Online Toolkit

SAMPLE PARTNER OUTREACH LETTER

Dear (insert Organization contact name),

Only 69 percent of women know that heart disease is their leading cause of death and most fail to make the connection between risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and their personal risk of developing heart disease. (Insert your Organization name) with The Heart Truth^® campaign, wants to raise awareness that heart disease is the #1 killer of women. I am writing to invite you to become a local partner to join us in this effort.

The Heart Truth created and introduced the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002 to deliver an urgent wake-up call to American women. The Red Dress^® reminds women of the need to protect their heart health, and inspires them to take action.

The Heart Truth campaign is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in partnership with The Office on Women's Health (OWH) and other groups committed to the health and well-being of women.

The Heart Truth is building awareness of women's heart disease and empowering women to reduce and prevent their risk. It is reaching women with important heart health messages in community settings through a diverse network of national and grassroots partner organizations.

(Insert your Organization's name) is asking (insert partner's Organization name) to partner with us to support and organize a local event and presentation to promote the important message of The Heart Truth campaign.

(Insert a paragraph describing your local event.)

(You may insert one of the following paragraphs suggesting appropriate partnership ideas or feel free to insert your own customized ideas):

As a local business, there are many ways you can participate. You may declare a "Red Dress Day" in which employees wear red, get screened for heart disease risk factors, and attend a presentation to build awareness. Or you may (insert ideas you have for your local event).

As a clothing retailer, the Red Dress symbol presents many attractive and educational opportunities, such as combining a Red Dress fashion show with a Heart Truth presentation-or creating special Red Dress promotions that benefit a local non-profit women's heart organization.

As a community group, you may consider a "Dress for Success" breakfast or luncheon for your members, featuring a fashion show and The Heart Truth presentation. The campaign's Red Dress Project may be incorporated into your planned events and community fairs as well.

As a hospital, The Heart Truth campaign and its Red Dress symbol can help you bring the issue of women's heart health to center stage. The messages and educational materials are ideal to incorporate into your ongoing community health classes or special activities.

Please consider joining as a local partner and help us expand The Heart Truth campaign's reach to women in our community. Please visit The Heart Truth Web page for more information at www.hearttruth.gov.

I will be contacting you soon to discuss your interest in participating and partnering with our organization to implement campaign outreach activities. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at your convenience. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

cc:	The Heart Truth Campaign 1111 19th Street, NW 10th floor Washington, DC 20036

Last Updated: February 29, 2012