In order to galvanzie the necessary support in Albany to increase funding for many of these non-profit agencies and raise the wages of critical care workers, a groundswell of grassroots and grasstops support was needed.

Non-profit agencies, which rely on funding from New York State to serve thousands of New Yorkers with developmental disabilities, went years without a funding increase. This left DSPs, those who support New Yorkers living with developmental disabilities, making astonishingly low wages despite their critical work. With more than 90 percent of their funding coming from Medicaid, these agencies were left helpless as worker turnover and vacancy rates continued to rise. This needed to change.

J Strategies created a branded social media campaign to help generate support across the state. We implemented calls to action that led to thousands of phone calls, letters, emails, and social media posts to the Governor and other target members of the New York State Legislature. We also utilized social media to maximize the reach of press conferences, rallies, op-eds, letters to the editor, and earned media pieces about the issue.