By Dustin Sapp
Getting quick Congressional action takes a compelling message, exceptional communication, and a constituent base uniquely motivated to call Capitol Hill. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) delivered all three by rallying their national network of grassroots advocates with voice messaging.
Several years ago, the House and Senate Diabetes Caucuses circulated a sign-on letter in support of increased funding for Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes research. Wanting to demonstrate strong bipartisan support for this funding, JDRF leadership set a challenging goal of persuading 50 senators and 218 representatives to sign the letter.
"This letter represented a significant opportunity, but we could only make good on it if our grassroots supporters were aware of and actively participated in the effort," commented Mike Kondratick, director, JDRF Grassroots Advocacy. "We needed these voting constituents to immediately contact their senator and representative and ask them to sign the letter."
Seeking a way to make a stand-out impression and convey the truly urgent need for immediate support, the JDRF then turned to a permission-based voice messaging company. By accessing the company's automated calling technology via the Internet, the JDRF scheduled and then voice broadcasted a compelling voice message to thousands of its JDRF advocates nationwide. The voice message was distributed to the mobile, business, or home phone number each advocate had previously provided to the organization. Since the voice messaging company's self-managed process requires no hardware, software or third-party call center, the JDRF could create and send its message very quickly.
"One of the most powerful features was the ability to immediately transfer listeners to their Congressional representatives' offices," stated Kondratick. "Rather than us hoping they would take the extra step after hanging up, the listeners could simply press '1' on their phone to be connected. That simple transfer feature dramatically increased the number of calls reaching Capitol Hill."
The JDRF exceeded its expectations with the automated calling campaign: 65 Senators and 262 Representatives added their names to the funding letter and an unprecedented 17 percent of the JDRF advocates transferred to their representative.
"The call-in rate was far higher than past achievements with e-mail or other efforts," shared Kondratick. "Those calls had a direct and meaningful impact on our results." According to Vontoo co-founder and CEO, Bob Compton, the JDRF's approach demonstrates a rising trend in government advocacy and not-for-profit groups. He explains these organizations view voice technology as a primary tool in maintaining enthusiasm and streamlining calls-to-action for busy members who have less and less time to support a cause."
JDRF was able to maintain personal connection and detailed tracking of all the calls made. By reviewing reports detailing who listened and responded to each call, the organization was able to constantly updating its communications in real time to ensure its message remains fresh.
Dustin Sapp is co-founder and president of Vontoo, a provider of on-demand, permission-based, instant voice messaging. He can be reached at 1311 West 96th Street, Suite 120, Indianapolis, IN 46260; 877-868-6686.