Chapter Advocacy Grant Program “A Day at the State Capitol”
In October 2009, as a reflection of the American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) continuing support of local-level advocacy efforts by ACS Chapters in their respective states, the Board of Governors Committee on Chapter Activities (GCCA) considered a proposal requesting the development and implementation of a chapter advocacy grant program to help support a state capitol lobby day. The proposal was supported and signed by 27 ACS chapters, and was unanimously accepted by the Board of Governors. The Board of Regents approved this program in February 2010.
Under this two-year Day at the State Capitol grant program, ACS chapters may apply annually for a grant for up to $5,000 in a given year, with the stipulation that they will match one dollar for every two received. For example, a grant of $5,000 would require a chapter match of $2,500, for a total of $7,500. After completing a grant application (see below), the GCCA Subcommittee on Advocacy will review the applications and select the grant recipients. These recipients will be assigned a member of the ACS State Affairs team to assist with the planning and on-site implementation of the event.
In those states where more than one ACS chapter exists, it is recommended that all the chapters come together in support of the grant application. Statewide advocacy requires a united surgical voice, which is best developed when diverse chapters are working together.
Once the Day at the State Capitol program is completed, chapters will be required to provide a report to the ACS State Affairs office describing the event and its accomplishments, detailing ways in which the grant funds were spent, and assessing the overall completion of goals and objectives of the program. This report will be shared with the GCCA Subcommittee on Advocacy to further assess the grant program.
For questions about the Chapter Advocacy Grant Program, contact Jon Sutton, Manager of State Affairs, at jsutton@facs.org.
Chapter Grant Criteria/Application 2012 (80K DOC)
State Lobby Day Toolkit (55K PDF)
Revised November 3, 2011