Thank you for joining us to discuss “Overcoming Blue State Barriers to Education
Freedom” at the State Policy Network’s 2023 Annual Meeting. Below is helpful
information recommended by the speakers and sponsors.

Polling:

Ed Choice Public Opinion Tracker:
https://edchoice.morningconsultintelligence.com/
Statewide Survey of Likely General Election Voters in Colorado
(January 26 –27, 2023): https://readycolo.org/wpcontent/uploads/2023/02/20561-ReadyCO-CO-Deck_FINAL.pdf
New Poll (from July ‘23): School Choice Support Soars from 2020:
https://www.federationforchildren.org/new-poll-school-choice-supportsoars-from-2020/

Talking Points:

Countering Myths About Education Choice:
https://www.federationforchildren.org/school-choice-myths/
Example of How to Tell Your Story:
https://www.reimaginedonline.org/2023/03/podcasted-step-up-forstudents-president-doug-tuthill-talks-with-new-hampshire-educationchoice-pioneer-kate-baker-demers/

Research:

Education Savings Accounts: How ESAs Can Promote Educational
Freedom for New York Families and Improve State and Local Finances:
https://manhattan.institute/article/education-savings-accounts-howesas-can-promote-educational-freedom-for-new-york-families-and-improvestate-and-local-finances
Education Entrepreneurship & Innovation Across the US:
https://fee.org/media/43063/education-entrepreneurship-innovation.pdf
EdChoice Research Library: https://www.edchoice.org/research-library/

Model Legislation:

A Guide to Designing Educational Choice Programs:
https://ij.org/report/a-guide-to-designing-educational-choice-programs/
Educational Choice for Children Act (Federal):
https://investineducation.org/school-choice-advocacy/

Coalition Building:

American Federation for Children Voices for Choice:
https://www.federationforchildren.org/voices-for-choice/
Children’s Scholarship Fund Partner Programs:
https://bit.ly/CSFPartners2023
Endorsements for the Education Choice for Children Act (Federal):
https://investineducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ECCAcoalition-endorsements-8-2-23.pdf
65 Organizations, Individuals Call for Enactment of Lifeline
Scholarships (PA):
https://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/2023/06/29/lifelinescholarships-coalition/
National School Choice Week: https://schoolchoiceweek.com/
Building Effective Coalitions: CSF pdf from Kate to come

Participating Organizations:

American Federation for Children:
https://www.federationforchildren.org/
Participant: Corey DeAngelis
California Policy Center: https://californiapolicycenter.org/
Participant: Lance Christensen
Children’s Educational Opportunity Foundation of Connecticut, Inc.:
https://www.ceoct.org/
Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF): https://scholarshipfund.org/
Participant: Kate Baker Demers, CSF NH
Commonwealth Foundation: https://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/
Participant: Jennifer Stefano
Daniels Fund: https://www.danielsfund.org/
Participant: Luke Ragland
EdChoice: https://www.edchoice.org/
Participant: Martin Lueken
Excellent Education for Everyone: https://nje3.org/
Empire Center for Public Policy: https://www.empirecenter.org/
Foundation for Economic Education: https://fee.org/
Participant: Kerry McDonald
Invest in Education: https://investineducation.org/
Manhattan Institute: https://manhattan.institute/
One Chance Illinois: https://www.onechanceillinois.org/
  1. Amp Up Your Social Media: Facebook and other platforms offer free or very low-cost outreach opportunities. You can create and share engaging content about your organization’s mission, achievements, and current projects. Use Ai to help generate content and share content with your  Bridge Blue cohorts
  2. Email Marketing: Collect email addresses and more in your master supporter/donor/volunteer HubSpot for Non Profits database then use these to send out regular updates and appeals. Email platforms like MailChimp and Feathr offer free plans for small to medium-sized lists. Use Chat GPT to develop smart timed messaging with periodic follow ups.
  3. Anedot for Donations: With Anedot, you can easily collect donations online. Promote this platform on all of your communication channels and embed a link on your website and in emails to make it easy for people to donate.
  4. Tele Town Text Town Halls: TTHM allows you to reach a large audience through virtual town hall meetings. You can use this inexpensive texting tool to connect with supporters, update them on your organization’s activities, and use the one-question poll feature to engage and get feedback.
  5. Facebook Custom Audiences: Use your engagement data to build custom audiences on Facebook. These audiences can consist of people who’ve interacted with your content or who are similar to your existing supporters. You can target your posts and ads directly to these audiences to increase engagement.
  6. Like Targeting and Voter Files: Match existing supporters to information on potential supporters through like targeting. Using voter files, you can identify people who might support your organization’s cause. Contact these potential supporters directly, either through social media, email, or physical mail.
  7. Use Online Polling and Survey Tools: Use tools like Google Forms and SurveyMonkey to create and distribute surveys and polls. These tools can help you collect valuable data about potential supporters’ interests and preferences, allowing you to tailor your messaging to their needs.
    1. West Virginia Parent Survey
    2. New Jersey Parent/Legislator Survey
  1. Partner with Local Businesses, Schools and Chambers of Commerce: Find institution leaders willing to help you promote your organization, especially if your cause aligns with their values or interests. They might let you leave flyers, host events, or even directly promote your organization to their customers or students.
  2. Community Outreach Events: Participating in local events, fairs, and gatherings can be an effective way to reach more people. You can set up a booth, hand out information, and directly engage with potential supporters.
  3. Utilize SEO and Blogging: Writing blog posts related to your mission and optimizing your website for search engines can attract more visitors. People searching for related terms might stumble upon your website and become interested in your cause.
Create infographics and videos: Infographics and videos are a great way to share your organization’s story in a visually appealing way. They can be shared on social media, your website, and in email marketing campaigns.
Run contests and giveaways: Contests and giveaways are a great way to attract new followers and generate excitement about your organization. Offer prizes that your target audience would be interested in, such as gift cards, merchandise, or even a chance to win a meeting with your CEO.
Host webinars and workshops: Webinars and workshops are a great way to educate parents and other community members about your organization’s work. You can also use these events to collect contact information for potential supporters and donors.
Become a guest speaker: Offer to speak at local schools, community organizations, and businesses. This is a great way to share your organization’s story with a large audience and build relationships with potential supporters.
Get involved in social justice causes: Getting involved in social justice causes is a great way to show your supporters that you’re committed to making a difference in the world. You can volunteer your time, donate money, or even organize your own events to support these causes.