1. How to
communicate
issues without
writing reports
Using infographics and social media
to get your point across

2. About Us
 Presenters
Sarah Forrest Jill Westfall
Policy Coordinator – Communications &
Child Welfare & Juvenile Justice Operations Coordinator
 Voices for Children in Nebraska
 Founded in 1987
 Statewide, multi-issue child advocacy

3. How we got here
 Staff interest, knowing we needed to move in this direction
 Transition from a founding executive director to new
executive director with a passion for graphics and
visualization

4. Where we were

12. 48 pages long
(We’ll spare
you the click
through…)

13. Where we are now

19. Where we are

20. How do you do it?
 Writing/Content Process
 Figure out what you want to say first!
 Let data drive the graphic (if you’re illustrating data).
 Graphic software

21. A few easy, inexpensive tools
 Word, Publisher, PowerPoint
 Infogr.am
 Piktochart.com
For the more advanced users:
Adobe Creative Suite –
Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign

23. Lessons learned in using new media to advance
policy change:
 Keep it short
 Be specific
 Let need drive the tool, not the other way around
 Don’t write something to have a long shelf life
 The internet is amazing!
 Update and republish materials as needed on the cheap
 Policy and communications are on the same team

24. Contact us
Sarah Forrest
sforrest@voicesforchildren.com
(402) 597-3100 x109
Jill Westfall
jwestfall@voicesforchildren.com
(402) 597-3100 x`106
http://voicesforchildren.com