SUBMIT A TA REQUEST
What is Technical Assistance?
We support advocacy campaigns by mobilizing communities, advancing science and research through communications and messaging expertise, and other forms of technical assistance, including capacity building for organizations.
To receive technical assistance from Voices for Healthy Kids please submit a request through the Technical Assistance Portal.
Technical Assistance Areas
Branding: Use of any Voices the Healthy Kids logo is limited, and requests will be reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis.
Coalition & Community Engagement: Coalition and community engagement includes, but is not limited to, the development of materials and resources which can help strengthen and grow your coalition through meaningful engagement of key stakeholders.
Data Support: Technical assistance to help you access data to support your campaigns or build your coalition. If you have data needs, we would like to help. We use the mySidewalk data platform to create reports and maps that you can share with policy makers and stakeholders. View an example of the type of reports that we can develop.
Decision Maker Advocacy: Decision Maker Advocacy includes technical assistance that is specific to engaging key officials and decision makers who have the power to give you what you want in your campaign.
Grassroots Engagement: Grassroots Engagement consists of development of grassroots campaign planning and activation of tactics to engage community members, key stakeholders and decision makers. Resource Available: Grassroots Toolkit
Examples Include: Assisting with the creation of action alerts and other communications; launch action alerts on behalf of your coalition to the Voices for Healthy Kids network within your respective state and/or community; provide you with an action alert for you to launch within your systems; text to join; Social media engagement.
Health Equity and Racial Justice: Voices for Healthy Kids equity vision is for children and their families to be free from oppressive conditions that limit their overall quality of life and wellbeing. Achieving this bold vision includes listening to, creating space for, centering, and trusting Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander or from families who have low income, in all areas of our work. We are committed to challenging ourselves and how we operate to prioritize their needs and strategies. Resource Available: Health Equity Message Guide
Legal Review: Legal review is available to Voices for Healthy Kids grantees and AHA Campaigns.
Local Polling and Focus Groups: Technical assistance for polling, focus groups and other research. Resource Available: Public Opinion Research Planning
Media Advocacy: Media advocacy technical assistance provides support on media advocacy strategy and tactics including: developing inclusive language for campaign materials; communications and media advocacy planning; message development; customized messaging; spokesperson coaching and training; media relations; editorial board meetings; media or press conferences and events; media roundtables; press releases, op-eds and letters-to-the-editor; story pitching, social media consultation, digital engagement consultation and material and resource review and approval. Resources Available: Media Advocacy Guidebooks, Planning Worksheets and Tip Sheets
National Collaborator Engagement: Voices for Healthy Kids works to connect campaigns with other leaders in the movement.
Policy Language Development: Technical assistance for policy language development.
Policy Language Review: Technical assistance for policy language review (e.g. legislation, regulation, ordinance, executive order, etc.) review ensures the policy is written in a way that results in a positive health impact. Policy language should be submitted for review as early in the process as possible.
Research Technical Assistance: Voices for Healthy Kids will do its best to answer targeted research questions identified within campaigns. These questions can be tied to policy passage, implementation, or evaluation. Please note that in some cases the answers may not be there due to the nature of emerging policy.
Science Review: Voices for Healthy Kids has a science review process in place to ensure that emerging science is correctly translated and that all materials are firmly rooted in the American Heart Association’s tradition of rigorous review. Start early! Science review can take 10 business days to be completed (with an additional 1 to 2 weeks for revisions).
Don’t have time? Use Fast Facts. To reduce review time, materials developed using facts from these documents exactly as they are written will not need additional science review, which will reduce the overall product review time. If additional science to the Fast Facts is included, you must go through science review.
The following types of documents MUST go through science review: All documents that are intended for public dissemination that include statistics, statements of fact, or make scientific claims and/or those that include the American Heart Association (AHA) or Voices for Healthy Kids branding OR materials were paid for by grant dollars.
Subject Matter Expertise: Subject matter expertise provides your campaign with more in-depth information on the policy you are seeking to change. This can include examples from other states/communities, programs, campaigns, etc.
Sustainability and Fundraising: Technical assistance around exploring, identifying or leveraging additional funding opportunities for grantees to advance campaign goals. In addition to funding, technical assistance efforts can be focused on sustainability through partnerships or evaluation efforts. Solutions will be tailored to your needs.
Training and Capacity Building: Voices for Healthy Kids is committed to supporting campaigns by providing training and capacity building opportunities by offering a robust training curriculum, including personalized presentations, skills labs, workshops, etc..
Translation Services: Supports campaigns to have campaign materials in languages other than English.