Mini-media relations strategy prepared to support the introduction of InterAction's 2008 Foreign Affairs Briefing Book.

1. DRAFT Tawana Jacobs
InterAction Media Relations Plan
Foreign Assistance Briefing Book Rollout 2008
Overview
InterAction has the opportunity to develop a 2008 Transition Briefing Book on international development and
humanitarian relief issues to a number of core constituencies including, the incoming Administration (i.e. transition
team), new Members of Congress, think tanks, influential groups/individuals, and interested journalists.
Current Landscape
The 2008 U.S. presidential election, once viewed as promising by the international development and humanitarian
relief community, is ending on a disturbing note. Both presidential candidates have stated that they view U.S. foreign
assistance as a key component of America’s diplomatic tool box, however, the current recession has led both
campaigns to shy away from their once fervent support for maintaining and even increasing U.S. financial support for
foreign assistance programs.
A question currently being bandied about by journalists covering foreign policy is: How has the global financial crisis
impacted donor country support for international development? U.S.-based journalists, more specifically, are asking
how has the current recession affected financial support for U.S. foreign aid? Most journalists have grasped the fact
that it’s too soon to determine impact, however, expect this question to be continuously revisited by journalists
covering int’l development for the first six months of 2009.
Goals
• Educate newly elected Members of Congress about international development and humanitarian relief
issues.
• Educate key Congressional committee leaders.
• Educate advisers on foreign policy, national security, defense, and economics in the new Administration.
• Share views of InterAction members with noted foreign policy experts at think tanks and others.
• Inform foreign policy influentials – list to be developed.
• Inform known journalists covering this beat and educate journalists new to issue.
• Assist InterAction members by adding this tool to their org. advocacy arsenal.
• Internal gain – Resource for IA Working Groups.
Marketing Objectives
• Reach core constituencies on Capitol Hill with up-to-date information on international development issues.
• Influence the decision-making of policymakers.
• Increase brand awareness of InterAction among target audiences – policymakers, think tanks, foreign policy
experts, media, and influential orgs/individuals.
• Increase advocacy reach of IA members.
Marketing Plan
Proposed Distribution
• Book to be distributed when done, even if before Member of Congress class at Harvard in December.

2. DRAFT Tawana Jacobs
• 170 hard copies of book to be mailed to IA member CEOs along with letter from Sam.
• Copies to IA Board of Directors with letter from Sam. (Exact count needed)
• 25 copies to Obama Transition team with letter from Sam.
• Approximately 70 copies to class at Harvard.
• Think Tanks (Number to be determined)
• Approx. 50 copies to friendly congressional staffs.
• Government agencies (Number to be determined)
• 25 copies to journalists.
InterAction Member Involvement
• 25 IA member orgs wrote and edited policy briefs. IA CEOs offered an opportunity to edit.
• In letter to IA member CEOs, orgs will be asked to link with book on IA website.
• Members will be invited to use book as a component for their own advocacy pitch, but no co-
branding of book.
• To be used by IA Working Groups.
Advertising
Dependent upon funding, ads should be purchased with the following media outlets:
 Roll Call
 Congressional Quarterly and/or CQ.com
 National Journal
 Foreign Policy and/or FP.com
 Politico.com
Events
• Proposed events to include a foreign aid reform focus/foreign assistance act rewrite.
• Capitol Hill roll out
 December 2008 launch? Worthington, MacCormack, Berman, Hagel (?), Lee Hamilton (?)
 February 2009 event with British (DFID), Canadian (CIDA), and Japanese (JICA) counterparts
who have streamlined their foreign assistance programs in the past year.
• Media preview
 Mid-November (after election stupor)
 Casual lunch at InterAction to preview transition book for journalists
 Distribute hard copies to those in attendance.
 Invite complete DC list, but target newer reporters more likely to appreciate background
information on international development.
 Need Sam, 1 or 2 high profile IA member CEOs, and one more guest. Each would offer a 5-7
minute talk about the importance of international development and the book given the current
environment. Time for discussion and Q & A would be left until the end
Monday Developments Tie-In
• Ask main MFAN spokespeople (Gayle Smith/Steve Radelet) write on foreign aid reform for
December.

3. DRAFT Tawana Jacobs
• Compile quotes from IA members/partners and CEOs on why the transition briefing book is so
important.
Web Plans
Tony will post transition book on IA website when completed in mid-November as a flappable binder (in PDF).
Media Objectives
• Use briefing kit to re-interest/re-inform known journalists about international development and humanitarian
relief issues.
• Introduce newer journalists to the InterAction community and more specifically, the NGO perspective on int’l
development.
• Broaden media interest by establishing the connections between issues.
Press Outreach
• Initial editorial board memo to introduce book (mid-November).
• Transition memo (drafted by Sarah) to become op-ed directed at president-elect (mid/late November).
• Editorial board pitch – foreign assistance agenda – to include IA member CEOs, Board
• Targets to include: Impact ’08 markets and Caucus districts (Dem and Repub?)
Beyond the First 100 Days
Possible Ideas
Re-introduce subject to target audiences by building and publicizing a scorecard that will highlight achievements
in the various action areas. Timeline TBD.