Advocacy Action—Building a successful collaboration
CR | Page No. 62 | Winter 2009
Diagnosed with breast cancer one
month after turning 29, I was not
immediately drawn to advocacy
work. I was nearly a year out of
treatment in 2007 when I attended
the annual Conference for Young
Women Affected by Breast Cancer.
It changed my life.
The conference—a collaboration
among Living Beyond Breast
Cancer, the Young Survival
Coalition and Susan G. Komen for
the Cure—introduced me to other
young women with the disease
and opened my mind to different
perspectives and experiences.
Advocacy groups should
remember that they, too, are not
alone. Collaborating with other
organizations ignites innovation,
fortifies limited human and
financial resources and expands
the reach of groups’ dovetailing or
unifying missions. More important,
collaboration enables all partners
to connect with a larger audience
and provides them with the
support and resources they need.
Here are some steps to help you
forge a successful collaboration.
1. Find a need.
Is there a population that isn’t
being served? Do you have
something to offer them? If the
answer is yes, research how your
organization can help. The first
young survivors conference arose
from an informal survey of the
young members of Living Beyond
Breast Cancer. The survey revealed
two unaddressed needs: Young
women wanted to attend a daylong
educational program targeted at
them, and they wanted to network
with others like themselves.
2. Find partners.
In a successful collaboration,
all parties bring something to
the table. Every individual or
organization has strengths or
services to contribute and should
be equally invested in creating an
effective program or initiative. All
partners must have ownership of
the responsibilities, as well as the
successes.
Because of the work of the
Young Survival Coalition on behalf
of young women with breast
cancer, the organization decided
to help plan an advocacy workshop
at the first Conference for Young
Women Affected by Breast Cancer,
which was organized by Living
Beyond Breast Cancer in 2001. A
year later, Living Beyond Breast
Cancer and the Young Survival
Coalition decided to collaborate
on the conference—a partnership
that continues to this day. Susan
G. Komen for the Cure joined the
effort in 2007.
3. Set goals and agree on
expectations.
This isn’t the time to reinvent the
wheel—or to compete. Be honest
with your partners about your
strengths and weaknesses. Look
at what each organization can
offer. Perhaps one organization
has a great public relations team;
another has experience in planning
your type of event. If you’re
working on a legislative initiative,
partner with an organization that
has staff or volunteers who are
trained in this kind of work.
4. Evaluate the collaboration.
After a collaborative program
or event has concluded, meet
with your partners. Discuss the
project’s successes as well as
any improvements that could be
made. A collaboration constantly
evolves and grows. Living Beyond
Breast Cancer, Susan G. Komen for
the Cure and the Young Survival
Coalition work year-round to make
each conference for young women
better than its predecessor.
Finally, in any collaboration,
be sure to find organizations
that share your vision for patient
advocacy. Together, you can create
something you couldn’t do alone.
— Courtney Bugler
Courtney Bugler is a breast cancer
survivor and the executive director
of the Young Survival Coalition’s
Atlanta affiliate.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
The 2009 Annual Conference
for Young Women Affected
by Breast Cancer,
Feb. 27 – March 1, in Dallas:
www.youngsurvivorsconference.org
Living Beyond Breast Cancer:
www.lbbc.org
Susan G. Komen for the Cure:
www.komen.org
Young Survival Coalition:
www.youngsurvival.org
