selling your work through statistics and stories...selling your story to the media (cont.) have...

1 A nonprofit service and advocacy organization © 2014 National Council on Aging

July 2014

Selling Your Work Through Statistics and Stories

Audio Portion: 1-866-740-1260 Web Portion: www.ReadyTalk.com

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A nonprofit service and advocacy organization © 2014 National Council on Aging

What we’ll cover today

Sharing your story: why and how Supplementing your story with data

• Medicare population and benefits access visualization tool • LIS eligibility mapping tool • Other resources to gather statistics

Communicating with different audiences • Policymakers/Congress • Media

Examples/successes

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Sharing your story: Why and how

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Why tell a story?

We all tell stories to get our point across… Elected officials, media, activists, and funders are

best swayed/enlisted once we put a face on an issue. Giving voice—particularly to someone who is

vulnerable or disenfranchised (threatened/trapped/powerless)—has enormous impact.

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How to tell a story

Determine who your audience is Start with the problem Give an example of a specific person who was struggling to

pay for health care, prescriptions, etc. and how this impacted their health and financial well-being

Explain how your action helped What services did you provide? What benefits did the person

receive? What were the benefits worth (in dollars)? How has this improved their situation?

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How to tell a story (cont.)

Frame the problem in a broader context Provide statistics on how this problem affects the

greater community: How many seniors are missing out on benefits? How many show up at your office facing hunger/debt/foreclosure?

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How to tell a story (cont.)

Engage the audience as part of the solution Explain their role in enabling more people like the

one served to receive help (e.g., providing funding, spreading the word)

Provide a specific action for the reader to take Reiterate the problem and the key role your

organization plays in the solution What would happen if your services disappeared?

What niche do you fill?

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Incorporating photos and videos

Photos and videos of actual clients bring more power to stories, but first you should: Explain to the client how the story will be used Seek written consent for using their story, image,

name, and details (electronic consent form is built into BEC reporting tool)

Follow up with them once the story is published/used

Photos should be high-resolution (300 dpi) if possible

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Supplementing your story with data

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Two types of data, two ways to talk about impact

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Quantitative Numbers Statistics Metrics

Qualitative Words Stories

Narratives

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Quantitative Data

Advantages Clear and specific Can overlay large, publicly available data with proprietary data Easy to communicate through charts and graphs Allows overarching analysis of impact in the aggregate

Limitations Analysis has a somewhat steep learning curve Impersonal Lacks nuance Charts and graphs are easy to make a mess of

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Qualitative Data

Advantages Allows for a nuanced understanding of programs and impact Stories can be deeply personal and create a connection with

the audience Relatively simple to collect and analyze

Limitations Stories may not be representative of the population as a whole Analysis can be time-consuming and subjective Can be hard to communicate

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Collecting Quantitative Data

Tools for collecting data: • Surveys • Forms • Spreadsheets • Databases

For grantee reporting, NCOA uses Form Assembly

forms, which connect to our Salesforce database, from which data is easily extracted. Online forms can replace Excel spreadsheets as a way to collect information from multiple grantees or sub-grantees.

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Visualizing Quantitative Data

Plenty of options • Charts • Graphs • Maps • Visualizations

Pick the right tool for the job. Remember that

context is king, and that your visualization should be able to stand on its own.

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Visualizing Quantitative Data

Pie charts: just say no.

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Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 © 2014 National Council on Aging

Visualizing benefits access

www.ncoa.org/benefitsmap Profile of Medicare population and enrollment in core

benefits

http://www.ncoa.org/benefitsmap

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Visualizing LIS eligibility

www.ncoa.org/LISmap County-level data on people likely eligible for but not

enrolled in LIS

http://www.ncoa.org/LISmap


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Other resources for statistics

American Fact Finder of the U.S. Census: http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml • Population demographics • Income, education, housing • Searchable down to zip code level

Aging Integrated Database (AGID) from Administration for Community Living: http://www.agid.acl.gov/ • Specific to aging population and programs

http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml

http://www.agid.acl.gov/

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Other resources for statistics (cont.)

State Health Facts from Kaiser Family Foundation: http://kff.org/statedata/ • Medicare & Medicaid enrollment, prescription drug plans,

Medicare spending

Current Population Survey Table Creator: http://www.census.gov/cps/data/cpstablecreator.html National and state data on poverty, other data

Medicare Chronic Conditions Data Dashboard: http://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Chronic-Conditions/CCDashboard.html

http://kff.org/statedata/

http://www.census.gov/cps/data/cpstablecreator.html

http://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Chronic-Conditions/CCDashboard.html



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Communicating with different audiences

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Communicating with policymakers

Make it personal! Use storytelling tips noted earlier (specific example, statistics, call to action)

Congress likes to hear about how programs are helping people

Share regularly, not just when there’s a problem Don’t always be negative

• You can share problems/struggles but it’s also nice to share what works and a positive result

• Offer to help them connect their constituents to benefits

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Communicating with Congress

Email or telephone is quicker • Sending a letter through the postal service can sometimes

take weeks, because every piece of mail in DC goes through strict security scans for dangerous substances

Cultivate relationships with your Congressional District Office • Invite your Congress person and their staff to see your work • Leave information behind that they can pass along • Attend local meet-and-greets

Write letters to your local newspaper

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Selling your story to the media

Determine your message See whether you want to write a press release or media

advisory • PRs target broad audience, often go over wire services • Media advisories are good for inviting select media to events

Identify local reporters who regularly cover related topics and reach out to them • Health • Consumer/financial matters • Seniors/aging

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Selling your story to the media (cont.)

Have elements of the story ready to go when sending a query and the angle tailored to the reporter • Persons willing to be interviewed (you, staff, clients) who’ve

helped/been helped • Statistics • Why the issue matters to your community

Offer exclusivity (don’t query every reporter at once) unless you’re hosting an event

Follow up with media

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Examples/successes

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Sample story: Mr. Buddy, Alabama

Age 66, income of $3,846/yr. $600 behind on rent, about to lose his trailer Baldwin Council on Aging and South Alabama Regional

Planning Commission (SARPC) helped Mr. Buddy complete a BenefitsCheckUp® screening, where he screened eligible for: • $263 per month in Supplemental Security Income benefits • $110.50 per month to pay his Medicare premium • $17 per month to help pay for food • $400 in back rent from local charity

http://www.ncoa.org/enhance-economic-security/benefits-access/double-the-income-financial.html




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Sample story: Alaska

GB came into the Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) for Medicare Part D counseling. She was having her medication filled through a mail order pharmacy, as she had been told that this was the cheapest option. The ADRC found that using a mail-order pharmacy was more than double the cost of filling her medications at a retail pharmacy. With Part D education and counseling, GB was able to stay on the same plan, but save $2,907 annually, just by switching her pharmacy. In addition, she received application assistance and education regarding manufacturer financial assistance programs which would help pay for the cost of her brand name pharmaceuticals, saving her even more money.

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Success with media: MMAP

62,000 Michigan Medicare beneficiaries missing out on Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS)

Aging network reached out to Detroit Free Press reporter with message about value of LIS; gathered: • Statistics about missing benefits, poverty in state • Contacts at local agencies, including a caregiver whose mother was

helped by getting the benefit • Info on where seniors could go for more information

Resulting story was front page news on March 28, 2014: http://www.freep.com/article/20140328/NEWS06/303280011/Senior-Medicare-savings

Generated 100% increase in calls to local AAAs about LIS

http://www.freep.com/article/20140328/NEWS06/303280011/Senior-Medicare-savings

http://www.freep.com/article/20140328/NEWS06/303280011/Senior-Medicare-savings

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Other sample stories

Jesus and Maria Cardenas from Texas: http://www.ncoa.org/enhance-economic-security/center-for-benefits/becs/finding-affordable-medicine.html

Jackie T. from Georgia: http://www.ncoa.org/enhance-economic-security/center-for-benefits/becs/restoring-sight-and-peace.html

http://www.ncoa.org/enhance-economic-security/center-for-benefits/becs/finding-affordable-medicine.html




http://www.ncoa.org/enhance-economic-security/center-for-benefits/becs/restoring-sight-and-peace.html




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Tools and resources

Advocacy toolkit: www.ncoa.org/toolkit • 10 tips for gathering and telling stories • Fact sheets and statistics • Find your members of Congress • Key Congressional words and definitions • How to write to Congress, visit your Congress person, and

follow up with them • Distinguishing between lobbying and advocacy/education

LIS mapping tool: www.ncoa.org/LISmap Benefits mapping tool: www.ncoa.org/benefitsmap

http://www.ncoa.org/toolkit


http://www.ncoa.org/benefitsmap

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Contact us

Brandy Bauer

[email protected]

Conor McGovern [email protected]

Stay tuned for our next webinar, August 27, on troubleshooting and appeals for SNAP!

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

selling your work through statistics and stories...selling your story to the media (cont.) have...

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