New platform provides training and resources for professional and volunteer advocates
WASHINGTON (April 10, 2024) – CURA Strategies, an integrated health care communications and public affairs consulting firm, today launched Advocacy Accelerator, an online platform built by award-winning public affairs experts to help both seasoned and aspiring advocates achieve their policy goals. Focused exclusively on health care issues, the Advocacy Accelerator offers health care-specific resources for government relations professionals and volunteer advocates through virtual training, free resources and community-building opportunities.
“We built the Advocacy Accelerator to create what we could not find in the market—health care-specific advocacy resources and networking with professionals who are improving health care through policy advocacy,” said Anne Woodbury, CEO of CURA Strategies. “Similarly, we could not find a relevant on-demand course that had health care content, was appropriate and convenient for volunteers and was cost effective for clients. So, we built it.”
The Advocacy Accelerator is a hub for professional advocates to learn from one another and CURA’s team of seasoned government relations professionals. The platform’s flagship training program, Advocacy Academy, is a low-cost virtual course that teaches budding advocates and volunteers the basics of advocacy, providing the essential groundwork needed to prepare advocates for Capitol Hill. The course, which was beta launched in fall 2023 to seven corporate and nonprofit launch partners, provides a comprehensive exploration of advocacy, empowering participants to effectively engage with Congress, leverage social and traditional media and master the art of storytelling to drive impactful change.
“When preparing for our Advocacy Day, it made us feel much more confident to have our advocates go through Advocacy Academy—it was easy and convenient too,” said Jodi Smith, director of strategic alliances at WomenHeart, one of Advocacy Academy’s beta partners. “People come to advocacy with all different levels of understanding and experience talking to policymakers, and this training was helpful for everyone.”
Advocacy Accelerator’s additional offerings include:
- A free four-part educational course called “The Art of Advocacy” that is tailored to help professional advocates create effective strategies to advance their policy issues. The course offers practical “how to” guidance on: integrating communications and government affairs to advance advocacy initiatives; analyzing issue priorities to identify advocacy opportunities and challenges; and cultivating thought partnerships with key partners and influencers.
- Free downloadable resources ranging from a stakeholder mapping process guide to CURA’s Capitol Corner newsletter, which provides timely updates and educational content on health care advocacy and strategic communications.
- Community-building and in-person networking opportunities for professional health care advocates.
For more information on the Advocacy Accelerator platform, visit https://advocacyaccelerator.us/
About CURA Strategies
CURA Strategies is an award-winning bipartisan, integrated strategic communications and public affairs consulting firm focused on one thing: transforming health care. CURA—Latin for care, concern and attention to others—exemplifies the company’s mission to take exceptional care of its clients, so every client can transform the health care system in the U.S. and improve lives. CURA is a certified Women-Owned Small Business. Visit our website and follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter and LinkedIn to learn more.
