Situation
Protect TX Fragile Kids (PTFK) is a grassroots non-profit organization founded to support families of fragile children with complex medical needs and disabilities.
They faced a high-stakes challenge: a proposed Texas HHSC policy that could force families to institutionalize their child in order to access necessary medical care.
In this critical moment, PTFK had to act fast to mobilize advocates – advocates who were already struggling against impossible circumstances.
Challenge
PTFK needed grassroots advocacy infrastructure that could generate widespread support while accounting for their advocates’ unique needs – including accessibility.
“We know it’s really difficult for families to get engaged in advocacy. Texas is a huge state. Families can’t just go up to the Capitol if they live 10-12 hours away or have kids in the hospital on trachs and ventilators,” said Hannah Mehta, Co-Founder & Executive Director of PTFK.
They needed a tool that made it simple for families with a full plate to take action.
The Partnership
Speak4 and PTFK joined forces to meet these families where they were, making it as easy as possible to take action so they could get back to their priority: their children.
Using Speak4, PTFK created a letter campaign targeting Texas lawmakers, which included Storyteller Mode to allow families to share personalized testimonials describing how the proposed policy would impact their lives.
Results
PTFK shared the campaign on Facebook and received an overwhelmingly positive response, reaching more than 21,000 users through organic promotion alone.
Over the span of two weeks, the campaign:
- Sent 45,450 letters to Texas lawmakers
- Recruited 4,467 advocates
Through PTFK’s powerful ability to engage supporters and Speak4’s frictionless platform, the policy changes were rejected.
Why it Matters
“These are life and death issues,” said Mehta. “It’s incredibly important for families to have a way to really make a difference and have their voices heard. We really appreciate the fact that Speak4 has given us a tool that allows us to do that.”