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Join RESOLVE’s leadership team for an in-depth look at what it takes to pass pro-family legislation, protect IVF, and what we’re up against.
HOSTS
President & CEO, Barb Collura
Chief Engagement Officer, Betsy Campbell
Chief External Affairs Officer, Rebecca Flick
ABOUT RESOLVE
RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association is the largest non-profit patient advocacy organization in the country focusing on increasing access to all family building options through insurance coverage and policy changes as well as protecting fertility care like IVF from legislation.
Hi, and welcome to Infertility Discourse, a podcast from RESOLVE the National Infertility Association. I'm one of your hosts, Rebecca Flick.
Barb Collura:And I'm Barb Collura
Betsy Campbell:And I'm Betsy Campbell.
Rebecca Flick:And welcome to this episode where we are naming it Come Together, song made famous by the Beatles. And why are we calling this Come Together, Betsy? What's this episode about?
Betsy Campbell:We're all about coalitions. That's how we accomplish our work, through coalitions.
Rebecca Flick:I mean, we always talk about how Barb says we reserve the right to get smarter, and I think coalitions help us get smarter every time we're part of 1 or lead 1 or asked to join 1. And so we wanted to kind of break down how resolve uses coalitions to advance our work. So let's jump in and talk about our state coalitions. Betsy, how do we organize at the state level when we, walk into a state where we wanna change policy?
Betsy Campbell:Wow. I could talk all day about that, but usually, you know, it's actually we're not entering a state blind or, you know, we're the first ones to approach a state. It's because there is interest, in a state by, usually both patients and professionals who want to remove some of the barriers that exist and interfere with, patients accessing care and professionals delivering the standard of care. And so it starts with this grassroots support, but, you know, it's not the family building community is a very big tent. It includes cancer patients who need, medical, treatment to build their families, first to preserve, and then after they preserve, then they need IVF to build their families.
Betsy Campbell:So we partner with the cancer community. We partner very closely with the LGBTQ plus community, because they also need medical assistance often to build their families. Same with people working people. We work with labor unions who cost is the biggest obstacle to care for so many people, and it's important that everyone be able to access, the care they need. We work with faith based organizations.
Betsy Campbell:So the list is goes on and on and on. And so when we go into a state, we want to build the most diverse and comprehensive coalition, that we can.
Barb Collura:You know, when you think about coalitions, I always think about 1 plus 1 equals 3. You're trying to expand and advance your goals through groups and people that aren't necessarily represented just by our organization, and also one of the things that I always think about, Betsy, I don't know if you think about it this way, when I think about coalitions, I think about, first of all, who's not here, who's not at the table that should be, that that should care about this, and then we go and find those folks, but also not duplicating. You know, I mean, we don't need, you know, 5 groups that do exactly what what we do, not that there are, but I'm just saying we wanna we wanna ensure that what that everybody is bringing something unique and different to the table, and that, and that really makes that 1 +1 equals 3 really demonstrated when when you have those, so it's like your coalition in Minnesota, 40 plus 40 plus groups, your coalition in California, you had a huge huge number, I bet you could go through each one of those and say what they're bringing to the table, and then it's a different slice of the electorate, of the of the constituents, of the perspective, and, and that's what makes it so so powerful and and being able to accomplish so much more than if we just tried to do it as RESOLVE.
Rebecca Flick:How do you manage, Betsy, a call with 40 organizations on it? Are there or tell us, like, how that works?
Betsy Campbell:You know, it it it goes better than you would expect. I'll use Minnesota as an example, and, you know, those calls are actually led by a RESOLVE volunteer who used to be, chair of the board of Resolve, so she definitely knows how to lead meetings, and so and and, you know, the lobbyists are on the call, the representatives from the various organizations are on the calls, we set an agenda in advance, and then also leave room at the end for anything new. But really we're trying to be very strategic and making sure that, our voices are, supporting one another, that we're singing from the same songbook, and but that, you know, having multiple voices makes our voices louder, so we get heard. So, it's you know, and every state is different. So in some states we might have a smaller steering committee that's on the calls, but then they're branching out to the wider, coalitions.
Betsy Campbell:So it really just, varies by state, but it's effective, and there's no single formula, but, we seem to, you know, the big the big message is we want to be at the table, and, you know, we're at multiple tables at the same time, because if you're not at the table, the expression goes, you're on the menu. So if you're not talking about your issues, other groups are talking about their issues. And if you're not talk you know, if we don't do it, nobody will.
Rebecca Flick:Or someone could come in and talk about it incorrectly Yes. Or or in a way that doesn't, you know, could harm the standard of care or, could restrict access.
Betsy Campbell:Exactly. Exactly. You know, we have a lot of experience, and we don't go into states blindly, and, you know, there are certain states where you have to be really careful because a good bill can be hijacked and turned into a bad bill, and bad bills can move really fast. Yeah.
Rebecca Flick:They somehow always move faster, don't they?
Betsy Campbell:Yes. Yeah.
Rebecca Flick:Are there state legislatures that don't want to work with coalitions, or is it always in our best interest to present a certain way?
Betsy Campbell:I think they wanna work with coalitions, but maybe there's a bias to working with local organizations. And so often that's why you don't necessarily see RESOLVE's name plastered everywhere, because some states don't want, you know, a national organization coming in. They really wanna make sure it's their constituents. And so we respect that, but we bring sort of the experience of other states, which they value. So they do wanna hear from us about what has worked or hasn't worked in other states.
Betsy Campbell:You know, some legislatures, or legislators, really wanna hear from physicians. And so we wanna make sure that, you know, they're that's who they're hearing from. So we really have to understand what's important, to that particular, state legislature. And it's always, though, the stories of their constituents. That's who's most important to lawmakers.
Rebecca Flick:So from a national point of view then, who who do we partner with when we're looking at our state advocacy work, bringing it to that local level and finding local organizations? Who do we partner with there?
Betsy Campbell:Right. Well, first at a national level, we partner with the American Society For Reproductive Medicine, and they're the membership group for the physicians, the mental health professionals, the, art attorneys, and so forth. So they help identify, you know, the local people in the clinics. And Resolve also has really good relationships with the clinics. So we're working together to identify those, experts, those professionals.
Betsy Campbell:We also, the Alliance For Fertility Preservation, which is focused on helping cancer patients preserve their, infertility. They've been invaluable in helping us partner with cancer organizations, like LLS or, the Susan G Komen Foundation. So, again, we're looking for people on the ground in those states. So even though those are national names, they've got people in those states working. So it's really identifying people in the state who are committed to improving access to care or protecting, access to care.
Rebecca Flick:And Barb, do we work, in coalitions at the federal level too to advance our policies there?
Barb Collura:Well, it's interesting because listening to Betsy, a lot of these coalitions are a little bit more formal, that that we're a part of at the state level. You know, most of those organizations would, you know, would be very upfront at that they were part of these coalitions, and you have regular calls and that sort of thing. At the federal level, we are a part of a few coalitions that are that are just like that, but they go on for years. For example, the adoption tax credit working group is a coalition where we've probably got over a 100 and some adoption agencies and adoption organizations, but then there's an executive committee and RESOLVE has been a part of the executive committee. Oh my gosh.
Barb Collura:Since we were since it founded, years ago. So there's about, I don't know, maybe 9 or 10 organizations nationally that are that are on the executive committee, and we have regular calls, and we are working on a one issue, and it is getting the adopt first of all, it was it was getting the adoption tax credit a permanent part of the tax code, which we accomplished in 2012, and then it is now making that credit refundable. So there's a bill that we advocate for and all of our energy for that coalition is around getting that passed, and what does that look like. So that's been going on for many years, and then we are part of a couple of other coalitions very specific around pieces of legislation, like the adoption tax credit. There's one every child deserves a family, that's a name of a bill, and we are a part of a very big coalition of organizations and, and and proud to be part of that and advocating for that, and then resolve is on a kind of like on an ad hoc basis.
Barb Collura:We work with a number of groups on different pieces of legislation, but they're not as formal as those other 2. They're not, like, regular calls, but we are we certainly work together. At the federal level, we work very very very closely with ASRM, with the American Society For Reproductive Medicine, and we put our names that our two names on a lot of collateral material that goes to members of congress. We're we're working on another one right now, as we speak, so it's it's a constant Betsy has talked about how she talks to our our some of our coalition partners and volunteers more than she talks to you and me, Rebecca. That's how I feel about some of the staff at ASRM who work on federal policy.
Barb Collura:I talk to them, you know, quite honestly more than I talk to you 2, and so it's a very very close partnership, I would almost call that, but we do on an ad hoc basis get involved with groups that are are singular issue focused. So like Betsy's single issue focused particular bill to to get IVF passed in a particular state, it's very similar at this at the federal level. For example, there are there's a coalition of organizations that care about IVF access for veterans, and we've been meeting for years, and we have a call once a month. It's a lot of veteran organizations, a lot of military organizations, reproductive rights organizations, and we meet on a regular basis to talk about where things stand with that particular issue. We do the same with a group that cares about IVF access for our military.
Barb Collura:Right? So it's it's very similar, very issue focused, and sometimes resolve is just one of like 40 or 50 organizations, sometimes we're one of like 5, and so it really varies. Sometimes we are leading and we're a key voice, sometimes we're just listening in, so that that we can ensure that we're doing what the coalition wants us to do, so it it's a wide spectrum, in terms of engagement, but one of the things that has been really gratifying for me, personally, but also for the organization is that we are asked to join these coalitions, we are asked to be at the table, we are very much sought after, and this has become a long long long time coming at the federal level, you know, it started with people like Aaron Kramer, and then, of course, Risa Levine, who the 2 of them really started working in congress on RESOLVE's behalf, and now with our federal advocacy day going on, I don't even know how many years, people on the hill know us and staffers know us, members of congress know us. Rebecca, you you have a great story about running into a US senator and he he knew exactly where who you were where you were from and and what we do, and that is so gratifying and people who are listening need to understand we are the, you know, the preeminent organization viewed by congress in the family building space.
Barb Collura:We're viewed that way by other organizations. I was just got a call from and I'm not trying to brag, but I just got a call or had a call last week with an organization. I had a call with them on Friday, and we've we've sort of touched on some of the issues, but we've never really been in coalitions together, and they were told by another organization, you must talk to RESOLVE they're the ones who know the most about IVF and these family building issues on Capitol Hill, bar none, And and that is what, that's how they came to join to call me. That's the introduction they have with from Resolve, and so I'm not making this up. This is what people are are telling me that they heard, and so I am I'm so gratified by that, but we we are at the table, and people need to feel really, really good about that, but also that, gosh, all those advocates, all those years showing up for advocacy day made that happen.
Barb Collura:I don't have any lobbyists in Congress. We don't Resolve does not pay for any lobbyists in Congress. We do in Minnesota. We have in other states. But I don't I don't have a lobbyist in in in congress, and that's scary sometimes.
Barb Collura:And I lean on our partner's lobbyists a lot and, and get to work with them. But that's all, what do you call it on social media, Rebecca? Organic, you know, that's all organic advocacy, that's that's constituent advocacy, that's the real deal, and, and that's what's made us, where we are today, but I can tell you the one plus one equals 3 is so important in Congress. When you have 535 members of Congress, and the whole country, and so many competing issues.
Barb Collura:Oh my god.
Barb Collura:So many, and it's a marathon. It it it things take years, so it's it's vitally important.
Rebecca Flick:Yeah. And I don't think we should, shy away from the position that we hold on this issue because, again, it hasn't been in the forefront as it so much as it is now. And so, all of those years of working really hard, maybe not in the spotlight, is paying off now. And I think about you guys on those calls, and I think, man, that sounds like a lot of conference calls and a lot of a lot of time, but it's time well spent because every time one of you sits at that table, at that coalition, whether it's a virtual table or an in person table, you're putting the 1 in 6 people who will face infertility on your shoulders and bringing them to the table with you. And I think that's the most important because there's lots of other health related issues out there who have advocacy organizations that are brand names.
Rebecca Flick:I mean, we're in October, and for for good or bad, it's, you know, the, as they say, the pink washing of, breast cancer awareness month. But the work that the breast cancer community has done is a lot of coalition work. Is you know, and they've made real progress on research and and policies for that community. And so I think, we should not shy away from, saying that we're we're asked to be at these tables because the people that we represent are are important, and we wanna be there for them no matter what.
Barb Collura:Yeah. And I I didn't wanna I didn't wanna come off as shying away. One of the things too though, Rebecca, is first of all, excellent point that we are we that's who we are representing. Right? It's like that that Verizon guy, you know, in the commercial, you know, that you got everyone behind you.
Barb Collura:It's like we have all the all of our community behind us, but I will also say that
Betsy Campbell:Right.
Barb Collura:And I know this is the case at the state level for sure, that we have information and knowledge and data and know how that is so needed and so well respected that we're not just fluff, and when we say we speak for someone or we speak, we we do. We have their permission. We know what we're talking about. We, it's it's a long it's a long it's a long time coming to get to that point, but it's it's that expertise. I remember on this particular call as well that I had last week, you know, they were wanting my expertise on this particular issue because they knew that I had that, and that what I was saying was factual, and and again, we have to show up a year after year after year, and I'll tell you, I've been in coalitions, Betsy, I'm sure you have too, where somebody says something and it's not right.
Barb Collura:It's not true. It's not accurate. It's not data driven, and over time, their voice is gone because they're not valued anymore, and so it's vitally important. It's one thing to be, you know, 1 on 1 talking with somebody, but it's another when you're in a coalition and to say something, you better you better have your facts right, you better say it, in a way that is accurate and truthful or you're not gonna be invited back to that table.
Rebecca Flick:Yeah. I'm learning a lot because I know I don't I don't sit in these coalitions. Sometimes I fill in for 1 of you, when needed. But is there ever been a time in in either of your history where we've stepped away from a coalition? Or do we work maybe because the policies that they're pushing change, that we don't back?
Rebecca Flick:Or do we really try to work and and and get to a point where we we are in a coalition that represents RESOLVE's value system.
Betsy Campbell:Good. I don't know that I've ever walked away from a coalition because I think it's important if you can influence the direction, it's almost like it's an obligation, especially if they're going in the wrong direction. You know, and really it comes down to education. Often, you know, groups might not have the full picture, or they might not realize that settling for whatever it is is a real could be a really bad precedent, and we don't need to do that. We need to sort of draw a line in the sand, and and to explain it.
Betsy Campbell:And so I feel like in that way, we've often turned a coalition around, so that they understand that the direction that they thought they wanted to go in was not the right direction. So or we if we weren't part of a coalition and we see that maybe something is risky, we're gonna speak up and advise them that you may want to rethink this. And, you know, I know Barb has been involved in some of those with me too. So, I don't know. How are how are you gonna answer that, Barb?
Barb Collura:Yeah. I I can think of one where we just we we just stopped participating. First of all, it was like a 140 organizations. I'm not making that up. Right.
Barb Collura:And it it honestly did not matter if I was there or not, and I didn't bring anything to the table. It was about and it was a really great particular topic. It was about regulating chemicals, and and and there was there's a there's this whole thing that was needed to be renewed by the federal government, and there were all these toxic chemicals and and everything in our, you know, everything from food to drinking water and, you know, and and so they they felt like, oh, my gosh. I'm sure that some of these are causing, you know, infertility and so forth. I had I had zero knowledge, 0 expertise.
Barb Collura:RESOLVE had 0 knowledge, 0 expertise, and, honestly, I didn't think our voice was effective or needed, and it was an issue that I couldn't really translate to our advocates.
Barb Collura:And so it was sort of like, translate to our advocates, and so it was sort of like it was a time suck, and it was not something where I was bringing value or value was coming back to the organization. So it was sort of like, I'm just gonna stop going to these calls, and I that was years ago. I don't even know what ever happened to them, but, you know, the I couldn't even monitor it. It was like it was just it wasn't so that's something I that I know we have done. I am constantly asking myself, are we bringing value?
Barb Collura:Are we bringing value or bringing value? Should we continue to do this? And that's really important. That's like a learning thing, you know. It's like I reserve the right to get smarter.
Barb Collura:Maybe now, it's not really a value for us to be a part of this, this coalition.
Rebecca Flick:Because we only have so much time. That's for sure.
Barb Collura:And well, it's it's it's it's time and and there's always somebody that could participate, you know, maybe we could have a volunteer or somebody participate, but it's, is this is this moving in the right direction? Is RESOLVE you you know, bringing a unique perspective to the table? Are we getting something back from it that value that's valued to our, community? But Betsy also said it. Sometimes we and you have too, Rebecca.
Barb Collura:Sometimes resolve needs to be there to make sure it doesn't go off there. I hate to say it, but it doesn't go off the rails. And sometimes I've been like, I think I better stay around because I'm nervous about where it might go.
Rebecca Flick:Well, this has been fascinating. I've learned a lot. And again, you know, I don't always, I'm not always involved in these, but I definitely know that we, communicate about them. And I would encourage our listeners if they have any questions to email us at info atresolve.org. Or if you're out there wondering, oh, how do I get something started in my state?
Rebecca Flick:Would RESOLVE support me? We have an entire state advocacy toolkit to download on our website as well. We'll put both of those links in the show notes.
Barb Collura:And don't we have listing on our website too of these coalitions, like, just as a reminder?
Rebecca Flick:Yep. Yep. Because we want we want our listeners to know where we represent you and and how we're doing that, and it was important for us to be transparent, of who we sit at the table with as well. So, thank you guys for this episode. Any any final words?
Barb Collura:I would just say that it's not I hate to say it this way, but coalitions are not like the high school, you know, cat or junior high, like, you got left out, you know. It's it's not about being popular or it's about getting work done, and, you know, there's probably gonna be people listening who are like, how come I'm never in a coalition with resolve? And I I just wanna say that, you know, we we evaluate this very carefully, and, that's I I know you do at the state level. I know I certainly do at the federal level, and, sometimes we're starting coalitions, and again, I use the same sort of lens to think about it. So I hope that helps people not feeling feeling left out, but it's very specific in terms of what we're trying to accomplish in a in a particular coalition.
Betsy Campbell:Yeah. I mean, we've all heard the expression, it takes a village, and that's so true about advocacy work. They're really, you know, going it alone does not get the results you need. So we're all about coming together, bringing people together, and, you know, trying to make our voices, as loud as possible, so we're heard.
Rebecca Flick:Awesome. Well, thank you both. I hope everyone listening walked away with a little nugget. I'm gonna give a shout out to my village who is going to help me get through October November travel, for myself and my husband who happens to have the same travel schedule that I do. So it does take a village, Betsy, and, you know, build a coalition.
Rebecca Flick:That's it's something to be said. You build a coalition of people in your life to help get help you get through what you need to get through, and we do that at Resolve, very well. So please visit our website for these links. They'll be in the show notes. And also, do not forget, to donate.
Rebecca Flick:If you heard something on this podcast that you did not realize that we did, show your love. A small donation each month, really helps us stay solvent and stay relative and stay ahead of the issues for our community.
Barb Collura:Thank
Rebecca Flick:you. Thanks for listening.
Betsy Campbell:Thank you.