Advocacy and Public Policy Consultant

About WomenHeart

Since 1999, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease has been the nation's only patient-centered organization solely devoted to advancing women's heart health through patient support, community education, and advocacy. WomenHeart is both a coalition and a community of thousands of members nationwide, including women heart patients and their families, health care professionals, and health advocates, all committed to helping women live longer, healthier lives. WomenHeart's advocacy work is central to its mission. We engage policymakers at the federal and state levels to advance policies that improve outcomes for women with or at risk of heart disease, and we mobilize our network of patient advocates to amplify that voice directly on Capitol Hill and in state capitals.

Purpose and Background

WomenHeart is seeking proposals from experienced advocacy consultants or consulting firms to support the development and execution of a comprehensive federal and state policy agenda, strengthen our existing advocacy infrastructure, and provide strategic support leading up to and through our 2027 Advocacy Summit. This is an opportunity to partner with a mission-driven organization at an inflection point, as WomenHeart prepares for significant expansion and increased leadership in the women's heart health space.

Scope of Work

The full scope below reflects the anticipated arc of the engagement through the February 2027 Advocacy Summit and beyond; respondents should propose a phased timeline that sequences the remaining work accordingly. The selected consultant will be expected to support the following areas:

Federal Policy Agenda Development

• Conduct a landscape analysis of current federal legislation and policy priorities relevant to women's cardiovascular health.
• Develop a comprehensive federal policy agenda in alignment with WomenHeart's mission and strategic priorities, for delivery by end of Q3 2026.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with at least two Representatives/Senators to champion key policy priorities in the lead up to WomenHeart's Advocacy Day.
• Advise on federal regulatory and administrative priorities in addition to legislative opportunities.

State-Level Advocacy

• Support the development of a state advocacy strategy, identifying priority states and policy opportunities. • Provide guidance on how to mobilize WomenHeart's Champion network for state-level engagement.
• Track relevant state legislation and flag opportunities for WomenHeart action.
• Organize and manage engagement of state-level advocacy where appropriate.

Advocacy Infrastructure & Capacity Building

• Assess WomenHeart's Advocacy Corps and current advocacy infrastructure and recommend improvements.
• Support the development of advocacy tools, training materials, and resources for WomenHeart Champions.
• Help build systems for tracking and reporting advocacy activity and impact.

2027 Advocacy Summit Support

• Partner with WomenHeart and the Soapbox team to develop the strategic framework and policy priorities for the February 2027 Advocacy Summit.
• Support the development of Hill Day materials, including leave-behinds, talking points, and advocacy ask sheets. • Assist with congressional meeting scheduling and logistics coordination.
• Provide on-site or remote support during the Summit and Hill Day activities.
• Support post-Summit follow-up and impact reporting.

Ongoing Strategic Advisory Support

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to WomenHeart leadership on advocacy priorities and opportunities.
• Monitor the federal and state policy landscape and provide regular updates and recommendations. Represent WomenHeart on partner and coalition calls, serving as a knowledgeable and credible voice for the organization's advocacy priorities.
• Partner with WomenHeart's communications team to identify opportunities to amplify the organization's advocacy work.