Selection Criteria 

THESE AWARDS ARE INTENDED FOR ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE LEADERSHIP, STAFF AND BOARD, ARE GRASSROOTS, AND PRIMARILY BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS AND ADVOCATES. THEY ARE NOT INTENDED FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE MAINLY HEALTH CARE PROVIDER-FOCUSED OR LED. THESE AWARDS ARE INTENDED FOR PROGRAMS OR PROJECTS THAT ARE INNOVATIVE, DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY FROM OTHER PROGRAMS IN THE SAME AREA, AND HAVE DEMONSTRATED A MEASURABLE CHANGE AT THE SYSTEMS LEVEL OF RESEARCH, HEALTH CARE ACCESS OR PUBLIC POLICY. "CHANGE AT THE SYSTEMS LEVEL" MEANS THE PROGRAMS OR PROJECTS HAVE IDENTIFIED A SPECIFIC PROBLEM WITHIN RESEARCH, HEALTH CARE ACCESS OR PUBLIC POLICY AND HAVE DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED A NEW APPROACH TO THAT PROBLEM. THE NEW APPROACH MUST HAVE SUCCEEDED IN CHANGING THE SYSTEM TO AFFECT ALL OR MOST WITHIN IT. THE AWARDED PROGRAM OR PROJECT MUST BE ONE THAT SETS A STANDARD THAT SHOULD BE REPLICATED BY OTHERS.

Although your organization does not have to be breast cancer-specific, the nominated best practices must focus on breast cancer.

Evaluation will be based on the following:

• Relevance of the work to NBCCF’s goals of research, access and influence; as well as our public policy priorities.

• Extent to which the work impacts the structure, function and policies of the health care, research and public policy systems so that improvement occurs for all patients in the system and not just one patient at a time.

• Scope of breast cancer consumer advocates'A consumer advocate is someone personally affected by breast cancer who acts on behalf of a defined constituency in the fight to end this disease. role in the organization and its leadership.

• Extent to which the work represents an effective, strategic and/or innovative approach to health care quality, access and/or research.

• How the best practices have been or could be replicated by other advocacy organizations, policymakers or leaders.

• Organization's strategy for the role it will play in ending breast cancer.

• Extent to which the work aligns with NBCCF's principles, values and positions, and incorporates skills learned from NBCCF training programs (such as the Annual Advocacy Training Conference and Lobby Day, Project LEAD^®, etc.) 

Your organization must be a consumer-led, grassroots organization that reflects the voices of the people most affected by the issue being addressed and that is responsive to and largely led by these constituents advocacy organization. It can be local, statewide, or national in scope. NBCCF will consider the nomination of 1) best practices for an entire organization or 2) specific programs or initiatives within an organization.