1. Educate the public, policy makers, media, and youth service professionals to create awareness and involvement in prevention programs.
2. Organize and mobilize communities within the state to identify needs and set priorities for policy, programs, and funding.
3. Advocate for policies and programs at the state level, which support realistic prevention programs.
4. Provide resources, conduct research, and offer trainings that enhance the professional capacity and skills of service providers.
5. Identify, disseminate, and advocate for best practices and research based strategies throughout the state.

The project, Advocates for Youth (AFY) State organization Partnership, chose 5 state organizations from 17 applicants.  They were in different stages of development, so individual plans were developed for each state.  Site visits, needs assessments, board trainings, monthly conference calls and monthly resource packets were some of the project components.  An annual 2-day Leadership Roundtable and Advocacy Institute was designed to enhance the skills and expertise of organization presidents and /or executive directors.  An organizational health checklist was developed which identified strengths and weaknesses, gaps in plans, and needs of the board and staff.

Each organization was unique and required different technical assistance, resources and support.  A menu of services was jointly compiled by the organization and AFY staff after the  health checklist was completed by Board and staff. 

Two of the organizations had been in existence more than 10 years, had staff and operating funds.  The project work focused on strategic long term planning, financial sustainability, marketing, and controversy management.

Two of the organizations had been in existence many years but had no staff and little money.  The priority for them was board development, securing start up funds, and operational planning.

The fifth organization had an excellent history as an advocate for teen parents but wanted to shift more time and resources toward primary prevention. The primary goals with this group was to help create support for the shift within the Board and staff, identify funding strategies to increase the ability for the staff to do this and assist them to create a statewide plan for prevention with key stakeholders.

Some of the services received by each organization included:

• Nine hours of telephone and online technical assistance per quarter
• Technical assistance from Advocates for Youth’s President, research analysts and Directors of Communication, Development and Policy.
• Presentations by AFY staff at state conferences
• Media interviews by AFY staff in each state
• Meetings with policy makers to support the expansion of prevention programs
• Two states conducted state wide polls utilizing instruments and strategies developed by AFY for it’s national polls to assess support for comprehensive sexual education
• Twenty-three trainings.  Some of the topics were:
• Board Development
• Strategic Planning
• Advocacy and Policy Development
• Evaluation
• Fund Development
• Media Outreach
• Public Awareness Campaigns
• Community Mobilization
• Conflict and Controversy Management
• Cultural Competence
• Best Practices
• Parent-Child Communication
• Adolescent Development
• Hispanic Outreach
• Development of multi year organizational plans.
• Preparation of a general funds proposal for operating support of the organization and identification of funding resources in the state.
• Assistance to replicate projects initiated by other State Councils .
• Development planning of policy/advocacy plans.
• Networking and sharing of ideas, problems, and needs with other councils.

As the project came to a close and final assessment of each state organization was reviewed, the staff identified the following as “lessons learned:”

• Building internal capacity of a state organization is labor intensive and progress is sometime very slow.  In state organizations with no staff it is even more likely that you must be satisfied with small gains and periods of little forward movement.
• Leadership of a strong, committed individual at the head of the organization is critical.  “Charisma,” whether it’s a vibrant, focused personality, a “builder/networker” or a recognized, influential person is truly the most important determinant of the capacity or progress of a state organization 
• There is no doubt that being a 501-C-3 non-profit and independent of elected politicians or state government increases the capacity of state organizations to define and advocate for effective, research based programs and strategies.
• On of the most difficult challenges was helping the board of directors to reach out and include nontraditional members, especially from the business, spiritual, and media arenas.  Even more difficult was the integration of these individuals into the work of the organization.  Most organizations, no matter what their age or programs were mostly “the good old girl/boy” clubs of people whose job came from some facet of teen pregnancy or sexual health services.  Board members external to the field bring a fresh new perspective, are more likely to ask “why,” instead of saying “we can’t” and look at the work of the organization in a totally different light.  This at times creates more tension as roles are defined, voices are heard and vested service providers let go and allow other members who are also key stakeholders to become involved and contributory.
• For some, running the organization in a business, corporate model, proved to be difficult to embrace.  While eager to learn about how to do this, putting it into practice was difficult.  Two organizations had existed for over a decade on totally volunteer efforts.  They recognized that successful, effective organizations had staff and the resources to operate, but still found it difficult to take action to achieve this.  Dealing with personnel issues once they did get some funding created the need for more structure and objectivity and a new role as employers.
• Start up funds for staff and basic operations was difficult to achieve.  Some of this difficulty was due to lack of knowledge of the grant process, lack of experience in fund raising and lack of time commitment by volunteer board members to follow through with the process.
• Changes in leadership, especially at critical points of development, can greatly affect the organization’s growth and development and in one state was a definite setback.
• Though all the organizations selected had mission statements which clearly stated their obligation to address prevention of teen pregnancy, the distribution of time and resources was primarily dedicated to parenting issues by two of them.  Moving the organizations significantly into prevention was easier said than done.  Simple examples such as consistent, equal space in newsletters for prevention issues had to be reinforced.  In addition, some organizations had great difficulty in supporting comprehensive, multiple strategies and best practice models because they tried to bring “all viewpoints” to the table, they didn’t want to create conflict within the board of directors or take votes, which would alienate some members.  This almost always was over the support of any strategy other than abstinence or access to contraception. 
• Taking strong, public stands to support comprehensive health services such as family planning, emergency contraception, and abortion was very difficult and more mature organizations were more likely than new organizations to take this important step.
• Though each organization identified their strengths and weaknesses and developed the “menu of services” they sought from AFY, progress was affected by inability of either volunteers or staff to take on additional responsibilities.  In the more mature organizations that had a full plan of work before the project started, availability of grant funds for additional staff would have been advantageous.  Start up grants for those who had no funds for part-time staff would have definitely enhanced their ability to progress with plans developed by the project.
• The opportunity for organization leaders, especially staff, to come together, share their expertise, network and identify mentor organizations, and discuss problems was absolutely invaluable.  The two-day roundtables held for organization leaders enhanced their leadership abilities, and increased their knowledge, skills, and expertise in public relations, controversy management and staff/board development.  One leader described the roundtables as “the best part of the project.”

Over the 3 years, the project affected each state organization’s capacity to advocate for, implement, fund, and sustain effective teen pregnancy prevention strategies.  Advocates’ training and technical support influenced the organization’s overall vision and direction in the areas of public education, policy and advocacy, program development and professional expertise.  Closing site visits or conference calls and specifically designed evaluation tools provided AFY with an assessment of the project and provided the 5 organizations with concrete directions for the continuance and sustainability of their organization.Advocates for Youth will continue to apply the lessons learned from the State Orgnaization  Partnership Project towards more effectively working with additional states in future years.

Ten Tips: Building Strong State Teen Pregnancy Prevention Organizations

1. If your mission includes the prevention of teen pregnancy then you must accept the responsibility of being the advocate for all effective and science based prevention strategies. If you are only going to support abstinence, then redefine your mission to one of “preventing sexual intercourse.”  Don’t fool the public or yourselves.
2. If your board is only made up of service providers in the field, you’ll have little influence to change policy and systems. Board members need term limits. Avoid designated seats for certain groups. Elect individuals, not agencies.
3. Think carefully about being a membership organization.  Having members may bring in some funds, but it is usually not very much and is hardly worth the work to provide membership services.  Instead, seek donations from “friends or supporters of the organization.”
4. Conflict will come if you are truly involved in effective, research-based activities or advocacy.  Prepare for it externally and internally.  Operate under Roberts Rules of Order.  Allow time for discussion of sensitive issues but ultimately, you must allow the organization to move forward by democratic process.  Bring conflict to a close by voting, and move forward with majority vote. (1/2+1)
5. Public relations and marketing plans for the organization deserve attention and resources.  Create an image of experience, knowledge, and creativity.
6. Success means affecting policy or legislation.  Developing an annual policy plan and assigning responsibility for its implementation or securing policy staff is vital.  Advocacy takes guts, but it also takes time, resources, and dedication to the issue.
7. In order to affect state policy you need support from local constituents.  A grass-roots base that can respond when necessary to state legislators or the governor make the probability of success far more likely.
8. Most state organizations never develop long term (5-10 year) plans.  They operate from year to year and are not strategic in their approach.  A long-term plan with responsibility assigned to board and staff provides the basis for evaluating the organization’s impact.
9. The organization should carefully consider whether to engage in direct services to teens.  This puts you in the position of competing for funds with other agencies and creating turfism.  Far better you serve as the catalyst for funds for existing agencies to provide services.
10. Independence- Independence- Independence-Becoming an independent, non profit organization gives you the best chance to fulfill all the important roles of a state organization; public education and awareness, research, resource and publication development, community development to promote prevention, and advocacy.

(These 10 tips are gleaned form the experience of the author who formed one of the first and most successful state organizations in the country and provided leadership to that state for over 10 years.  The author has provided technical assistance and guidance to over 30 states and many communities and led this project for Advocates for Youth.)