Your WIC Voice Toolkit

No one knows WIC as well as WIC staff! That knowledge and experience present you and your colleagues with the unique opportunity to be a Voice for WIC. The National WIC Association has an online toolkit to walk you through a variety of advocacy activities with tips, worksheets, and examples of how you can elevate Your WIC Voice.

In this toolkit you will find:

• Why Education Matters! Information about why it’s important to talk about WIC on a local, state and national level.
• Advocacy vs Lobbying - What are they? How are they different?
• Funding Basics - A quick explanation of how WIC is funded.
• How to Engage Partners - Strength in Numbers! Coming soon
• Key Messages - Important messages for 2016 and every year along with tips for how to tailor messages and talking points.
• Talking Points -Important points to support our 2016 Key Messages.
• Developing Your Messages - A worksheet to help you develop messages about WIC for policymakers, the media, or community groups about WIC.
• Contacting Elected Officials - Now that you’ve got your talking points created, here are some tips for contacting policymakers.
• Something Bad Happened! At some point, you will probably need to respond to something negative, here is some advice. Coming soon
• Talking to the Media - Doing media interviews is a great way to raise Your WIC Voice. We’ve put together a few tips to help you prepare.
• How to Pitch a Story - Don’t just wait for the media to notice WIC, reach out and let them know what you’re up to!
• Writing an Op-Ed - Op-eds are a great way to reach more people. See our guide for writing and submitting.

Additional resources:

We are here to support you as you use and develop Your WIC Voice. If you need help with any of the topics included in this tool kit or simply want to run an idea by us, please call 202- 232-5492.

• Center for Science in the Public Interest's Food Day Media How-to Guide
• From the CDC: The Health Communicator's Social Media Tooklit
• Sample Media Advisory and Press Release from 2015 Food Day
• Media Training from the NWA 2015 Washington Leadership Conference

Where Can I Learn More About Current WIC Policy Issues?

• 2018 WIC Funding Agenda
• 2017 WIC Legislative Priorities
• WIC Funding Process

What Can I Do to Help?

• Email, call or visit your representative. Use this search tool to find your elected officials and their contact info.

What Should I Say to My Representative?

• Share your State’s WIC profile for state-specific data and participant stories.
• Watch what other NWA members had to say about talking with policymakers in the video below.

Is This Advocacy or Lobbying?

• This is a lobbying activity. If your job is funded through the government, you can send the email during your break time or after work.
• Not all advocacy efforts are lobbying. Advocacy is not lobbying when you’re informing members of Congress about WIC, and highlighting WIC’s achievements: You are educat­ing policymakers about WIC. This helps promote a positive image of WIC, and hopefully translates into favorable WIC policies in the future.
• Examples of Non-Lobbying Advocacy: Clearing up misconceptions about WIC; Explaining the positive impacts of the improved WIC food packages; Describing the importance of Breastfeeding Peer Counselors and convey WIC successes.
• For more specifics, read Advocacy vs. Lobbying.

Other WIC-Related Advocacy

We engage in various public health-related advocacy issues. Check back for updates on other ways you can take action to support WIC!

How Can I Learn More About WIC Policy?

Contact our government affairs team:

• Elisabet Eppes, eeppes@nwica.org, Senior Associate, Federal Government Affairs
• Alison Hard, ahard@nwica.org, Senior Associate, Federal Government Affairs