LIVE Campaign Statewide Outreach Ideas

What is your state’s public message about end-of-life issues? Is there one? The national It’s About How You LIVE campaign provides you with a message as well as free tools, resources and specific ideas to help you promote your message and your organization.

It’s About How You LIVE campaign materials are available for FREE in a comprehensive Toolkit that includes specific strategies, practical tools and resources to implement a successful statewide engagement campaign. To review the LIVE Toolkit information and resources online, go to (‘LIVE Campaign,’ then ‘Toolkit’). The Toolkit is designed to have flexible components that can complement your existing outreach, marketing and/or educational initiatives. The following are suggestions to implement the LIVE campaign in your state:

  1. First and foremost, review your current statewide outreach initiatives to see where the LIVE message (and resources) can be integrated:

Learn about options for end-of-life services and care

Implement plans to ensure wishes are honored

Voice decisions to family, friends and health care providers

Engage in personal or community efforts to improve end-of-life care

  1. At your next statewide educational conference, feature the It’s About How You LIVE campaign to ensure your members and constituencies are familiar with the campaign and your commitment to promoting it.
  2. Use either the LIVE ‘buy-in’ or ‘community’ PowerPoint presentations in the Toolkit and add your specific statewide information and resources plus adapt the presentation content to your specific issues/topics.
  3. Print one of the free ad slicks in your conference program.
  4. Sponsor a statewide forum to bring together key state leaders (from health care, clergy, state bar, government, AARP, Division of Aging, and others from statewide organizations or associations) to discuss end-of-life care reform.
  5. Highlight the LIVE message and discuss actions steps for improving end-of-life care in your state.
  6. Set up task forces to address each issue and follow through on action items discussed.
  7. Draft a position paper from the forum to disseminate among participants and other engaged state leaders as a follow-up from the forum.
  8. Prepare a press release detailing the forum’s findings, send it to the media and publish it in the newsletters of the various participants.
  9. Engage your state congressional representative or state government leader to do a media event about the importance of advance care planning conversations using the LIVE message and resources.
  10. Distribute the LIVE pledge card and ask people to sign it and take them to their family and friends.
  11. Invite a representative/leader to attend a community outreach event and invite the media.
  12. Invite a representative/leader to visit a local hospice and/or visit a hospice patient and invite the media.
  13. Encourage and support the local coalitions and hospices in carrying out the LIVE campaign in their communities.
  14. Coordinate a calendar of community outreach events for six months for everyone to participate. For example, October might focus on palliative care, November: advance care planning, December: grief, etc.
  15. Encourage the coalitions and hospices to document their activities for LIVE rewards to receive FREE NHPCO Marketplace gift cards for consumer education brochures.
  16. Spearhead a statewide media campaign using the LIVE promotional resources (see press releases, op eds. and advertisement templates).
  17. Encourage local coalitions and hospices to distribute LIVE press releases and “op-eds” to their local newspapers.
  18. Explore the potential to receive free advertisement space or requesting a sponsor/s to print the LIVE ads.
  19. Announce that your coalition or organization is a LIVE partner in your newsletters – e-news, print or website. Print the LIVE ad slicks in your publications. Ask coalition members and partner organizations to print the slick as well.
  20. Provide a weblink on your coalition’s or organization’s website to (consumer-oriented) and/or (professional-oriented) as appropriate for your target audience.
  21. Provide a guest speaker for radio or TV station about the LIVE campaign to discuss the LIVE message and specific resources that are available for the general public. Remember to give your audience specific ways to take action re: improving end-of-life care for themselves, loved ones and communities.
  22. Encourage other state and local organizations to sign up as LIVE partners. To join, go to (‘LIVE campaign’, then ‘Join LIVE’), complete the LIVE partner sign-up form and fax to Caring Connections as instructed.

Remember to keep track of your activities for the LIVE Rewards Program to receive FREE NHPCO Marketplace gift cards!

For more information and guidance about implementing a statewide LIVE campaign or assistance with the LIVE Toolkit, contact us at 800.658.8898 or .

Copyright 2007 by The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization