Presentation to the Biennial Pathways to Prosperity Conference organized by the IDA and Asset-Building Collaborative of North Carolina.

1. THE BULLY PULPIT
Working with Elected Officials
Presented by Derwin Dubose
Biennial Pathways to Prosperity
Conference
October 17, 2011

2. SESSION OBJECTIVES
• Understand how the North Carolina State
Treasurer’s office launched a financial literacy
initiative
• Express proven strategies to execute financial
literacy outreach with elected officials
• Learn ways to gain media attention for financial
literacy and other programs
• Identify barriers to entry and challenges with
financial literacy outreach
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3. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Derwin Dubose is a public affairs strategist who
connects people to policy.
• Campus Y at the University of North Carolina
• North Carolina Democratic Party and House
Democratic Caucus
• Ronald McDonald House Charities
• Duke University
• Institute of Political Leadership
• North Carolina Department of State Treasurer
3 • North Carolina Office of the Lieutenant Governor

4. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
• State Treasurer Janet Cowell was elected in 2008
• Cowell campaigned on providing financial literacy to
more North Carolinians
• Set five goals for her first term:
– Instill confidence
– Meet customer expectations
– Optimize returns on entrusted assets
– Promote healthy and diverse financial services in NC
– Promote financial literacy
• Derwin Dubose was hired in April 2009 and led
financial literacy efforts until October 2010.
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5. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
• Hypothesis: Almost all of the resources North
Carolinians need to make better financial decisions
exist in the state, but residents do not know that
they exist
– Disconnect between policy leaders, practitioners, and the
public (especially low-income residents)
– Lack of hands-on work
• Goal: Connect North Carolinians to local, state, and
national resources that will help them make better
financial decisions and weather this financial crisis
• Secondary goal: To gain media exposure for other
efforts, especially core functions, within the State
Treasury
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6. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
• In 2009, we decided to focus on adults, our natural
constituency, within four target areas:
– Foreclosure prevention
– Homeownership and Asset-Building
– Credit cards
– Life crisis management
• And provide information to the following target
audiences:
– General public (geographic specialization)
– State Employees
– Seniors
– Women
– Military
• We had absolutely no money
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7. PROVEN STRATEGIES FOR FINANCIAL
LITERACY OUTREACH
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8. EVENTS
Short-term public programs highlighting financial literacy
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9. KEY NOTES ON EVENTS
• Target your audience
• Provide tangible numbers to the elected official
• Create unique opportunities
• Provide something for free or at a reduced cost
• Leverage media
• Partner with organizations
• Focus on quality, not quantity
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10. TOURS
Crossing the state to get information, share information, and raise
awareness
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11. KEY NOTES ON TOURS
• Target your audience
• Choose timely topics
• Find partners
• Aim for geographic diversity
• Choose mid-tier markets
• Reach out to local press
• Show results
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12. EARNED MEDIA FOR EVENTS AND TOURS
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13. RESEARCH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
Finding new information to help consumers and institutions make
better decisions
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14. KEY NOTES ON RESEARCH, BOARDS AND
COMMISSIONS
• Target your audience
• Choose timely topics
• Realize staff time commitment
• Recruit all-stars
• Give tangible charges
• Influence thought
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15. COLUMNS
Reaching people who you cannot physically meet
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16. KEY NOTES ON COLUMNS
• Target your audience
• Draft materials for elected officials
• Focus on mid-tier and rural media
• Stress credibility on financial topics
• Provide a “voice of reason”
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17. BOARD MEMBERSHIP
Inviting elected officials and their staff to join your board
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18. KEY NOTES ON BOARD MEMBERSHIP
• Invite elected officials to join your board
• Get staff involved
• Ask elected officials to host events
– Economics Educator of the Year
– Jump$tart luncheon
– Assets forums
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19. MEASURING SUCCESS
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20. MEASURING SUCCESS
• We were very successful with media outreach, gaining a
collective media audience of 10.77M people over the year
• TV stations are more likely to cover work with K-12 schools
• Print and web publications are more apt to cover “adult” topics
like retirement and asset-building
20 • Credit cards and student debt yield the most diverse coverage

21. Orange counties are those
with physical programming
Blue counties are those with
21 earned media programming

22. LESSONS LEARNED
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23. LESSONS LEARNED
• There is an infinite amount of good information,
ideas, organizations, programs, focus areas, and
contacts working on financial literacy. How will your
organization stand out?
• Elected officials will only do programming in areas
that they “own” or in areas that the owner lets you
get involved.
• Realize that different projects will attract different
types of “street credibility” for elected officials.
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24. Impact =
Attention
•Student Debt
number of •Schools Tour Initiative •Foreclosure
residents Prevention Project
helped by the
project •Workplace •Bank on NC •Institute for Minority
financial literacy work
•Your Money Bus Economic Development
Attention = Tour
•EITC Carolinas
•EITC/VITA
press coverage Promotion •N.C. Housing Finance
and street The quadrant Agency
usually Impact, Attention, Cost Impact, Attention, Cost •Council on
credibility reserved for Economic
elected officials Outreach Programming Education
Cost = direct Impact/Cost
funding and Advocacy Research
human capital Impact, Attention, Cost Impact, Attention, Cost
•Future of Retirement
•Camp Challenge Study Commission
•Economics Educator of •Action for Children
the Year •UNC Center for
•N.C. Assets Alliance •CFED Community Capital
•Board participation •IDA and Asset‐Building
•Jump$tart Coalition Collaborative
Black dots are external organizations and
Blue dots are DST projects
24 projects that should serve as examples

25. Thought Leadership
Agencies and Policy
State-wide media
Politicos (ITB)
Advocates
Internal
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26. NEXT STEPS FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY
PROGRAMMING WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS
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27. INITIAL QUESTIONS
• What are the “hot topics” for your area?
– Are unemployment and foreclosures climbing?
– Are there underutilized programs?
– What’s in the news?
• Who are potential champions for your cause?
– City Councilors
– State legislators
– State-wide elected officials
• What institutions can you partner with?
• How can you ensure a crowd?
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28. WAYS TO MAKE YOUR ORGANIZATION STAND OUT
• Show what’s in it for them
– Quantify your work
– Guarantee a crowd
– Show appreciation
– Leverage the press
• Make it easy for them
– Give plenty of lead time
– Understand scheduling complexities
– Draft collateral materials
– Provide clear directions and instructions
• Build relationships with staff
• Understand budgetary restrictions and be savvy
– Discovery
– Cultivation
– Solictation
– Stewardship
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29. CONCRETE SUGGESTIONS FOR 2012
• Identify at least 5 elected officials who can help
• Invite elected officials to get to know your
organization
– Tours of your facilities
– Speaking at events
– Meeting your successful clients
• Honor an elected official with an award for
excellence in your focus area
• Ask an elected official or one of their staff
members to join your board
• Create a government affairs committee on your
29 staff or board to manage outreach

30. Derwin Dubose
Constituent Outreach and Assistant Policy Director
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
310 North Blount Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
derwin.dubose@nc.gov
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