to briefly introduce your group as a resource on the issue and to describe the materials included in the packet. Remember to include a contact name and phone number for further information .

Write a One-page Description of Your Group

• This should outline your group's goals and activities. Include a local contact person and phone number. Include information on your membership, noting different local and national organizations who are affiliated with your group.

Include Statistical Information

• Statistics on the status of women's health will help support your argument about the need for reform that is sensitive to women's concerns. WUHI will provide some general statistics on this site. If you have other statistical information on the status of women's health for your community or group, create your own Talking Points for the press kit.

Include a Longer Policy Piece

• Longer pieces will provide the in-depth information on these issues that many will want. If your group has access to other materials that speak well to these issues, include them as well.

Compile Press Clips

• If your group has already been featured in the press, you should include copies of these articles. In addition, you might want to include any previously published articles or op-eds on health care reform or women's health that articulate your issues well. These clips will inform the public about the "newsworthiness" of your group and its issues.

Include Press Releases When Appropriate

• If your group has recently issued a press release commenting on an issue or an event, include it in the packet until it is no longer timely.

Media contacts are the people working in the media with whom you have some special relationship. The importance of establishing and cultivating strong contacts with the media cannot be underestimated. The extra energy invested in creating and nurturing these relationships will reap great rewards for your group.

Identify Potential Contacts

• Make a list of reporters, programs and publications that might be sympathetic to your cause. Take note of reporters who write columns or editorials on women's and/or health issues in local or regional newspapers. Find out who produces local radio or television talk shows that might feature women's health as a topic. Call newspaper offices, radio and television stations and ask for the names of their health/women's issues editors and reporters.

Call Potential Contacts

• Call each contact name on your list to introduce yourself and your group. Let them know that you are interested in having them produce a story on women's concerns in health care reform. Offer to send them a Press Kit to give them more information about your organization and its goals. Tell them about your Resource List of local "experts" on women's health issues and offer to send it to them for use in future articles on women's health. Offer to arrange a meeting between your "expert" and contacts if they are interested. Most important, let them know of your interest in acting as a resource to them on this subject. Make sure they know your email address, fax number, phone number and availability.

Create a List of Contacts

• Create a list of all contacts who seemed receptive to your initial call. Include on it their name, position, the media outlet (e.g., newspaper, television program, magazine, etc.) they are associated with, their address, email address, phone number, and some fax numbers. This will be an invaluable tool later if your group needs to contact a friendly reporter on short notice.

Cultivate the Relationship

• Work on nurturing and sustaining a relationship with the contacts you have established. Keep them informed of your issues by sending them clippings or any press releases your group issues. Periodically send them notes reminding them that you are available to assist them in locating subjects for their piece on women's concerns in health care reform. Send them any op-eds, editorials, notices of television or radio programs on women's health issues, or other information dealing with women and health care reform. This verifies the "newsworthiness" of this topic and may provide them with an incentive to produce their own materials on the subject.

Remember:

• Media connections are mutually beneficial! Just as you want your message to be publicized or aired, media people want health care information and access to health care experts.