Why are the various sectors at the table?
Religion
Families/Congregation
Knows someone effected
Resources
Protecting family (congregation)
Character
Disseminate information (message to congregation)
Alternate activities for youth
Adults as role models in the community
Substance abuse coalitions
Same goals
Turf wars
Duplication of services
Alignment of strategies/gaps
Value of what we are doing
Sharing information
Business
Policy change will affect you
OWI’s affect employee transportation
Creating safe community makes city more attractive
Need to support communities with money, here’s a process that works.
Healthy community equals business sustainability
Media
An intriguing story
Getting the scoop
How will the story connect to emotions
Access to unknown information
Fostering a connection with positive community messages
Parents
Presenting statistics
Awareness
Feel their kids may not be a risk, but perhaps the kids their kids hang out with will negatively influence
them
Bringing parents to the table that need it
Want kids to be safe
Want kids to be successful, supported, and connected when making decisions
Public Health
Consequences of use
Health of community
Costs and how far funds stretch
Scope of service
Prioritizing
Accessibility and visibility
Law Enforcement
Public safety
Politics
Costs/funding
Community relationships
Time
Amount of manpower for tasks
Paperwork
Personal safety
Media Portrayal
Food
School Districts
Buy in
Ownership
Benefits to youth, family and schools
Coalitions/Collaborations councils need the schools to reach the community.
Message Communication 101
Communicating your message is about creating a story. Relationships create stories. Relationships are
a two-way street. People hear what is important to them. People will remember how you made them
feel beyond anything that you say. It’s important to keep in mind what brings them to the table beyond
their job title. It’s about finding what motivates them and what they contribute to the overall story.
Another way to think about this is the What?, So What?, Now What? cyclical process as it builds the
community story.
Before you reach out to an intended audience, know what you want and why you are reaching out to
them. Practice what you will say without grant-specific jargon.
Step 1. Identify a broad community issue that resonates with your audience. Perception, not reality,
drives our actions. What is the issue?
Step 2. Connect the perception to data or developmental fact. Help people connect subjective beliefs
to objective data. This becomes the why we do what we are doing. So What? Why do we care?
Step 3. Identify either what you are doing or what you would like them to do. People want to know
what you need them to do. Now what are we going to do about it? Does your ask resonate with the
capacity of your audience?
Elevator Speech Examples
Communication the SPF in general:
Change doesn’t happen overnight and it usually requires effort. When we have a plan that’s based on
address the key factors contributing to the issues of binge drinking/underage drinking, we are much
more likely to be successful as a county. This process is about identifying the underlying factors
contributing to our own community issues, and develop a plan complete with proven strategies that will
allow us to do the most with our limited resources. Your knowledge of the community and the issue is
key to our success and that’s why we would like you to join the community collaborative.
Healthy kids and families contribute to the well-being of our communities – making us more
economically stable and successful in meeting our local needs. The data shows us x% of our
youth/adult population is engaging in unhealthy behaviors, such as underage drinking/binge drinking.
This sends the message to our kids that drinking/drinking in excess is normal. To create a healthier
community, we are implementing a planning process that can make sure we are using our resources
most effectively to address the use of alcohol in our community. Your perspective is vital to this process
and we would like your involvement. What do you feel your level of commitment could be?
Example: Communicating to a community member
When mailboxes are smashed in our community, it can be really frustrating. A youth’s brain is still
developing and it can be difficult for a youth to make positive decisions. When kids drink, they are even
more unlikely to make good decisions. Youth are telling us they are accessing alcohol in x location.
Would you be willing to help us address the issue by talking to your neighbors about locking up their
liquor cabinets (chosen environmental strategy)?
Example: Bar owner
These economic times seem to be hard on everyone, particularly small business owners like yourself. I
can imagine the policies our work group implements may result in fines from serving underage
customers. I’d like to invite you to the table to discuss how we can address these issues in our
community so we can all get our needs met.
Example: Religious institution
Binge drinking and underage drinking is an issue that may impact your congregation. We know that x%
of young people in our county report drinking in the past 30 days. While this may not be members of
your congregation, the youth and families in your congregation are dealing with these issues. I would
like your input in our coalition and your assistance in implementing the appropriate/proven strategies
that the group feels will best address the need.
Example: Media
We know the consequences of alcohol use can have devastating effects on families. As a matter of fact,
x county ranks number __ in the state in child abuse and poverty, both of which are impacted by alcohol
use. We would like you to be involved in developing a media campaign aimed at increasing awareness
about adult binge drinking.
Example: Guidance Counselor
As a high school guidance counselor, you want your students to graduate. The use of alcohol can inhibit
the successfulness of our students. The past three school years, expulsion and suspension rates for
alcohol use have gone down because of the coalition’s implementation of x. We would like you to join
our efforts so we can continue that trend, connect with kids in a different way, and use the coalition as a
resource.
Example: Parents
I know you are a parent with a son heading off to college and we know binge drinking is a concern and
pressure among college students. Would you be willing to come to our next coalition meeting on ___ to
be part of our discussion about how we can help parents/students prepare as the enter college?
Example: Attorney General
Binge drinking and underage drinking is a sensitive topic for many people. We know underage drinking
and binge drinking is a community Issue, a public safety issue, and a health issue. We also know how
busy the county attorney’s office is right now. (Insert a STAT Here!) We will be working on
environmental strategies that are proven to be effective to reduce underage and binge drinking, which
will in turn ultimately reduce your work load. Would you or someone in your office be willing to be
involved in the efforts to reduce underage and binge drinking?