Advocate Resource Guide

Candidate Town Halls

No matter the venue; you may have the opportunity to interact with a midterm election candidate. Here are some tips for getting across NBCC’s policy platform:

Keep it Brief. You will likely have only a minute or two to communicate with the candidate, so think about what you want to say in advance and keep your message to just a few sentences.
Tell Your Story. Share which city or town you are from, note that you are a supporter of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, and mention why you are working to end breast cancer.
- Example: My name is Elizabeth, and I am from Iowa City, Iowa. I am a supporter of the National Breast Cancer Coalition and its efforts to end breast cancer because my Father is an 18-year breast cancer survivor.

Educate on NBCC and our Policy Platform.

Our three points:

- Research: Congress must appropriate sufficient federal funds to support meaningful breast cancer research and continue the DOD breast cancer research program.
- Access: The government must guarantee that all individuals have access to patient-centered, evidence-based, high-quality, and affordable health care. You must support the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act bills.
- Influence: Breast cancer advocates need a seat at all tables where research and health policy decisions are made.

Ask Your Question. Ask the candidate to make a commitment—endorsing our policy platform and taking action to end breast cancer.
- Example: Will you endorse NBCC’s policy platform and, if elected, how will you help end breast cancer?

Social Media Guide

Challenging candidates to support NBCC’s policy platform across different social media platforms is an excellent way to connect with candidates and to educate others in your circles about our priorities and why they are essential.

Breast Cancer Caucus 2024 Theme: Take Action to End Breast Cancer

Hashtag: #BCCaucus2024
We need a Congressman/woman who will be an advocate—making breast cancer research and health care access a priority to move forward and end breast cancer.
Breast cancer is a political issue, and we are the political activists demanding commitments from our next Congress. We need our representatives to take action so we can end breast cancer.
When asking candidates to support NBCC’s policy platform, it is important to stick to our theme and hashtag, so we have a consistent message across all platforms.

What’s a hashtag? When you post a word or phrase (no spaces) with a pound sign (#) in front, you make that term searchable.

Spread your message on Facebook and Twitter, so you can persuade family, friends, and colleagues to recognize the need for Congress to support NBCC’s public policy platform.

Facebook

Facebook posts are not bound by character limits, so it is a great platform for sharing your personal story as well as NBCC talking points—all in one post!
Please be sure to use the #BCCaucus2024 hashtag in your posts.
Please also “tag” NBCC by typing @National Breast Cancer Coalition as you compose your post. A drop-down menu should appear as you type— from there, you can select NBCC to tag us.
You can also “tag” the candidate you are referencing in your post by prefacing their name with the @ symbol.
NBCC will also be posting on Facebook about Breast Cancer Caucus 2024, and we encourage you to like and share our posts with your network. Just click the “Share” link in the bottom right-hand corner of NBCC’s official posts—from there, you can share it in full, or add your own thoughts to our post before sharing with your network.

Twitter

Tweets are limited to up to 280 characters. They are best for brevity, but rich content.
Please use the #BCCaucus2024 hashtag in your posts!
Tagging on Twitter is similar to tagging on Facebook. If you’d like to catch the attention of a particular candidate, find their Twitter handle (you can find this by Googling their name and twitter) and reference it in your tweet by prefacing it with the @ symbol. (For example, to tag NBCC in your tweet, your post should incorporate @NBCCStopBC)

Here are some examples of Tweets and Instagram and Facebook posts that do a great job of communicating our theme and objective for Breast Cancer Caucus 2024!

Facebook

General:

Our next Congress can be the Congress that helps us end breast cancer. We need leadership at the federal level that is willing to meet the needs of robust breast cancer research, make health care access the standard, and give advocates a stake in all decisions surrounding breast cancer. That is why I am a part of #BCCaucus2024.
Breast cancer is a political issue. But it’s not a partisan one. Every aspect of breast cancer is affected by public policy. I am calling on candidates on both sides of the aisle to endorse the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s policy platform so that we can move forward and end breast cancer. #BCCaucus2024

Candidate-specific:

@candidatename Thank you for your endorsement of the @NBCCStopBC policy platform. We need you to support policy that is committed to dedicating resources to meaningful breast cancer research and affordable quality health care. #BCCaucus2024

Twitter

General:

Breast cancer is a political issue, but it’s not a partisan one. I call on all candidates to endorse @NBCCStopBC‘s policy platform. #2024Election #BCCaucus2024

Calling all candidates in #2024Elections. Have you endorsed @NBCCStopBC‘s policy platform yet? #BCCaucus2024

Candidate-specific:

@candidatename We need Congress to stand by affordable and high-quality health care for breast cancer patients and everyone alike. @candidatename will you ensure healthcare for all? @NBCCStopBC #BCCaucus2024
@candidatename Will you be the candidate that endorses @NBCCStopBC’s public policy platform to support an end to breast cancer? #BCCaucus2024

Instagram

General:

Breast cancer is a political issue, but it’s not a partisan one. I call on all candidates to endorse @NationalBreastCancerCoalition‘s policy platform. #2024Election #BCCaucus2024

Calling all candidates in #2024Elections. Have you endorsed @NationalBreastCancerCoalition‘s policy platform yet? #BCCaucus2024

Candidate-specific:

@candidatename We need Congress to stand by affordable and high-quality health care for breast cancer patients and everyone alike. @candidatename will you ensure healthcare for all? @NationalBreastCancerCoalition #BCCaucus2024
@candidatename Will you be the candidate that endorses @NationalBreastCancerCoalition’s public policy platform to support an end to breast cancer? #BCCaucus2024

Letters to the Editor

Writing a letter to the editor of your favorite local, state, or even national newspaper is a good way to participate in the 2024 election debate and to challenge candidates who have not yet pledged their support for NBCC’s policy platform.

These letters typically have a 200 to 400-word limit. To check your newspaper’s word limit, you can visit its website and check under its “Letter to the Editor” page.

See our sample letter to the editor for the 2022 midterm race. You can personalize these as appropriate with Breast Cancer Facts & Figures. For example, if your newspaper has a larger word limit, you can open your letter by sharing your breast cancer story.

Draft Letter to the Editor

I am a x-year breast cancer survivor (or other connection) and an advocate for the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC), a grassroots organization dedicated to ending breast cancer through the power of action and advocacy.

Breast cancer is STILL an epidemic. There are more than 3.8 million women and thousands of men living with breast cancer in the United States. In 2024, approximately 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women; 2,710 cases will be diagnosed in men, and an additional 51,400 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) will be diagnosed in women. An estimated 43,250 women and 530 men will die of this disease this year. We still do not know what causes breast cancer, how to prevent it, or how to stop it from spreading and becoming lethal.

Breast cancer is a political issue that remains an urgent health crisis. Every day elected officials across the country are tasked with making decisions that affect people diagnosed with breast cancer and their families. These decisions include determining the level of funding and resources allocated, how to prevent the disease, and how to ensure accessibility of treatment and care to their constituency. The breast cancer policies being debated at the state and federal levels can mean life or death to you or your loved one with breast cancer. And all women are at risk. While the disease is rare in men, it does happen.
However, breast cancer is not a partisan issue. Candidates on both sides of the aisle need to get behind the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s mission to end breast cancer. We need elected officials who understand the urgency and importance of realizing this mission.

Please join me in urging candidates on both sides of the aisle to demonstrate leadership and commit to making the end of breast cancer a national priority. Visit NBCC’s Breast Cancer Caucus website at breastcancercaucus.org for NBCC’s policy platform and more information on how to get involved. Working together, we can end breast cancer for everyone.

RESOURCES FOR ADVOCATES