About this Toolkit

As a partner in the Ford Foundation's Bridges to Opportunity Initiative, Douglas Gould and Company, a national communications firm, created this toolkit for community college advocates and stakeholders working at the state or local level. It is useful for anyone who engages with influential decision-makers such as legislators, media, business and community leaders. The resources provided offer community college advocates the necessary communications components to focus opinion, action and resources. These tools will help advocates effectively communicate to secure increased support for and public investment in community colleges. They should be used in combination with your understanding of the local landscape.

This toolkit is not focused on marketing to prospective students, building enrollments or capital campaigns. It is specifically focused on advocacy communications and offers a wide set of tools to employ to affect change on policies and practices that will help community colleges offer greater opportunity to students.

This toolkit can be used:

• "A la carte" in searching for a specific section or template for how to create a particular communications tool;
• Or as a central place to find the essentials you need to implement an advocacy campaign for your school or community college system.
  

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