Transcript Planning an Early Childhood Legislative Breakfast

Planning an Early Childhood
Leadership Breakfast
June 1, 2006
First Steps
• Establish a Public Policy Committee
– Designate Breakfast Subcommittee
– Assign staff
– State goals (written) for Partners and Co-hosts
• Determine Budget
• Seek Partner/Partners
• Consider Co-host options, be strategic
– Democrat
– Republican
First Steps
• Legislative Co-host options
– Opportunity to groom a children’s
champion? Newly elected?
– Well respected
– Interested in children’s issues
– Ongoing relationship
– Connection to Business supporter
• Decide PR issues
First Steps
• Consider potential locations
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Accessible
Rush hour traffic
Parking
Food options
Comfortable room set-up
AV Equipment hook-up/availability
Determine Date
• Minimum one month after Governor’s
Budget is released is recommended
– Analyze children’s budget
– Time to determine “The Ask”
• March, or April - to coincide with Week
of the Young Child
• Friday is usually best for Legislators in
their home district
• Check calendar and local community
events for any possible conflicts
Timeline
July/August
Establish budget for breakfast and designate
primary staff person
September
Subcommittee discuss focus for Breakfast
If annual, consider logical progression of topics
Decide two (or three) possible dates
October
Make recommendations to CE Board
Timeline
Mid October
Confirm Partners (and funders)
Decide focus
Subcommittee (and partners) brainstorm for
speakers
Begin gathering supportive materials for packets
Decide invitation list (Legislators, Business, others)
November
Finalize Co-chairs, ask to hold possible dates
Ask location event coordinator to hold possible dates
Timeline
November
Subcommittee review suggested speakers
Final preparation of mailing list
Include fax numbers for sending reminders
Check position/titles as well as names
Any “special” invitations, ie, Mayor, law enforcement
December
Decide date
Confirm Keynote speaker (Check with Co-hosts)
Mail “Save the Date” Cards (or after 1st of Jan)
Timeline
January
Set up database for responses to invitations
Draft Invitation letters for Co-hosts to send
Draft invitation letter to the “others”
End of January
Visit Co-hosts, approve invitation letter
Establish administrative contacts in Co-hosts offices
For obtaining signatures
For determining “to whom” invitations will be sent
For any last minute issues
Timeline
February
1st Tuesday - Get the Governor’s Budget
Finalize all speakers and agenda
“Coordinate” sending invitations to Legislators
Send invitations to “others”
Establish RSVP date
Mid February
Finalize travel arrangements, AV and other needs
Review PR decision
Write “Talking Points” for calls to legislators
Timeline
March
Get final budget analysis from PPC
Draft “Ask” for Board approval
Draft Scripts for Co-hosts (and MC if applicable)
Print/copy all materials for packets
Check RSVPs 10 days prior to event
Fax reminders to those legislators who have not
responded
Calls to legislators (from those who live in their
district) to encourage attendance
Timeline
March
Visit Co-hosts, get approval for Scripts
Complete nametags
(Have nametags ready for all legislators - even if they
did not RSVP)
Complete packets
Finalize count with location event coordinator
Send out Press Release (if applicable)
Rules for the Event
• Start on time
• End on time
• Have Co-hosts recognize other elected
officials and dignataries in audience
(elected officials will do this as a matter
of course, but you can help by doing a list
prior to the opening)
• Don’t surprise your co-hosts!
Sample “Save the Date”
DRAFT
PLEASE HOLD THIS DATE!!
March 31, 2006
8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
SEVENTH ANNUAL LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST
THE LONG TERM BENEFITS OF INVESTING IN PRESCHOOL
hosted by
Representative Dan Frankel and Representative Tom Stevenson
Keynote speaker
Attorney General Tom Corbett
sponsored by the
University of Pittsburgh, Institute of Politics
United Way of Westmoreland County
location
Pittsburgh Athletic Association—Pittsburgh, PA (Oakland) For
more information call 412-624-1837
February 12, 2006
«Prefix» «FirstName» «LastName», «Title»
«Organization»
«AddressLine1»
«City», «State» «Zip»
Dear «Prefix» «LastName»:
We are writing to invite you to the Seventh Annual Early Childhood
Legislative/Leadership Breakfast, March 31, 2006. The event will be held at the
Pittsburgh Athletic Association (PAA) located at 4215 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh,
PA. The breakfast is sponsored by United Way of Westmoreland County, PNC
Corporation and the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics.
Our keynote speaker is Attorney General Tom Corbett, whose unique
perspective will provide information about the long term benefits of investing in
early childhood programs and services, the future savings to government and
benefits to society; including increased school success and desired social
behaviors.
Also presenting is Ms. Donna Cooper, Director, Governor’s Office of Policy
and Planning. Ms. Cooper will describe the Administration’s funding
proposals for investing in early education and child care as strategies for
helping children become successful productive adults.
We look forward to your attendance as a member of our regional delegation
so that we may collectively further our understanding of the importance of
early education and seriously begin to work in a bipartisan way to support the
needs of children and families in Western Pennsylvania.
As always, out of respect for your time, we will start the program promptly at
8:30 A.M. and end by 9:45 A.M. A continental breakfast will be provided
beginning at 8:00 A.M.
Please R.S.V.P. to the Institute of Politics, 412-624-7780 by March 23, 2006. If
you have any questions, or need further information, please don’t hesitate to
contact Martha Isler, 412-421-5049.
We look forward to seeing you on March 31st.
Sincerely,
DAN B. FRANKEL
State Representative
TOM STEVENSON
State representative
Letters/Mailings/ Nametags
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All invitations to legislators should be on “General Assembly”
letterhead
When writing a letter to a legislature all salutations should say
Senator or Representative (i.e., Dear Senator Costa)
When addressing an envelope to a legislature write Honorable
(i.e., The Honorable Dan Frankel).
All mailings must go to legislator’s Harrisburg office (for
scheduling) Copy staff in local office if you have a relationship
The mailing list must be finalized with correct spelling and titles
several months prior to first mailing (save the date cards).
Always have “Representative” or “Senator” listed on the
nametag, have a nametag ready for all invited even if they did not
respond or RSVP’d “No.”
Always have nametags for all CE staff, consultants and Subcommittee members.
Packets
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Packets should be completed at least two days prior to
the event
“Scripts” must be included in all speakers/presenters
packets (in case they forget to bring the one you
provided earlier.)
Include a list of planning committee members in the
packets
A “dummy” packet should be completed with all
information included and in the order it should be
placed, left side and right side using a logical sequence
- this packet is usually referenced by the MC (or Cohost) and also provides speaker materials and
probably the speakers PowerPoint slides for notetaking.
Sample Agenda
PNC
United Way of Westmoreland County
and the
University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics
Presents
The Seventh Annual Early Childhood Legislative/Leadership Breakfast
Friday, March 31, 2006
Pittsburgh Athletic Association
4215 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
PROGRAM AGENDA
8:00 AM REGISTRATION AND CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
8:30 Welcome and Remarks by The Honorable Dan Frankel, Member, PA House of
Representatives
Remarks and Introduction by The Honorable Tom Stevenson, Member, PA House of
Representatives
8:35 Attorney General Tom Corbett, The Long-term Benefits of Investing in Preschool
9:00 Ms. Donna Cooper, Secretary of Policy and Planning, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
Overview of Governor Rendell’s Proposals to Increase Investments in Early Childhood
9:20 Q & A and Closing Remarks by The Honorable Dan Frankel, Member, PA House of
Representatives
9:30 AM
ADJORN
Day of Event
Have staff/committee members/volunteers
available to greet legislators
Note elected officials attending
Ask participants who live in legislators
districts to introduce themselves to their
representative
• Track attendance
• Photos for Newsletters (digital can be sent to
co- hosts too)
Debriefing
• Use list of attendees for report
• Copies of remarks or notes for future reference
• Visit (send letters to) legislators who did not attend
– Deliver packet of materials and “The Ask”
• Thank you letters to Co-hosts
• Thank you letters to Speakers
• Thank you letters to legislators who attended
• Review budget
• Make recommendations for next year